Friday, July 11, 2008

Day 84 (actually it's day 118)

My weight is down to 233.5 which represents a 12 point loss in this period.

I'm going to start a new blog after my trip to Miami... my next goal is to focus down to 220 lbs over my next 84 day period.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Day 76 Thursday

I went to the gym for the first time in several days and had a decent workout. I'm pretty sure I do want to change it though to something more standard (Body for life) style. I'm going to finish reading Tom Veneto's BFFM and get some guidance there. the Men's fitness training isn't really feeling right to me. I'm still vacilating between 233 and 235. I'm excited about getting to 232 because that's the time when I started my accelerated weight gain 2/1/06.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Day 70 Friday

Well two breakthroughs.

1) I've stopped the daily measuring of food and going more on body feel. I order a sandwhich and a salad every day and eat 1/2 the sandwhich, three hours later, the salad, three hours later, the other sandwich. that's a good 3 meals at work.. I have a fiber filled breakfast and a nice dinner.

Breakthrough 1) - physical - I now have a '2' in my bodyfat measurement! I went from 35% in 3/19/08 to 29.9% to 5/23/08. I'm totally stoked.

Breakthrough 2) - psychological - I posted my full body shirtless front facing picture on a dating site. It's the first time I've felt comfortable doing that in over 2 years. Got some compliments too!

I also finished my auditing of all my medical records and historic weight measurements. I've learned alot.

1) I'm blown away that doctors don't keep medical records very long. Santa Cruz had it in storage though...Thanks Santa Cruz Medical Center

2) Weight watchers is a quick way to lose weight. I've had 2, 20-25 point weight loss drops but it always has come back and worse, at a higher slope than before.

3) Jenny Craig is a quick way to lose weight, but the slope of weight gain was even higher and faster than before.

4) this 5x a day eating regimen works. I believe it will continue to work over time. I'm rarely starving between meals like i was in WW.

5) My boyfriends have made me fat. Okay...that's not fair...but when i was with Will for 3 years my weight jumped from 211-236 (25 lbs). When I was with Rey it jumped from 240 to 265 (25 lbs). I was joking with Will yesterday that I no longer want to be in a relationship (fat and happy) but just happy. I can do skinny and happy.

6) I have specific historical markers.

a) at 234 today ... I'm already at the lowest point since 5/06

b) at 220 ... I'll be at the lowest point since 3/06 (lower then when I joined my job) (14 lbs from now)

c) at 219 ... I'll be at the lowest point since 6/04 when I did my first AIDS ride ALC3 (15 lbs from now)

d) at 211 ... That was my weight when I met Will (23 lbs from now)

e) at 204 ... that was my weight when I joined SVGMC (30 lbs from now)

f) at 202 ... that will be my lowest weight since 3/1/03 when I avoided taking blood pressure meds. I'll go to my doctor at that time and I will ask to be removed.(32 lbs from now)

g) at 201 .. that was my weight in 4/1/99 (33 lbs from now)


so in just 33 lbs, I will be the lowest I've weighed in 9 years...That's a very powerful visual for me.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Wednesday Day 68




bought a camera and have new pics.
weight 235 lbs. body fat creeping back up to 30.6. need to do more cardio. looking at the pics compared to the ones taken in March reveal not much change in the front, a more v shape in the back and a significant change in the side belly profile.

I think I may want to change my workout routine though and look for something that focus more on chest and arms. I'll continue reading BTFFTM and see if Tom has any good suggestions.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Wednesday Day 61

I've started to think of my weight in terms of the last time I weighed this much and what activities I was able to do with that weight.

I told my co-worker Eric who's boat I couldn't get up on skis in last year at 265 that I will NEVER fail again to get up on skis.

