My Battle starts now and I will win the War.

[Metriosity]

Congrats on the running! 2.5 minutes is more than what Week 2 of the Couch to 5k program even calls for! It seems like you're doing really well sticking to healthy living. If at some point, you want to take on running more directly, the C25K program might provide the right amount of structure. Each week consists of 3 workouts lasting about 20 minutes. The first week is just to alternate a 60s jog with 90s of walking.

Keep kicking ass

 

Ooh! I will totally look into that! Thank you! I need something to give me a focused goal  

[Sloth the Enduring]

The thing about running is, now that you know you can run 2.5 min., that will be easy(ier) from now on.

[Metriosity]

The thing about running is, now that you know you can run 2.5 min., that will be easy(ier) from now on.

I hope so. I was shocked I lasted that long. I want to try adding to it every time. Even if it's just a few seconds. It will be like competing against myself.

[Metriosity]

Day 13: 

Yesterday we never made it to the gym. I didn't feel too guilty as I did do a lot of walking around during the day. We did however go this morning. 

We thought that a Saturday morning would be crazy packed in there, but it really wasn't. It was pretty quiet and kinda nice in there. I spent most of my time on the reclined bike. I did around 6 miles in 25 minutes at level 3 incline. 

What kills me is that all of the treadmills and bikes are facing this wall of TV's. No biggy. What's maddening is what is on those TV's. Why have the Food Network on, showing nothing but deserts when you have a building full of people trying to avoid desert? I come out of there craving something sweet because I see these chef's making it. Doesn't help that there is a huge Krispy Kreme sign opposite. I haven't caved yet, but my god has it tugged on my will power. 

I don't feel like I am losing any weight at the moment. But I have changed my eating habits of late. 

When we first started on the Paleo I was only eating the veggies and fish that we cooked. I hadn't eaten "Meat" in over a year. But as we get further and further into the exercise and the food, I found that I don't have a choice but to eat meat. I am getting crazy hungry for protein all the time. I'm not eating all day long, but when it comes to dinner the Veggies alone just don't satisfy. So I guess my body is adapting to having real meat back in it. 

And it is loving it. I may not be gulping down the cheeseburger I am craving (And I have been craving one of those for a year) but I swear, tucking into a steak or a pork chop is so delightful, it brought a tear to my eye. 

I gave up meat a year ago because I thought it was making me sick. Whenever I ate I was having really severe stomach cramps that would cripple me. Since I started eating meat again I realize the meat had nothing to do with it. It was all the other crap I was eating. I haven't had any problems eating some good red meaty protein. And I couldn't be happier. 

Anyways, weigh in on Tuesday. We'll see how bad it is then. Until then, I won't sweat it too much. As long as I am working out, I feel like I am doing something better than just laying there letting my food fatten me up like a christmas turkey....

 

Holy crap I can eat Turkey this Christmas!!!! The joy I feel right now can't be measured. 

[Metriosity]

Day 14: The long walk. 

Today was supposed to be a rest day. But it didn't pan out like that. 

This evening my son and his father (My wife's ex husband) decided that they wanted to hike to the bottom of Avalon Canyon to see a boat that had washed up on shore. I was asked to go with them, but I had no idea where Avalon Canyon was, let alone the terrain. I should have guessed from the word "Canyon" that an upward incline would be involved at some point. 

Getting down to the beach at the bottom was almost as hard as it was coming back up. Gravity was constantly fighting to drop me on my butt at any point. I would guesstimate that with all of the zig zags back and forth the path was at least a mile long. Maybe it just felt that way. I dont know. But it was long. 

The beach was beautiful. The sun was just setting, the tide was slowly rolling in. It was heaven. 

The climb back was hell. 

I never thought I would make it back. I was tempted to cry out "Leave me. Save yourselves!" 

Luckily I wasn't the only one struggling. A bunch of teenagers were crawling back from the beach too and all of them looked just as beat. So I didn't feel too bad about my lack of stamina. 

But I survived. Barely. 

[savan]

Day 14: The long walk. 

Today was supposed to be a rest day. But it didn't pan out like that. 

This evening my son and his father (My wife's ex husband) decided that they wanted to hike to the bottom of Avalon Canyon to see a boat that had washed up on shore. I was asked to go with them, but I had no idea where Avalon Canyon was, let alone the terrain. I should have guessed from the word "Canyon" that an upward incline would be involved at some point. 

