DrFeelgood: continuing the Adventure

[DrFeelgood]

It's time for a sequel trilogy.  For the first three challenges of this year I focused on losing excess fat and getting back to a healthy weight with a leaner body.  I joined up with the Adventurers as a Rebel-newbie and got to work.

 

 

At the outset I determined that I would lose 70 pounds and get down to a BMI (barely) under 25.  As of today I've lost 48 of those pounds with smart eating and heavy exercise, and even though I'm not that close to my BMI goal I have leaned out to below 20% body fat.  It's beginning to look like I'm going to walk around significantly heavier than my original goal thanks to the muscle I've gained and/or kept (I'll take it!).  I still have some fat to lose, but I'm not going to focus solely on losing weight anymore.

 

Instead I'm going to switch gears to building my body and developing additional skills and capabilities that will serve my life goals.  In doing so I expect to continue shedding useless weight, but only as a side-effect of finding my optimal strength-to-weight, which is a fairly murky target to be sure.  In truth, I'm not entirely sure how to go about this challenge--losing weight is fairly straightforward and SMART goals are objective and easy to create.  I'm going to need to put more thought in to this one.

 

What I don't have to think about is my Spreadsheets.   I have a bit of a reputation for tracking my fitness goals, and this time will be no different.  I have a preliminary plan for how I intend to proceed, but it's based mostly on the things I've already learned and seen success with.  For the sake of taking baby steps, I'm going to continue operating with my standard goals but modify the way I evaluate them.  I've been browsing Ranger threads to help with making the change.

 

Goal 1 - Intake.  I've been focusing on quality nutrition from good whole foods while eating at a deficit to lose fat, and this challenge will be similar.  However, I intend to approach this one from more of a body-recomp angle and will be eating at much higher levels (closer to maintenance) than I have been so far this year.  My Plan spreadsheet includes a calculator that tracks my actual weekly energy needs (based on a three-week rolling average for activity levels) and then sets my daily calorie targets slightly below maintenance so that I can continue cutting the remaining body fat while still feeding my muscles as much as I can tolerate.

 

Goal will be to eat within 5% of targeted calories every day of the challenge.  A two-day average will be allowed once per week to make-up for a high or low miss on any single day.

 

Goal 2 - Output.  My workouts have been geared toward retention of lean body mass with lots of heavy lifting and reduction of fat with low-intensity cardio and bodyweight circuit training.  I discovered a real love for barbells and intend to continue with Wendler's 5/3/1 program.  I'm planning to complete a 4-week cycle of the Boring But Big variant because I want to see how my body responds to the added volume.  For warm-up I'll do a quick bodyweight circuit with limbering movements, and after lifting I'll continue with low-intensity conditioning and stretching.  My focus will be on proper form.  After two cycles of 5x5 and one cycle of 5/3/1 I'm starting to use enough weight to cause real problems if I'm not getting it quite right.

 

Goal will be to execute each component (Strength and Cardio) for all of the planned workouts on my Workout spreadsheet.  That's only 4 weeks, but it's four times per week.  I'll probably start another cycle right away, and that will be a mid-challenge mod if needed.

 

Goal 3 - Preparation.  This one is simple, and it's worked well for me in the past so I'm keeping it.  Bedtime: as scheduled each and every night, no exceptions.  I've tried wake-up and snooze goals, and they just don't work as well as making sure I get to bed at a proper hour.

 

Goal is to be in bed with lights and devices off at the prescribed hour on the Plan spreadsheet.  The daily block is actually tracking the night before because it's the first thing I need to do correctly to start the day on the right foot.

 

In the interim weeks I'm on vacation, and I'll actually still be on vacation when the challenge starts.  I think I'll be able to do all of my planned work even though I'm away from my regular gym.  If I have to slip the first week then so be it, but I'm not going to defer any longer than I absolutely have to.  I debated taking this challenge off, but I've made such great progress and enjoyed the process of getting lean so much that I'm ready to go again.

 

This will be a new venture for me since fitness apart from weight-loss isn't in my vernacular, yet.  I'm hoping to find out where I want to go from here, and I'm counting on y'all to help me figure out how to get there.

[DrFeelgood]

 

[Balthazar]

came for the progress pics, staying for the spreadsheets

[SomeGuyFromScotland]

Following for the spreadsheets and awesome. Heck of a transformation between those two pics, buddy. You're doing amazing.

[Presea]

Wow!  I hadn't seen your initial pic before, just the more recent ones.  Really inspiring!

 

Looking forward to following along and seeing how your transition from aggressive fat loss to just under maintenance goes for you.  I'm sure your workouts will feel great with the extra fuel!

[Shello]

Subbing for pure awesomeness and spreadsheets.  o___0

[our.lady.of.ashes]

The man with a plan. Looking forward to seeing you rock this challenge.

[T2sarahconnor]

Outstanding challenge. Subbed.

[DarK_RaideR]

That NF shirt must look a whole lot better on you now

[DrFeelgood]

That NF shirt must look a whole lot better on you now

 

I actually just got it. It was my reward for getting under 200 lbs. in the last challenge.