So today's weight 135.5 lbs with 30.3% bf puts be back at June 2006. There I did ALC 5 quite successfully. There's also something psychologically rewarding about being at a weight and a time before I met Rey that fuels my motivation. While our relationship was solid, honest, and rewarding on so many levels, it's also the time in my life when my weight shot up the highest in my life. In my next relationship, I want to innoculate against that behavior... Instead of being fat and happy, I want to be lean and happy.

at 232lbs lbs I'll be at my Yosemite weight. I asked this guy Mike that I'm beginning to date if I look like my pictures and he said I didn't look much like my Yosemite picture and I think my face was thinner.

at 230 lbs I'll be at my ALC3 weight which is an exciting milestone... On my first AIDS ride, I climbed EVERY hill, road every mile and looked pretty good.

My ex - Will is coming to town next week and he's very supportive of my weight loss. It was his comment that kicked me in the ass the last time and I'm eager to show him my results.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Monday Day 59

Okay... I'll just say it right now. Traveling Internationally is friggen hard to keep your training and nutrition up to date. I Flew from San Francisco to London and back within a week.

Results? I gained 4 lbs when i stepped on the scan Friday. (I'm certain it was 4 lbs of salt) from the airplane/airport food. The good news is it all came off by Sunday. so from 4/30 to 5/12 my weight went from 237.5 to 237 and my body fat increased .02 so i actually gained 1/3 of a pound of body fat an lost 4/5 of a pound of muscle. I am very proud of these results.

Lessons learned:

1) Pack food. Although it's not entirely clean(corn syrup) i found the Promax bars (290cal 50/30/20) to be a good way to keep the # of meals up.

2) Water water water on the plane. Stayed away from apple/cranberry cocktail which is basically red dye swimming in corn syrup. Went with OJ, Diet Soda, and water.

3) Find a gym. Yes... working out on cardio equipment that measures kilometer and kilograms is daunting so I just went with body feel and my iPod.

4) Enjoy the local food, but don't overdue it. Because I ate clean much of the time, i was able to treat myself with Fish & Chips in London one time.

5) When you get back home, get right back on your eating plan. I resumed my weekend warrior routine and got some nice yardwork in. Today - it's back in the gym.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Day 51 Sunday




What a difference 14 years makes!
I spent much of the weekend pouring through old Franklin Planner journals to see if i could track evidence of prior weights to 2005 and my records were indeed spotty. I did, however find a weight of 176lbs and 15% body fat measured 12/1/1994. At the time I was married to a woman (for 6 years), working out several days a week in a 31 year old body and quite miserable inside. My marriage was not going well. Who knew that 4 years later I would have the courage to come out. I have a graph projecting that time, various events in my life, and when i began tracking my weight loss attempts.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Day 48 Thursday

Dance 10 Looks 3...
Well it took a few days for the results of my cardio intense weekend to kick in, but it certainly has. My weight has dropped to 237 and my body fat down to 30.6%. I've been tracking on and off over the last few years my yo-yo dieting and i'm now to the point that my weight is LOWER than when I did the AIDS ride last year (7/07 my weight was around 250) and is actually lowest it's been since 3/06 (220.5 and 28.3%). From 2/1/06 to 3/13/06 I did Jenny Craig and my weight went from 232 to 220 but I spent a ton on their food and meetings. This time, I'm doing it on my own with the assistance from my shredder friends.

I'm certain that moving in with my roommate and the lifestyle we share (eating at home more) is beneficial. He's on weight watchers and that works for him.

Thanks for all your kind support.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Day 45 Monday

My workouts this week were NOT on the inside of a gym but in everday life. I was mostly a weekend warrior with my workout but I didn't seem to suffer much in the weight department. Didn't do a bodyfat test though so we'll see.

Sat morning I did interval training at www.baylands.org. In the last few years (since i went beyond 220 lbs) my three mile run became a three mile walk. Well this saturday I intervalled a 1min run with a 4 min walk, repeating for 44.20 min. it felt very doable. Next week i'm going to increase it to 1min 15sec.

Sat afternoon my chorus had a bowling tournament fundraiser. I don't bowl... but it was good exercise and my daughter and I shared a salad with chicken breast instead of cheese fries.