Getting down to the beach at the bottom was almost as hard as it was coming back up. Gravity was constantly fighting to drop me on my butt at any point. I would guesstimate that with all of the zig zags back and forth the path was at least a mile long. Maybe it just felt that way. I dont know. But it was long. 

The beach was beautiful. The sun was just setting, the tide was slowly rolling in. It was heaven. 

The climb back was hell. 

I never thought I would make it back. I was tempted to cry out "Leave me. Save yourselves!" 

Luckily I wasn't the only one struggling. A bunch of teenagers were crawling back from the beach too and all of them looked just as beat. So I didn't feel too bad about my lack of stamina. 

But I survived. Barely. 

Good job on making it! Hiking uphill is always tough, and a mile of switchbacks is never fun, but the feeling of accomplishment once you're at the top is nice. Even better is getting home and collapsing

Hopefully you and the family can get out and do more moderate hikes in the future. As always, proper timing (cool mornings) and hydration will have a huge impact on how

pleasant a hike is. I'll usually bring a liter for every 2 miles, but generally not more than a gallon for an all-day trip unless it's particularly strenuous. I feel like hikes give you a better appreciation of all those fantasy books where they walk dozens of miles a day.

[Metriosity]

Good job on making it! Hiking uphill is always tough, and a mile of switchbacks is never fun, but the feeling of accomplishment once you're at the top is nice. Even better is getting home and collapsing

Hopefully you and the family can get out and do more moderate hikes in the future. As always, proper timing (cool mornings) and hydration will have a huge impact on how

pleasant a hike is. I'll usually bring a liter for every 2 miles, but generally not more than a gallon for an all-day trip unless it's particularly strenuous. I feel like hikes give you a better appreciation of all those fantasy books where they walk dozens of miles a day.

 

 

You aren't kidding. I got half way up the hill/cliff/mountain and thought "Geez those little hobbits were badasses. They made it up a mountain and across a country on those little legs." 

When I got home last night I crashed onto the bed, clutching my ribs and vowing never to do that hill again. 

This morning when I woke up I was still clutching my ribs but making a mental challenge to that hill saying I will some day kick it's ass. 

I tell you what though. I am appreciating plain old water a lot more now I am doing more strenuous stuff. I gulp it down and think its the best tasting stuff on earth. When I'm not doing anything and I drink it, it tasted like crap to me. 

[Metriosity]

Day 15: 

I just realized I have been going to the gym for two weeks now. Amazing! 

We went this morning, even though all of us were really tired from the hike yesterday. Just to keep up the routine. If we take a day off or whatever we all know that we will never go back. 

Instead of trying to bust ass and break a crazy sweat, we all agreed to do a light workout. Just something to keep the muscles active and warm them up. I did 3 miles on the bike and then did some light weights. Even doing that was exhausting. I am glad we got it done in the morning so that I can spend the rest of the day not feeling guilty. 

What was amazing today was, as we walked in the gym was packed out with senior citizens. Some of them needing canes or walkers to get around. But they were out there, getting their exercise on and looking invigorated. It was very inspiring to see these people who could hardly walk, really trying hard to keep themselves active. 

Made me realize that I have no excuse what so ever to get lazy again. If they can still be doing all this at their age, then at my age I should be taking advantage of what youth I do have. 

[Metriosity]

Day 16: Weigh in and measurements day.

Weight: 167.2 lbs

Hips: 39.5"

Waist: 35"
Bust: 41"
Thigh: 22.5"

So yay, some weight loss and some inches gone. Some gained... But I'm ok with it being on my bust. I don't really want that to go away... 

No gym today. All of us are just too exhausted. But I will do some peddling on the rehab peddles and stretch out my aching limbs. 

This morning I decided to make up a graph of my progress. I have one charting my weight and another charting my inches. I'm hoping I will get some insight into my gains and losses, what works and what doesn't. Unfortunately as a woman I'm going to have weeks where I am suddenly heavier or rounder. But I won't sweat on those too much. Even though the craving for chocolate is insane! Makes me a tiny bit grouchier than usual when I can't have the chocolate to make me feel better. But I read that it's really just a lack of magnesium in the body so I will look for another source to get that, rather than the dreaded candy. 

Feeling pretty good at this point. Next week's weigh in will be the progress pictures one. Eeeps... 

[Metriosity]

Day 16: Small victory! 

