I'm tired and frustrated.
I'm tired because I worked out hard yesterday and didn't get enough sleep (only about 6.5 hours).
I'm frustrated because two days ago I bought TWO POUNDS of blueberries, and last night in the middle of the night, probably in an Ambien-induced haze, my little sister ATE THEM ALL. I had eaten exactly two blueberries. Oh, but that's not all: The reason I bought all those blueberries is because the two pounds of blueberries I purchased last week had gone missing. You know why? BECAUSE MY LITTLE SISTER ATE ALL OF THEM TOO! In the middle of the night! GAAAAH!!!!!!!!
One more month until I am back in Washington. Thank God.
Workout log:
* Sunday: 42 minutes on the recumbent bike (8.5 miles, 300 calories, avg. HR 141, max HR 183)
Monday, July 25, 2005
Sunday, July 24, 2005
PowerGel Goo SUCKS
Yeah, there's really little more to say about that. I bought some PowerGel because I thought it looked neat and I had always wanted to try it... and I went to the gym, and sat in the parking lot, and i ripped open the package, ready for some delightful orange energizing goo, but what I GOT was some DISGUSTING orange HORRIFYING goo, reminiscent of something a mother bird might regurgitate for her babies. Soooo gross. Blech. Eww. I drove to the Taco Bell a quarter mile away and ate a rather healthy and definitely tasty soft chicken taco. That was all the energy I needed, for I had a rather productive session on the bike. :-)
In other news, there are still only two diamond triangles, and they appear to be somewhat lighter today. I'm still suspicious though. Aliens like to bide their time.
Exercise Log:
* Wednesday: Back/bis
* Thursday: Excessive drinking at Hockeytown before the Tiger's game
* Friday: 30 minutes on the recumbent bike
* Saturday: Chest/shoulders/tris
In other news, there are still only two diamond triangles, and they appear to be somewhat lighter today. I'm still suspicious though. Aliens like to bide their time.
Exercise Log:
* Wednesday: Back/bis
* Thursday: Excessive drinking at Hockeytown before the Tiger's game
* Friday: 30 minutes on the recumbent bike
* Saturday: Chest/shoulders/tris
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Alien Hickeys or Broken Vertebrae?
I felt nothing, I heard nothing, I sensed nothing. So I was surprised when my sister (having stumbled upon me shirtless in my room), saw my back and gasped. "What's that?" she said with a mixture of shock and curiosity.
"What's what?"
"That purple mark thing!"
I ran to the hall mirror and tried to see what she was talking about. It is, of course, incredibly difficult to see something that is exactly dead center on your back. One's head simply does not swivel in that direction. But after many seconds of contorting, and the help of a hand mirror, I saw it.
Two purple diamonds, directly in the center of my back. One was dark purple, about 2.5 inches wide and 1.5 inches high. The other one was directly below, and looked like an echo, slightly smaller and lighter. What on earth could that be? My sister tried to wipe it off, but it was indelible.
I ran to the computer and took a picture:
I sent it to various friends who were online.
"That's gotta be a bruise," most of them said.
"Can't be, it doesn't hurt," I replied.
"Maybe you laid on something?" a few said.
"Nope."
"Have you been drinking excessively lately?"
Ooh, a direct hit! It just so happens that last night I went out with some buddies and I did indeed drink, possibly even to excess. But still, I remember the evening. At no point did I or anyone else brand myself with a diamond shaped poker!
This left only one possibility: Alien Abduction. Strange marks have appeared on my body before, with me having no idea how or when they got there... but these were the strangest yet. Two diamonds? Directly on my spine? One above the other, the second a visual echo of the first? This was too freaky. This had to be... ALIENS.
[Editor's note: A split-second after I typed that last word, my computer speakers made a very odd low rumbling noise. No audio applications were playing. I am now officially scared.]
I told my friend about the aliens. He agreed there could be no other explanation.
Then another friend with whom I have discussed my fitness endeavors asked me something to the effect of, "Have you been lifting any weights and putting pressure on your back?"
"No, I.... OH!"
It turns out I have. A couple days ago I attempted dumbbell pullovers. And it just so happens that in order to do this exercise, I have to balance my back perpendicularly on the edge of a bench. This could conceivably cause the exact pattern of markings on my back.