Sunday afternoon at 1:30 we had a 5 hour choreography rehearsal. I was tired by the end but I was thinking how fortunate it was for me to do this at 240lbs rather than 265lbs. Imagine what it will be like at 200 lbs.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Day 38 Monday

Wow... that was a really hard week. Traveling to Miami and then Montreal. The french really know how to eat. Good news is, the portions weren't American Supersized. I actually did pretty well considering the very hectic schedule. When I got home Friday Night at 9:00pm I had a wendy's grilled chicken wrap and a frosty. Saturday morning 9am i had my friends come over to help me move. I brought them coffee and donuts and I (get this) only had 1/2 a donut.

I went to the doctor this morning for a physical. The blood work numbers show I'm in great shape.I was worried about my cholesterol and it was fine. He's very supportive of my diet and exercise plan.

Tonight - it's roast a turkey night. In my new kitchen. Woo hoo.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Day 32 Tuesday

Okay,

So traveling with this plan is a bitch... but I did it by planning ahead. I brought protein bars which were a good way to get some protein in although the corn syrup for the 40% carbs isn't the best choice. I DID find a dare I say fabulous Au bon Pain restaurant in DFW terminal D which served Maya chicken on - get this - brown rice and salad. about 450 calories but super good for me. That with a banana tied me over. When I got to Miami I settled for a Tuna wrap at the same restaurant but when I looked it up later it had 25g of fat. Pretty much tuna in a bowl of mayo I guess. Still, the day ended well with 65-25-25 ratio which is pretty good considering the very few protein choices I had.

Another learning was that Minute made Cran/Apple cocktail is only 15% real juice, the other 'Natural' piece was high fructose Corn Syrup. So where do you find the High Fructose Corn Syrup plant anyway? In MinuteMaid land? Next time, it's OJ for me if I need some carbs.

The biggest thing I found this morning after traveling was that I had plenty of energy all day, on the tradeshow floor, in my presentation and even in the evening as I type this at a Cuban restaurant in Miami.

I met a nice (read handsome) guy in the hotel gym this morning finishing up his treadmill workout. We ended up attending the same Salesforce.com trade show 3 blocks away. It's great to bond over fitness. Inspiring actually. He's been working out daily for 25 years and he looks great.

Lastly - my Old Navy shorts I bought just 2months ago now need a belt just to hold them up.

little steps....

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Day 30 Sunday Pack Day

Yesterday, my daughter and I had a great 3mile walk with Baylands Frontrunners. The first thing I noticed is I wasn't winded. Today I'm going to squeeze in a workout before packing for my trip to Miami.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Day 26 Wednesday

I again did a late evening weight workout. I was determined to finish my Phase I men's fitness strong. I had a plank exercise.
1st wk 20sec x2
2nd wk 30sec x 2
3rd wk 45sec x 2
Yesterday: 60sec x 2
(I thought I was going to die). I was listening to "Proud" on my iPhone at the time and channeling me getting up quadbuster on strength and drive. I almost broke into tears after the second set having completed 61 seconds. I was shaking during the last 50 seconds... really pushing my body to its edge. It was one of those brief "great moments" where I knew it was mind over muscle.

No energy for cardio after that... we'll save that for Thursday.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Day 25 Tuesday

I had a great cardio workout tonight. I talked to a really nice guy in the gym who had a terrific body and we got to talking. Turns out he read the BFFM manual and we talked about the problem with supplementation. He's back in the gym because he's getting over a breakup with a girl. We talked about what we had in common. Nice guy.

It's good to join with others in the quest to improve.

Day 24 Tuesday

Yesterday I didn't get to my workout until 10:30pm and I did both weights and cardio. It's was a good workout and I'm finishing up phase I of the Men's Fitness year long workout and moving onto Phase two which is more strength building. It focuses a little more on chest which excites me. I can really feel my heart strengthening on the cardio. I have cardio coach to thank for that.

Regards,

Dan

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Day 22 Sunday

It's been a few days since I've posted. My packing and moving have taken some of my time and I missed a workout on Wednesday and on Friday. Well - on Thursday and Saturday I did both Weights and Cardio so I wouldn't fall behind. I think now I'm going to start adding Cardio at the end of my weight workout. and do Cardio 6x a week.