Two months ago I bought a pair of pants online from China. When I got them, there was about 3 inches of gut between the button and the button hole. The two sides of the zipper just stared at each other longingly over a great divide. And I couldn't bend my legs in them. 

I kept them with the intention of "one day" fitting in them. Today is that day! They are still a bit snug and I had to do the jumping dance to get the zipper all the way up. But they closed and I could walk around in them comfortably. 

Take that tiny Chinese sizing! 

This little victory has made my day even better! 

[savan]

I tell you what though. I am appreciating plain old water a lot more now I am doing more strenuous stuff. I gulp it down and think its the best tasting stuff on earth. When I'm not doing anything and I drink it, it tasted like crap to me. 

Hell yeah! It's great when your cravings actually start to reflect what your body needs.

 

Day 16: Small victory! 

Two months ago I bought a pair of pants online from China. When I got them, there was about 3 inches of gut between the button and the button hole. The two sides of the zipper just stared at each other longingly over a great divide. And I couldn't bend my legs in them. 

I kept them with the intention of "one day" fitting in them. Today is that day! They are still a bit snug and I had to do the jumping dance to get the zipper all the way up. But they closed and I could walk around in them comfortably. 

Take that tiny Chinese sizing! 

This little victory has made my day even better! 

And hooray!! One of the best things about exercising regularly is feeling that you're in control of your body and not just chained inside a stubborn sack of flesh. It certainly improves buying new clothes and getting dressed in the morning when you can see the payoff of your hard work.

Go you!

[Metriosity]

Hell yeah! It's great when your cravings actually start to reflect what your body needs.

 

And hooray!! One of the best things about exercising regularly is feeling that you're in control of your body and not just chained inside a stubborn sack of flesh. It certainly improves buying new clothes and getting dressed in the morning when you can see the payoff of your hard work.

Go you!

Oh I'm still a stubborn sack of flesh  

But two or so years ago my Mom came over to visit from England and brought with her some shorts she thought I might like. I did. I loved them. However she brought them in a size about 3 sizes too small for me. I couldn't even get them over my chunky thighs. I thought I would check my progress on them this morning and I managed to get them on and do them up. It makes me muffin top like crazy so I have a ways to go before I can wear them comfortably. But it's progress. 

Seeing myself starting to get back to how I used to be is more motivating than anything. Because since I moved to the US people have only ever seen me the way I was before I started the body change I am working on now. They never believe me when I say I was toned and healthy. I'll show them! 

[Metriosity]

Day 17: Other small victories! 

So just a couple of things that made me smile today. 

Firstly, I was messing around in the back yard with the dogs and my wife said that I was a bit more active than usual. I jokingly said "I bet i still can't touch my toes." I've never been able to do that without bending my knee's. So I leaned down and in some crazy miracle, I could do it! Totally straight legged, and without strain. I almost fell over in shock. 

My second win, was that I checked my BMI index today. When I started the diet 6 weeks ago, I was classified as "Obese." As of today, I am officially "Overweight." I know that's still not good. But to move down from Obese to Overweight is a big milestone for me. 

A long way to go, but each of these little wins just makes the journey even more thrilling. It's not just Start > Finish. It's Start > Achievement > Achievement > Achievement > Win! > Achievement > 

I realized that there is no "Finish" to any of this. It is a life long commitment to being better. To striving for more. When I hit my goal weight, I have to strive to maintain it. And then new goals can be added to other aspects of my life. If I can achieve this then there is more I can do. 

I got the Zookeeper achieve in WoW. Which is totally irrelevant to my weight loss, but it was something I have been working on for a while and I got it. It made me feel good. The real world achievements just feel that little bit sweeter. 

[Metriosity]

Day 18. Quickening the pace. 

For the past couple of weeks I have used the treadmill every time I go to the gym. Usually at a very brisk walking pace. I use it to get me warmed up and then I go on to weights or body weight exercises. Last week I tried running for the first time in years. I managed 2 and a half minutes before I wanted to fall over. To me that was pretty pitiful. Someone of my age and "general" health should manage more than that. 

Today I did a bit more. Still nowhere near a marathon. Or even a jog to the shops. But more. It broke down like this. 

10 minutes warm up walk at a brisk pace > 3 minutes running > 10 minutes walking at a brisk pace > 3 minutes running > 4 Minutes brisk pace at an incline > 5 minutes cool down pace. 