"That's it," said my friend. "You did most of the pullovers and then you changed positions slightly and did a few more. That's why it's darker on top and then gets lighter."
This all seemed reasonable enough. Had she left it at that, I would not have been freaking out. But then she admonished me: "Those markings look like vertebrae. Be careful."
Vertebrae, huh? Those spinal column things? Hmm. A quick Google Image Search later, and a superimposition in Photoshop, and I was freaking out:
If that diagram was right, (and I got it from the INTERNET so it HAD to be right!), the marks corresponded PRECISELY with two of my thoracic vertebrae!
I showed her this picture. "Oh my," she said.
"What should I do???"
"Well, does it hurt?"
"No..."
"Is it sensitive?"
I ran my fingers across it. The skin felt kind of rubbery there -- it definitely didn't feel like the rest of my back -- but it wasn't sensitive.
"No."
"Then it's probably just a bruise," she said. "Don't worry about it. But don't do that exercise again."
"But it can't be a bruise," I pressed on. "It doesn't hurt!"
"Then maybe it's almost a bruise. Enough to make a mark, but not enough to hurt."
I was about to dismiss such a notion as nothing more than foolish hobbledygobble, until my mind recalled that hickeys are kind of like that.
"Okay..." I said.
I was placated. But then a new thought entered my mind. One even more terrifying than the possibility of broken vertebrae...
What if the aliens gave me hickeys???
I choose not to think about this anymore. I am going to try to sleep. And yet I fear that when I wake up, I may have three diamonds, or four, or perhaps two really big diamonds that cover the entirety of my back. And when that happens, we will all know what happened. The aliens had a taste of my sweet back. And they couldn't stay away. Not even galactical distances would keep them from a second helping.
God help me!
"What's what?"
"That purple mark thing!"
I ran to the hall mirror and tried to see what she was talking about. It is, of course, incredibly difficult to see something that is exactly dead center on your back. One's head simply does not swivel in that direction. But after many seconds of contorting, and the help of a hand mirror, I saw it.
Two purple diamonds, directly in the center of my back. One was dark purple, about 2.5 inches wide and 1.5 inches high. The other one was directly below, and looked like an echo, slightly smaller and lighter. What on earth could that be? My sister tried to wipe it off, but it was indelible.
I ran to the computer and took a picture:
I sent it to various friends who were online.
"That's gotta be a bruise," most of them said.
"Can't be, it doesn't hurt," I replied.
"Maybe you laid on something?" a few said.
"Nope."
"Have you been drinking excessively lately?"
Ooh, a direct hit! It just so happens that last night I went out with some buddies and I did indeed drink, possibly even to excess. But still, I remember the evening. At no point did I or anyone else brand myself with a diamond shaped poker!
This left only one possibility: Alien Abduction. Strange marks have appeared on my body before, with me having no idea how or when they got there... but these were the strangest yet. Two diamonds? Directly on my spine? One above the other, the second a visual echo of the first? This was too freaky. This had to be... ALIENS.
[Editor's note: A split-second after I typed that last word, my computer speakers made a very odd low rumbling noise. No audio applications were playing. I am now officially scared.]
I told my friend about the aliens. He agreed there could be no other explanation.
Then another friend with whom I have discussed my fitness endeavors asked me something to the effect of, "Have you been lifting any weights and putting pressure on your back?"
"No, I.... OH!"
It turns out I have. A couple days ago I attempted dumbbell pullovers. And it just so happens that in order to do this exercise, I have to balance my back perpendicularly on the edge of a bench. This could conceivably cause the exact pattern of markings on my back.
"That's it," said my friend. "You did most of the pullovers and then you changed positions slightly and did a few more. That's why it's darker on top and then gets lighter."
This all seemed reasonable enough. Had she left it at that, I would not have been freaking out. But then she admonished me: "Those markings look like vertebrae. Be careful."
Vertebrae, huh? Those spinal column things? Hmm. A quick Google Image Search later, and a superimposition in Photoshop, and I was freaking out:
If that diagram was right, (and I got it from the INTERNET so it HAD to be right!), the marks corresponded PRECISELY with two of my thoracic vertebrae!I showed her this picture. "Oh my," she said.
"What should I do???"
"Well, does it hurt?"
"No..."
"Is it sensitive?"