Yesterday was a crappy eating day because I got up late and had chorus rehearal retreat all day. Today I'm going to plan for it better by getting up earlier (It's 8:30am on Sunday morning) and squeeze in a few good meals.

I celebrate the little things I'm accomplishing at the gym. When I started my current workout in March, I could only do 12 pushups. I can now do 27. I don't know if my body looks all that different but I feel stronger, that's for sure. I have been working on my visualization.

Regards,

Dan

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Day 17 Tuesday

had a great 30min cardio. I've noticed that my heart rate takes awhile to recover after I push it. I hope that will come down in time as I get in better shape. My clothes are starting to feel a bit looser. Feels great.

Regards,

Dan

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Day 16 Mon

Yesterday was a a very interesting fitness day for me. I've switched over to a 40-30-30 diet and it's a little hard to get that much protein in my diet. I'm making my sandwhiches a little bigger. I picked up a nice tip at the gym yesterday. Don't eat carbs after 5pm. I think this will be easier to manage. I don't need that much energy at night as during the day.

Speaking of gym, I ended up working until about 7:30pm last night. I was really tired and didn't feel like going to the gym. I got some sushi and went anyway. The result? I had one of the most productive workouts I've ever had. My plank grew from 35-35sec to 45-45 sec. My legs are getting stronger and leaner.

Lesson learned: When you don't feel like going to the gym. that's when you need to go to the gym. Make it a routine.

Regards,

Dan

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Day 15

Today I weighed myself, took Bodyfat measurements and tape measurements. Good news and bad news.

Bad news first. My weight is largely the same, 242.25 which is only a .5 lb loss. but the rest is good news. I actually lost 1/2 percentage of body fat so that's 1.3 lbs fat lost and .8 lbs muscle GAINED. here's how the rest of the measurements stack up:

chest: 44.25 (-.25)
belly: 45.75 (- 1.75) Totally stoked.
hip: 43 (-2)
butt: 47 (-1)
thigh: 20.75 (-6.25) Totally stoked
calf: 18 (+.5) Totally stoked.
Neck: 17.75 (- .75)
bicep/bicep: 15.5/17.25 (down 1.1 rested and Up .25 flexed)

I'm very happy with these results. It's good I'm not just basing my success results on weight. I can already feel I'm sleeping better, and my clothes are looser. I have much more energy during the day.

This week I'm going to experiment with a modified Zone diet (45/30/25) given that I'm an endomorth body type with some mesomorph mixed in.

Day 14 Sat

i'm catching a chest cold, but I didn't let that get in the way of an awesome workout. I surprised myself with pushups. Given that I've been working out at a number of different gyms, it's hard to really compare strength gains, but pushups are pushups. Last week I did 6 + 6, this week I did 10+10. The goal is 15+15 and I think I'll make it.

Regards,

Dan

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Day 13

I was so afraid I wasn't going to get in my cardio today, but my daughter wanted to take an hour nap so, off to the gym I went. I got the new Cardio Coach. I highly recommend this guy. It's made me work harder on the cardio equipment than I normally would

Hey, this is my first recommendation link.

Day 12 Thursday

Thursday was a great day. I did my first weight workout in the new gym and they have such great equipment. They cute guys are motivation too. It will be nice to live so close to a nice gym. I'm getting stronger on my "plane" exercise. Last week 30sec, this week 40sec TWICE.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Day 11 Wednesday

Wednesday was a big day for me. Went to a new gym in Willow Glenn and man is it nice. no whirlpool or sauna but everything there is beautiful. This will be my new gym home I think. I have been stepping on the scale and watching the weight just come off. Eating really clean 50,30,20, and I'm sleeping much more soundly at night. I am requiring more sleep though. My body seems to want at least 8 hours. this means if I hit a 6am cardio class, I'll need to get to bed by 9:30-10pm which will be a lifestyle change.