MrsFeelgood says it makes my "boobs look bigger."

[Terah]

Wow, I hadn't seen your before picture. 

 

Subbed off course

[Stronkey Kong]

Awesome progress!

Subbing to see if BBB keeps it going.

[DrFeelgood]

Well, it's been an eventful two weeks of vacation.  Leg 1 in Albuquerque was a smashing success: I kept my eating on the rails and got a ton of physical activity in.  We had an awesome time with my wife's family, especially her sister who was also visiting from New York.  Leg 2 in San Diego was even better!  I kept my eating on plan up until my sister's wedding, and then I really got to enjoy myself afterwards.  Everyone was impressed with my ongoing transformation, but I took a break from deficit eating for the second bye week.  Even so, I fit in a bevy of bodyweight workouts and did a ton of swimming with The Minions, and that was before taking on the San Diego Zoo (I finally out-energied my kids!).  I got to reconnect with friends and family, and I even got to know my sister's new husband just a little bit (happy to say I like him).  The trip couldn't have gone better.

 

Then Leg 3 started with a bang.  I was already bummed about leaving my family again but still upbeat about getting back to Albuquerque for some official down-time.  We made good time and got back to my in-laws' place late that night.  After getting some much needed sleep, I woke to find everyone else in the house standing around a slashed window screen and propped-open front door.  The first thing I noticed was that my laptop bag was gone.  While the ladies of the house were wondering if someone had pranked us, I realized that we'd been burgled.  My bag had the PC, my backup drive, and all of my chargers along with a portfolio containing a great deal of my personal information.  Needless to say I was in a foul mood.

 

After making the police report and working with my MIL on her insurance claim I spent the rest of the day changing passwords, placing credit alerts, and making some security improvements to her house (and sulking).  Nobody slept very well last night.  Today we ran some errands, and I replaced one of the stolen chargers.  I also dug out an old Macbook that my sister-in-law donated to The Minions, which is what I'm working from for the time being.  Once I get back home I can get everything up and running on the main desktop PC so I haven't actually lost anything, but that brings me to the main point of this update:  I don't have my spreadsheets while on vacation.  I've also been eating like crap since we got back even though my plan was to get back on track after leaving San Diego--I even tanked my MFP streak.  The burglary really bummed me out.

 

On the non-bummer side, I went and tried on some clothes today; and I managed to fit into a 42R suit coat.  I can't have done too much stupidity during my vacation binge, so that's encouraging.  I also bought new Dad-shorts in a size 32 waist!  And since we live away from family MrsFeelgood and I rarely get a date night, so we took full advantage of MIL's babysitting offer tonight and went to dinner and a movie.  I finally got to see the new Avengers film (thoroughly enjoyed it), and I rep'd my NF Shield Tee to the theater.

 

So I'm going to take another bye week during Week 1 of this challenge.  It was going to be tough getting all of the Week 1 workouts done anyway, and I still don't have my scale to track weekly updates.  I'm just going to take an extra week to let my mind and feelings recover while traveling back home and finding my work-week routine.  Spreadsheets will be updated with the new plan when I get back to Iowa.

 

I won't make Week 1 a full bye week, though.  I'm still going to work on eating sensibly and exercising; I'm just not going to run the full fitness program with goals and metrics and whatnot.  The way I'm feeling now, I think accomplishing a 5WC will be more than enough of a success anyway.

[SomeGuyFromScotland]

Bummer about the laptop, but everything else sounds awesome. Enjoy the post-break break, man, you're doing great.

[Terah]

I finally out-energied my kids!

That is amazing!

 

Sorry about your laptop  

Can't you do your spreadsheets the old fashion way? Paper, pencil and ruler? I've heard it's what they did before computers took over the world

[DrFeelgood]

Bummer about the laptop, but everything else sounds awesome. Enjoy the post-break break, man, you're doing great.

 

Thanks, I have enjoyed most of it, but I'll be very ready to get back in to my groove next week.  I can tell I'm getting squishy.

 

 

That is amazing!

 

Sorry about your laptop

Can't you do your spreadsheets the old fashion way? Paper, pencil and ruler? I've heard it's what they did before computers took over the world

 

Yeah, the loss of spreadsheets isn't a major handicap in and of itself--more of a straw-that-broke-the-camel's-back kinda thing.  It's fine, I'd rather not add to my stress right now.  Next week I'll be back home in my own environment and on my regular schedule, hopefully with all of the burglary fallout sorted and forgotten.  I just have no enthusiasm for The Plan at this moment.

 

I'm smoking several racks of spareribs for my sister-in-law's birthday tomorrow, though.  I have plenty of enthusiasm for that.

[Shello]

Well I'm glad you are (mostly) enjoying your vacation.  That is a serious bummer and not just about the spreadsheets.  Hopefully the added security measures you took will help everyone cope with the break in. 

And congrats on the successful travel eating and subsequent shopping successes.  