I ran my fingers across it. The skin felt kind of rubbery there -- it definitely didn't feel like the rest of my back -- but it wasn't sensitive.
"No."
"Then it's probably just a bruise," she said. "Don't worry about it. But don't do that exercise again."
"But it can't be a bruise," I pressed on. "It doesn't hurt!"
"Then maybe it's almost a bruise. Enough to make a mark, but not enough to hurt."
I was about to dismiss such a notion as nothing more than foolish hobbledygobble, until my mind recalled that hickeys are kind of like that.
"Okay..." I said.
I was placated. But then a new thought entered my mind. One even more terrifying than the possibility of broken vertebrae...
What if the aliens gave me hickeys???
I choose not to think about this anymore. I am going to try to sleep. And yet I fear that when I wake up, I may have three diamonds, or four, or perhaps two really big diamonds that cover the entirety of my back. And when that happens, we will all know what happened. The aliens had a taste of my sweet back. And they couldn't stay away. Not even galactical distances would keep them from a second helping.
God help me!
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
*zoom zoom zoom*
No more turkey bacon guacamoles for me. :-) Maybe a bit too much Thai food, but I refuse to give up my favorite parts of life!
I'm working on the Mountain Dews though. I tried to drink a Diet one today. The first second of the first sip was somewhat tolerable... then it hit me. I was drinking diet. There was no substance. Zero calories. What the hell am I drinking? Air? And what's with that aftertaste? How can there be an aftertaste when it barely has a taste to begin with?
So I plan to stick with regular Mountain Dews for the foreseeable future. Hey, I know I want to get in shape, but let's do this gradually, okay? I'm down to one 20 ounce a day. That's good enough for now.
So, last night I was allll set to do my back/biceps workout, but then Donnie called with a last-minute invitation to poker with him, his family, and some friends, including but not limited to Jeremy! And since Jeremy was about to return home to North Carolina, I felt obliged to skip the workout and come see him before he left.
It was well worth it, as I played well enough to knock Jeremy out of the game. And then I gave him some of my chips so he could play some more. And he went out again. And again. Yes, Jeremy has the questionable honor of being the 1st, 2nd and 3rd person eliminated from our poker tournament. Congratulations are in order, I'd say. :-)
Workout Log
* Monday: None
* Tuesday: 35 minutes on the recumbent bike (300 calories burned, ~8 miles traversed)
I'm working on the Mountain Dews though. I tried to drink a Diet one today. The first second of the first sip was somewhat tolerable... then it hit me. I was drinking diet. There was no substance. Zero calories. What the hell am I drinking? Air? And what's with that aftertaste? How can there be an aftertaste when it barely has a taste to begin with?
So I plan to stick with regular Mountain Dews for the foreseeable future. Hey, I know I want to get in shape, but let's do this gradually, okay? I'm down to one 20 ounce a day. That's good enough for now.
So, last night I was allll set to do my back/biceps workout, but then Donnie called with a last-minute invitation to poker with him, his family, and some friends, including but not limited to Jeremy! And since Jeremy was about to return home to North Carolina, I felt obliged to skip the workout and come see him before he left.
It was well worth it, as I played well enough to knock Jeremy out of the game. And then I gave him some of my chips so he could play some more. And he went out again. And again. Yes, Jeremy has the questionable honor of being the 1st, 2nd and 3rd person eliminated from our poker tournament. Congratulations are in order, I'd say. :-)
Workout Log
* Monday: None
* Tuesday: 35 minutes on the recumbent bike (300 calories burned, ~8 miles traversed)
Monday, July 18, 2005
*sputter*
I had a quizno's turkey bacon avocado sandwich and Mountain Dew for lunch... and now, an hour later, I am so sluggish. I can barely move my arms. It is like all my energy has been drained out of me.
Imagine a generator humming with power. Now imagine it turning off. Imagine the whining sound of the motor as it cycles down. See the lights flickering, and then going out.
That is me.
I'm sure there's a lesson to learn from all this, but my mind is too sluggish to figure out what it is... think it has something to do with eating... more? less? sugar? blah? can't think.
Workout log:
* Saturday: Rest (the previous day's cardio really wiped me out)
* Sunday: 30 minutes on the recumbent bike (pulse generally ~140; max pulse 183)
Imagine a generator humming with power. Now imagine it turning off. Imagine the whining sound of the motor as it cycles down. See the lights flickering, and then going out.