The buy a turkey on Sunday and freeze 1/2 of it seems to work out well. I think I'll do the same next week with a big ham.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Day 10 Tuesday

I had a trade show today and was able to sneak in a workout during the break. I'm amazed at the energy I feel when I work out. I'm so grateful. kicked ass on the plane (superman pose) went from 20 sec to 30 sec.

Regards,

Dan

Day 9 Monday















So here it is, pics taken Sunday. Weight = 242 lbs.
I was surprised at how big i look in these pics because of all the visualization i've been doing. Still, a dose of reality is quite helpful. These were taken AFTER the first week so we'll see what week 12 holds.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Day 8 Sunday

Well; my plan was to take yesterday off and enjoy my brunch with Jen. I certainly didn't over eat at brunch but afterwards I was motivated to do an hour walk at Vasona park. the weather was amazing and I could really feel it in my legs. I also purchased a nice cardio coach mp3 30min and enjoyed it on my walk.

Last night i cooked a turkey and cut it into 4oz turkey breast sections. it tasted really good for lunch today. I was up so late with the turkey though that that I missed the Monday morning workout, and I'm blogging a day late. More on Monday in a bit.

I also had Jen take my before pictures that I'll be posting later on this blog. "My accountability to cyberspace."


Regards,

Dan

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Day 7

I know I was supposed to wait until Day 7 to take measurements but I just couldn't. what I discovered is that I'm down to 242.75 which is a 3 pound loss. Here's the really terrific news, I actually had a 9 pound fat loss and a net 6 pound muscle GAIN! I'm totally stoked. Hard work and discipline paying off. I'm not really that sore.

Tomorrow I am going to an expensive Easter Brunch with Jen and will try not to gorge myself. It's a day of rest.

I didn't get to my weight workout until around 11pm because i joined a friend for Thai dinner.

I'm going to have Jen take a picture of me tomorrow on day 7 (before the brunch).

Regards,

Dan

Friday, March 21, 2008

Day 6

It's Friday.
I love the fact that the BFFM is so long as it gives me a chance to bite off the content in chunks.
Last night I did really well at my daughters' banquet. More on that later.
I stepped on the scale at the end of the day and found a huge weight gain. It was after my cardio workout. Then I remembered I drank a ton of water and ate sushi high in salt. I didn't sweat it literally or figuratively. when I woke up this morning my weight as normal and I had actually gained some muscle mass. My REAL weigh in isn't until Sunday morning. I'm not concerned if I lost any weight because I feel fantastic.

Today i printed and bound the BFFM book in a binder. I also discovered about.com's free calorie resource guide and tracker. I can't believe it's free. I'm still waiting for the kicker.

Here's an awesome story of inspiration:

One of the 100 reasons: Reason #4 why I took up this journey to change my body was to be a role model to my daughter.

Last night at her basketball banquet, she was surprised to receive an award for the most improved model. I was so proud of her. I realized on my drive home that she, in fact, is a role model for me. her drive, her enthusiasm, her honesty. She's my greatest love.

today is a big weight day. I'm headed right now to the gym and am totally stoked.

Regards,

Dan

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Day 5

I discovered that if I get to bed at midnight after doing a cardio and a weight workout from 8:30 to 10pm that I cannot get up at 5:00am to do a weight workout. I'm going to have to get to bed before 10pm each night. That's a lifestyle change.

Tonight, I'm going to have to thread the needle with my workout. i'm leaving at 4:30pm to do it. and have to be at my daughter's bb dinner at 6pm.

Oh, I took some measurements
Chest: 45" Belly 47.5 Hip 45, Butt 48, Thigh 27, Calf 17.5, Neck 18.5, Bicep 16.5 (17 flexed)

so it's a way before picture.

I've also made modifications to my daily mantra based on data I've learned from BFFM. I have it posted on my PC at work.