So that was a total of 6 minutes running. And while there was definitely a strain going on in my lungs, I was comfortable with it. Not panicking that I was about to have a heart attack. 

Then I moved on to 10 reps x 3 of Hip Abductors at 110 lbs,

lower back strengthening at 110lbs 10 reps x 3,

various arm/shoulder muscle machines. All at 70lbs with 10 reps x 3. 

All before 9am. I'm ready to go back to bed. But it's time to get the day moving. 

[Metriosity]

Day 18: The sticky situation. 

Hell's bells. I was doing so great! Haven't had candy or bad things in forever! Then today the elderly neighbor taps on the door. Yes, that happens in the real world. Asks me to show her how to transfer files to a memory stick. Piece of cake... Mmm cake... 

Anyways, I do it and go to leave. She shoves this plate at me with these chocolates on them. I go to shake my head and explain I'm on a diet. And she says that line that every one dreads when about to refuse something... "I made these caramels myself." My brain started screaming at me "DONT DO IT!" But my heart said "Little old lady feelings, crushing them, bad." 

So I had a couple. She offered more but I lied and said I was about to cook dinner. They were delicious. Like heaven in a candy. And my sweet tooth got all sorts of happy. 

But I'm not. I know people slip and have little secret things but I was hoping to avoid that for at least the 6 weeks of dieting to start the routine. The family want Pizza for their reward for lasting 6 weeks. I'll stick with a salad. The idea of a pizza is actually making me nauseous. All that dough and stuff. Blegh. 

Anyway. On a plus side, I feel kinda sickly after eating it. So much sweetness, I'm not used to it. And while delicious, that feeling of pretty much solid sugar just coating my throat wasn't as nice as it used to be. I think I'll be ok to stay away from now on. 

[savan]

Day 18: The sticky situation. 

Hell's bells. I was doing so great! Haven't had candy or bad things in forever! Then today the elderly neighbor taps on the door. Yes, that happens in the real world. Asks me to show her how to transfer files to a memory stick. Piece of cake... Mmm cake... 

Anyways, I do it and go to leave. She shoves this plate at me with these chocolates on them. I go to shake my head and explain I'm on a diet. And she says that line that every one dreads when about to refuse something... "I made these caramels myself." My brain started screaming at me "DONT DO IT!" But my heart said "Little old lady feelings, crushing them, bad." 

So I had a couple. She offered more but I lied and said I was about to cook dinner. They were delicious. Like heaven in a candy. And my sweet tooth got all sorts of happy. 

But I'm not. I know people slip and have little secret things but I was hoping to avoid that for at least the 6 weeks of dieting to start the routine. The family want Pizza for their reward for lasting 6 weeks. I'll stick with a salad. The idea of a pizza is actually making me nauseous. All that dough and stuff. Blegh. 

Anyway. On a plus side, I feel kinda sickly after eating it. So much sweetness, I'm not used to it. And while delicious, that feeling of pretty much solid sugar just coating my throat wasn't as nice as it used to be. I think I'll be ok to stay away from now on. 

A tiny thing like a few caramels every now and then won't kill your progress. The way I see it, a healthy lifestyle makes a life worth living. However, a life spent avoiding all gustatory delights isn't exactly a life well lived, either.

Anyway, I like the idea of avoiding the pizza. Like any good quest reward, your reward shouldn't undo your progress or make you weaker. It should make you stronger, or make the journey more enjoyable. Your reward could be new clothes, exercise equipment for the home, yoga mat, massager for sore muscles, running shoes, etc.

Also, great job with the running and flexibility! You're making progress in each of the 5 Elements of Fitness! (Flexibility, Muscular strength/endurance, cardiovascular endurance, body composition, joint mobility/body awareness)

[Metriosity]

A tiny thing like a few caramels every now and then won't kill your progress. The way I see it, a healthy lifestyle makes a life worth living. However, a life spent avoiding all gustatory delights isn't exactly a life well lived, either.

Anyway, I like the idea of avoiding the pizza. Like any good quest reward, your reward shouldn't undo your progress or make you weaker. It should make you stronger, or make the journey more enjoyable. Your reward could be new clothes, exercise equipment for the home, yoga mat, massager for sore muscles, running shoes, etc.