[DrFeelgood]

Well I'm glad you are (mostly) enjoying your vacation.  That is a serious bummer and not just about the spreadsheets.  Hopefully the added security measures you took will help everyone cope with the break in. 

And congrats on the successful travel eating and subsequent shopping successes.  

 

Thanks, I think I may have undone some of my smaller sizing with my eating this past week.  It's hard to say because I'm not counting or tracking in any way and I really just don't care at the moment.  Also, I haven't put real clothes on since Wednesday.   I've been living in shorts and sandals.

______________________

 

After a full week off (of "scheduled" exercise, I've been plenty active otherwise) I did manage to squeeze out a BBWW circuit x3 this morning, and then I got in the pool with the kids for an hour.  It's amazing and frightening how quickly the body begins to adapt to sloth, although I guess it's only fair given how quickly and completely I established the groove of working out heavily.  Hopefully I can get that groove back even faster when I return home from vacation.

 

On the burglary front, insurance proceedings are slower than I would have liked.  Hopefully my MIL can get it sorted before we need to leave for Iowa.

 

Ribs came out so good I asked the Mrs to embrace polygamy with them.  Party's tomorrow so I'm going to finish cooking them on the grill with a spicy Dr Pepper-based glaze, then I'll serve them with roasted red potatoes, a broccoli salad, and ginger-chili glazed carrots.  Should be a great day of food and fun with extended family.  I'm getting antsy to be home, though--I'm ready for a return to "normal".

 

So ad-hoc bye week 3 day 1 (C15-4 W1D1) is a marginal success since I don't have any goals anyway and I still managed to do something productive for my Year O' Fitness.  It certainly could have been worse.  Maybe tomorrow will be.

[SomeGuyFromScotland]

Holy crap, Dr Pepper-based glaze? My mind and tastebuds are both blown. MUST. TRY.

 

More foods need glaze. I'd go so far as to propose "glaze" be added to the list of food groups.

[Balthazar]

 

After a full week off (of "scheduled" exercise, I've been plenty active otherwise) I did manage to squeeze out a BBWW circuit x3 this morning, and then I got in the pool with the kids for an hour.  It's amazing and frightening how quickly the body begins to adapt to sloth,

 

 

one of my buddies is a full time rock climber and he always says that a week off the wall undoes a month on it

[deftona]

There you are, Doc! I've been looking out for you, never thought to look for you here though. I need your spreadsheet pr0n in my life! (That's not to say yours aren't awesome too Scott-the-Scot )

[DrFeelgood]

There you are, Doc! I've been looking out for you, never thought to look for you here though. I need your spreadsheet pr0n in my life! (That's not to say yours aren't awesome too Scott-the-Scot )

 

Thanks for finding me.   I regret I'm not doing much with regards to my plan, yet.

 

___________________

 

C15-4 W1D2 complete.  I'm still deferring until next week, so nothing major happening.  I was sore from yesterday's workout, so I didn't do much today other than walk a bit to loosen up.  Birthday party came off without a hitch--I ate everything, and it was all good.  I'm exhausted from having stayed up way too late last night getting caught up on the last three weeks of Game of Thrones (WTF, Stannis?) so I'm going to catch a nice long shower and then hit the sack.

 

One more day here and then we're back on the road for the final leg of vacation.  It's been great, but I'm ready for home.

[CarismaUMD]

Love reading your thread.  Sorry about the burglary, that sucks!
 

I'm exhausted from having stayed up way too late last night getting caught up on the last three weeks of Game of Thrones (WTF, Stannis?)

 

I know, right!!!! I read the spoilers before watching it bc I had a feeling that was going to happen, so I forwarded through until the next scene. How about that Jorah and Drogon, though?!

[T2sarahconnor]

Glad your vacation was good. Burglary sucks but at least everyone okay. Takes a toll on you emotionally too.

I would like the carrot recipe when you get a chance please.

[DrFeelgood]

Love reading your thread.  Sorry about the burglary, that sucks!

 

 

I know, right!!!! I read the spoilers before watching it bc I had a feeling that was going to happen, so I forwarded through until the next scene. How about that Jorah and Drogon, though?!

 

I'm a book reader, so I've been on-board with most of what's happening in the show, but that scene was completely out of bounds.  Show Stannis is nothing like my conception of Book Stannis.  It blindsided me since I was still holding on to hope that D&D would at least try and redeem their character assassination, but I nearly threw the table when it happened.  Also, I avoid the forums and other GoT discussion because the web is dark and full of spoilers.

 

I do like what's happening with the Daenerys arc.

 

 

Glad your vacation was good. Burglary sucks but at least everyone okay. Takes a toll on you emotionally too.

I would like the carrot recipe when you get a chance please.

 

It's actually an Alton Brown recipe that I pinched: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/glazed-carrots-recipe.html

 

Instead of chili powder (from the store) I make my own with ground red New Mexico chiles, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano.  I also use salted butter for the recipe, so I don't season the carrots up front like he does--I wait until they're done and then salt and pepper to taste.  They were the runner-up hit (second to the ribs) of the party, which is kinda depressing in terms of the effort that went in to each dish.