"I am the most fit I have ever been in my life. At 187 lbs, i have 170 lbs of muscle. I can see my rock hard abs and have 9% body fat. I love going to the gym, it's a part of my everyday life. My body is a temple of God. I am the strongest I have ever been. "

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Day 4

Today was a great day. Not only did I manage to get both my 30min of Cardio in from my missed w/o yesterday, but I got my weight workout in too. 2 hours in the gym. The cardio was easy because I got to watch American Idol.

I continue to make distinctions of what I want to look and feel like. I'm doing a lot of visualization which motivates me. I've gotten to the first 100 pages of BFFM book and I've learned a few things. One of the lessons I learned is I don't need to get down to 180 lbs. 186 lbs will work just fine.

Here's the math:

right now i'm carrying 31.8% body fat. At 249 lbs taken this afternoon, that translates to 170 lbs of lean muscle mass, if I go with 9% body fat, that means I get to keep the muscle + 9% or get my weight down to an ideal 187 lbs.

The weight loss is not as important as the fat loss and now I know how to manage it.

I'm going to borrow my daughter's camera this weekend and take a few before shots. I'm thinking a front shot relaxed, a front shot sucking it in, a back shot and a side pose relaxed and sucking in. i'll get today's paper too.

I'm very proud of how well I did on my diet today traveling from Houston since 2:00am.

I'm getting ready for bed. I have a 6am spinning class i'm attending tomorrow. Oh No!!! I've written it, now I gotta do it!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Day 3

Well, I'm a little sore from my workout yesterday, but it's one of those 'good sores' ya know? I'm in Houston and have a day of standing around on my feet followed by a big dinner with clients. You know how that goes. It's going to be a challenge to get my workout in because I forgot my white socks, gym shorts, and tennis shoes. They are in the trunk of my car. I had planned to transfer them.

The good news is I purchased the BFFM book yesterday and went through the goal setting workshop. I set a pretty big friggen goal using the affirmation technique. Given that I'm a practicing member of a Center for Spiritual Living, this part was easy. After all, I have a whole religion based on affirmation.

so here it is...drum roll please...

"I am the most fit I have ever been in my life. At 180 lbs, I am full of muscle; you can see my rock hard abs. that’s because I have single digit body fat. I love going to the gym, it’s a part of my everyday life. My body is a temple of God , I am the strongest I’ve ever been. "

Pretty cool huh?

eve update. I had plans to stop at the store and pick up some gym clothes today but my travel party wanted to get to get right to dinner. I ordered healthy - filet mignon 8oz instead of 12 and lots of vegetables. I skipped desert and only had 2 pieces of bread. I feel good. Drank lots of water.

Gonna hit both cardio and weights tomorrow and read BFFM on the plane ride home. I love reading my affirmation... I think I may put it on my monitor at work.

Thank you God for helping me believe this can be done.


with love (and sweat)

Dan

Monday, March 17, 2008

Day 2

Well I did it. I went to the gym this morning. it was a familiar smell, like I was coming back home. I didn't think I was going to have enough time to do the workout because I had procrastinated. I got through the workout with more strength then the last time I did this which feels good.

I still haven't taken a before picture. thought of a few more reasons to add to my PRW.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Day 1

It's Sunday night 6:50pm and I'm a little frightened. Following the inspiration of Adam Waters, I'm chronicling my journey, my transformation from flabby to fit. My first goal - work like hell for 12 weeks and see how far I can progress.

Here are the stats:
age 44
Ht: 5' 9"
Wt: 245lbs
bf: i'll have to find my calipers later. i know it's high though.

what's my plan? i'm not clear on the details yet but it will probably involve a combination of weight watchers and a year long workout i found in Men's Fitness. Yes it's march and I'm starting in the middle of the year but that's okay.

My long term goals?
I've documented about 50 goals so far but the biggest ones include being fit by the time i meet 6000 of my closest choral friends at the international GALA festival. I want to look on the outside how I feel on the inside. The choral festival is July 12th so that gives me exactly 16 weeks to have my body transformed. it's a good goal.

As I start to make progress, I'll share more and more about my motivation and progress. I need to get someone to take a before picture for me ;)

Regards,

Dan