Also, great job with the running and flexibility! You're making progress in each of the 5 Elements of Fitness! (Flexibility, Muscular strength/endurance, cardiovascular endurance, body composition, joint mobility/body awareness)

 

I really used to love Pizza. But even seeing the commercials for it just make me feel heavy. It's one big thing of everything I shouldn't eat. I will let them have their splurge but I definitely don't want to indulge in that myself. I don't mind a little regret that I can work through but that looks like a whole week of misery in the making. My son suggested McDonalds. But that to me sounds even worse. 

At the moment my rewards seem to be fitting in clothes I have but can't fit. It feels really good to see progress towards being able to wear them. 

I am definitely not at your level of fitness though. I have been reading your blog and it's like super hero stuff to me. I have no idea how you do it. But slowly I'm unlocking the doors to new levels and it's inspiring to see your progress. 

[Metriosity]

Day 19: Partying Up. 

Whenever I play WoW, or most games, I prefer to go solo. That's not because I dislike playing with others, or think I am better. It's quite the opposite. I worry that I will bring the party down. I don't want the healer to spend their whole time saving my butt. I am nowhere near an expert. Honestly, even after 10 years of playing I still feel like a noob. 

My weight loss journey started when a friend of mine also complained about her weight after I had just read about using competition to keep you driven when working out. It was actually the story of Saint that got me reading into how I can change my lifestyle. Anyway I suggested the idea of a competition to her. See who could shed the most inches/lbs by New Years. She was all for it. 

As time has gone on however, I have started to compete more against myself than against her because I am getting frustrated that there isn't really any competition. I am trying to keep her motivated and keep her working towards her goal. But while I am trying to avoid excuses, she seems to drown in them. There is always something to slow her down or stop her from pushing harder. I'm frustrated that no matter what I say or do to motivate, it's not enough. And while we all have bumps in our journey to physical godliness. She seems to have great big gaping chasms. 

I've never been this motivated or more dedicated before in trying to sort myself out. And I am working hard to put in the time and effort needed to undo all the years of abuse I have done to myself. Only I can fix it. I'm not going to wake up one day and have the beach body of a super model. It doesn't happen like that. 

Instead I wake up every morning and say to myself "You have a decade of donuts, candy, soda, fast food and pure laziness to work off. Get off your ass and fix it." It's like I am renovating a house. I know it's not going to magically fix itself after years of neglect. I have to put in time and effort to make it livable again. 

And so to have my buddy, lagging at the back as I try to go deeper into the raid, it's frustrating. I want to pull her up and get her leveling up with me. I want her to be getting the epic loot or racking up the DPS. Instead it feels like she is sitting at the back, worrying that she can't do it. Instead of really putting in the effort to make it. 

Everyone has their ceiling. That level that they just can't seem to break. But while I'm reaching up to peel mine away, I just get the feeling she is on the floor looking up at it, waiting for an easy way up. 

So I have to push on alone. I will keep looking back to make sure she isn't totally left behind. But I have my own goals to achieve and I have to focus on those. I have a cosplay that is now 9 months away. I'm nowhere near ready for it. I will be. I won't get wiped and have to start over. I am capable of finishing this quest and I will do it alone if necessary. This time I won't be the one holding everyone back. I will be the one clearing the path and driving forward. 

I want my wife and my friend to succeed in their goals. And I am so damn proud of my wife as she used to be the biggest excuse bag in the world. Aches and pains would be enough to stop her from doing anything for a month. But she is getting out there and busting her butt to make her goals happen. It's incredible to see. She is my raid partner, and we are both surprised at how much damage she is doing in destroying the fat oozlings. She is a badass. 

I just hope my friend finds her inner warrior and starts fighting. I know she can do it. I am just not sure she wants to. 

[DerekP]

Metriosity,

 

You're like the poster-woman for life change! You're on such a roll, its awesome to see. Something like a little chocolate? Not even a speed bump - it's more like a pebble in the road. You're having some of the same normal battles everyone else is having, and you're kicking the crap out of them! A couple days ago you mentioned that fat loss might be slowing down a bit,  but usually it takes more than a few days to notice something like that. Over the months you'll find normal ups and downs vary quite a bit from day to day. I'm pretty sure I saw that you weigh yourself daily. You might consider writing a little equation on exel that averages the last 7 days of weight every day. That way you can see progress without the annoyance of seeing daily fluctuations. It's something we did for my wife and it worked really well for her, and i've seen others here try it too with success.

 

And remember - if you can't work out, days off are just as important to improving fitness as days on. Workouts break you down - recovery is what builds you up. If you really want to be productive on your non-gym days, do some stretching and some relaxing mobility work, and go for a walk while it's still summer.

 

You're doing so great!

[Metriosity]

Metriosity,

 

You're like the poster-woman for life change! You're on such a roll, its awesome to see. Something like a little chocolate? Not even a speed bump - it's more like a pebble in the road. You're having some of the same normal battles everyone else is having, and you're kicking the crap out of them! A couple days ago you mentioned that fat loss might be slowing down a bit,  but usually it takes more than a few days to notice something like that. Over the months you'll find normal ups and downs vary quite a bit from day to day. I'm pretty sure I saw that you weigh yourself daily. You might consider writing a little equation on exel that averages the last 7 days of weight every day. That way you can see progress without the annoyance of seeing daily fluctuations. It's something we did for my wife and it worked really well for her, and i've seen others here try it too with success.

 

And remember - if you can't work out, days off are just as important to improving fitness as days on. Workouts break you down - recovery is what builds you up. If you really want to be productive on your non-gym days, do some stretching and some relaxing mobility work, and go for a walk while it's still summer.

 

You're doing so great!

Thank you I have stopped daily weighing for now. I do it weekly so I can get a good idea of my average per week. But I have noticed that I'm not "losing" weight but I am losing inches. Which is great, my clothes fit better. Muffin topping was a signature of my wardrobe for years now. I guess it's because at the moment I'm building muscles back up that I totally get go to waste... 

No laughing, but my right arm was the only muscle I had that was in any shape... Because of gaming and drawing. It kept it active. The rest of me, no lie, was about as feeble as a newborn. They may have even had more strength than me. It was pitiful. 

I'm not as scared about trying new things anymore. If anyone suggested going for a walk or a hike, I would make up an excuse to stay behind. But now I am determined to give it a go. Even if halfway I end up puffing like a train. I will still take a whack at getting it done. I might take longer to get up the hill but I'm going to do it. If it's on my hands and knee's then so be it. 

The way I have been charting my loss at home is a little line graph on the wall of our garage. I have the weeks numbered out and my goal weight is the bottom line of the chart. So my little line is slowly dipping down that way. It's right there for me to see which is motivational. I'm not too worried if I gain an ounce or two, it's if I suddenly shoot up a few pounds I will start asking questions. 

I really want to make this happen. It's important to me to not just hit my goal but once I have that one, get some new ones rolling. I feel really good and confident that I can do it. I already have some plans for what to do next once I am one goal in the bag. But getting that one done will be prepping me for the next one. So my main goal has become a sub goal to the next. And that will become a sub goal to the next and so on. 

These forums have totally been my salvation. Reading all the stories of my fellow nerds who aren't content with being couch potatoes, makes me feel like I can do it to. You are all amazeballs! 

[Metriosity]

Day 20: 

Last night had it's up's and downs. The family went to the mall. Which is a nightmare in itself. A gauntlet of zombie teens, screaming babies, frustrated moms and clueless elderly. 

We went for a simple sort out at the Sprint Store which took over 2 hours... Afterwards it was unanimously agreed that we would have dinner at the mall and it would be our cheat night. After that, no cheats for another 6 weeks. We all ended up getting a Philly Cheesesteak. Me because I hadn't had one in over a year and the others because they wanted cheese and carbs. I couldn't blame them, they have all done so well to hold on to the diet so far. 

I got two bites in and put it down. Something inside me just couldn't stand it. I used to love them so much! I went through a phase about a year ago where I was having one a day. But the bread consistency just felt too much for me. The cheese was like chomping down dried up hot glue and the grease that was running off it turned my stomach. I actually found myself wishing that I could have a salad. But food was put out of my mind after eating some of the cheesesteak. Even my son's dad, who could eat a jumbo sized and extra large chili cheese fries, only got part way in and had to sit back saying he felt like he had eaten a rock. We all agreed that we definitely won't be doing that again. 

I think all in all yesterday I was home for about 20 minutes, between 8am and midnight. I don't think I sat down for any period longer than a 20 minute car ride to various places. I was beat at the end of the day. But in some miracle, my buddy from above, wanted to start going to the gym after her vacation and so we went too. 

This time I stepped away from the treadmill and away from the weight machines and went to the relative quiet of the body weight zone. What a revelation. I felt like I did more work in a 30 minute all body workout than I did doing 30 minutes on the treadmill and 30 on the weight machines. 

Maybe it was because over the day I did more than a 30 minute treadmill just getting around. I don't know. 

Woke up feeling sore this morning. But I'll stretch it out and then we are off to the gym again. Tomorrow is our off day. We are getting the gym in early as it looks like another full day ahead. 

I have managed to go a full week with drinking 3 full mason jars of water a day. I think that is 36oz total a day. So I am getting up there with the water intake. But I am drinking a 17oz coconut water a day too. Still not as much fluids as I need, but I'm getting there. 

[Muscle Professor]

Awesome progression! The system you got going on seems to be working for you nicely. Keep fighting the battle!

Day 9 - Weigh in and measurements day.

It's a bit of a positive negative day today. I gained 5oz from last week. Which bummed me out a bit. However I did take my measurements again. So here goes. With last weeks for comparison. 

 

Last week:
Weight: 167.8 lbs
Hips: 41.5"
Waist: 36"
Chest: 41.5"

This week:
Weight: 168.3 lbs
Hips: 41" 
Waist: 34"
Chest: 41" 
 

 I have lost some inches all around. I forgot to add my Thighs in last weeks measurements. They were 24" this week they are 22". I'm happy I have lost inches. And I'm not too devastated that I gained 5 oz. I am factoring in that this is my first week of working out which is going to affect things. Hopefully as I figure out what works for me and what doesn't, then I will start shedding weight again. I am focusing on cardio at the moment to try and boost my stamina. Last night's work out has opened my eyes a bit as to what my limits are. And made me confident that whatever they are, they can be beaten. 
 

So even though I gained a couple of ounces, I feel like I accomplished something in the past week. And I am raring to keep going. 
 

[Metriosity]

Awesome progression! The system you got going on seems to be working for you nicely. Keep fighting the battle!

 

Thank you!

[Muscle Professor]

You are very welcome!

[Metriosity]

Day 21: Three weeks of exercise down. A lifetime to go

Today I am doing a water fast. The last time I ate was 8 o'clock last night, so I have another 8 or so hours to go before I can eat again. I'M STARVING! 

I was doing ok when I got up, but then friends started posting pictures of cinnamon rolls and breakfast on their facebooks. I have had to take a facebook fast for the rest of the day too. I can't handle seeing all that yuminess and not able to eat it. I'm ok with it when I can grab for something to snack on to take my mind off of all the cakes and cheeseburger pictures that go up. I feel satisfied with half a Larabar. But with no food at all for 24 hours suddenly my brain is screaming at me that I am going to die imminently if I don't get food. That is totally not the case, but for my first water fast, that is how it feels. 

But I will stick it out. I won't be exercising today as it is our off day. Which is great. Because when ever I get out of the gym my first thought is for something to eat. 

The rumbling noises in my stomach are getting louder with each passing hour. I just have to tune them out or I'll go insane. 

I got on the webcam with my Mom in England today, haven't done that in a couple of weeks. First thing she said was that my face looks a lot thinner than even two weeks ago. I have definition back around my jaw and neck, rather than a staggeringly good impersonation of Jabba the Hut. So that made me feel really good. 

If this water fast goes well and doesn't kill me I will try doing one every two weeks, so I get a body cleanse for a day. I see all these articles touting the benefits and how people do it for 30 days. No way I will be attempting that. It just doesn't seem right. If I get to the stage where it is easier for me to do without looking at the dogs and thinking "Mmm protein..." I might try for a two day fast. But nothing longer than that. I love food too much. 

A day of rest seems really good to me at the moment. My whole body is feeling the efforts I've been trying to put in and it has reached that point where I just feel tired. I have had this crazy restless energy for the past three weeks and I have gotten to that point where I think it is time for a day off. No walks, no workouts. Just rest. Maybe some light stretching and meditation (I've been working on clearing my head for a while. I always have too much in there.) 

Maybe even later, I'll get on WoW and quest for a little. I just don't want to be doing anything at all today. By this evening I will most likely be itching to get to the gym in the morning. But that is for tomorrow. Today, I just need to give my limbs a break. It's tempting to go crazy, push through and keep going. But it's been a non stop week and I think I earned a little rest. Isn't that what Sundays are for anyway? 

Hope everyone is having a great weekend and their goals are just that little bit closer.