That is me.
I'm sure there's a lesson to learn from all this, but my mind is too sluggish to figure out what it is... think it has something to do with eating... more? less? sugar? blah? can't think.
Workout log:
* Saturday: Rest (the previous day's cardio really wiped me out)
* Sunday: 30 minutes on the recumbent bike (pulse generally ~140; max pulse 183)
Friday, July 15, 2005
Wow
Tonight I surprised and impressed even myself. After a day of not-so-hot eating (hey, it's not my fault someone put a big tasty cake in the break room!), I went to the gym and did 45 count'em 45 minutes of cardio! Not only that, but I wore my heart rate monitor and set the recumbent bike so that my pulse would be around 145 the whole time. Not only that, but at one point for about a minute I pushed it up to 183! Of course I didn't hold 183 for a minute, but it was still wild. You should have seen it. One second I was at 153 bpm, and then I increase the resistance a few levels and start pedaling a lot faster... and my pulse rose around 1 beat per second, so within a half minute I was at 183. I kept that for 15 seconds or so, and then decreased the resistance. Within a minute my pulse was back to 150 and dropping.
*Whew!* Wild, man. Wild and absolutely invigorating!
*Whew!* Wild, man. Wild and absolutely invigorating!
Tired progress
I went to the gym again last night. So far that makes about, oh, 4 times since Sunday? I think that's about right. Last night I worked on chest/shoulders/triceps, and by the time I was done, I lacked the strength to even take off my t-shirt in the locker room. Seriously, my muscles had failed. That's a good thing, but it also leaves me very tired as my body works to repair the muscle and make it bigger and stronger. So I didn't get enough sleep last night, and my plan to do cardio this morning was foiled (again)! I will do it tonight.
I got a pretty good surprise this morning. Pants which one month ago had been unbuttonable were buttonable today! So I think I have probably lost an inch, which is good, and it means what I am doing is working, and all I have to do is keep it up. The only thing I'm frustrated about is that last month I bought $200 worth of pants, and now they might become too loose. Dammit.
I got a pretty good surprise this morning. Pants which one month ago had been unbuttonable were buttonable today! So I think I have probably lost an inch, which is good, and it means what I am doing is working, and all I have to do is keep it up. The only thing I'm frustrated about is that last month I bought $200 worth of pants, and now they might become too loose. Dammit.
Friday, July 08, 2005
Wasted June
At the gym anoche, I asked the front desk person if their computer kept track of how often I'd gone to the gym.
Indeed it did. For this month and last month, anyway. I took a look.
Not Encouraging.
It turns out that in June, I only went to the gym five times. This is bad, for many obvious reasons, the two most important being 1) I cannot get into shape if I do not exercise, and 2) I am wasting money. The gym costs $199 for three months. So July was about $66.33. This means that each trip to the gym -- usually lasting less than an hour -- cost me a bit over $13. Now, I can think of many things I would pay $13/hour for. A good meal. Drinks with friends. Sweating at the gym is not up there.
It's weird though. I know that going to the gym and getting in shape is WORTH far more than $13 per hour. Indeed, if I could get in shape without any exercise -- just pay a lump sum and boom! I'm in shape -- I would probably pay a couple thousand dollars. That's how much it's worth to me on a perceptual basis. Yet once I have already determined that I can get in shape for the low, low price of $199 plus the cost of meals, I don't like learning that I am being jipped. What's worse is that I am the one doing the jipping.
The good news is that so far in July, I have gone to the gym three count'em three times! I told the lady at the front desk that by the time the month was out, I would rack up 20 count'em 20 times. This will require me to get there 5-6 times a week for the next few weeks. This is my plan.
In other news, I was slightly perplexed yesterday in trying to do decline dumbbell presses. Doing them is straightforward enough, but actually getting on the bench and leaning back so that I'm laying with my head at the bottom and my feet up top... that's kind of tricky, what with the heavy weights in my hand and all. Any advice?
Indeed it did. For this month and last month, anyway. I took a look.
Not Encouraging.
It turns out that in June, I only went to the gym five times. This is bad, for many obvious reasons, the two most important being 1) I cannot get into shape if I do not exercise, and 2) I am wasting money. The gym costs $199 for three months. So July was about $66.33. This means that each trip to the gym -- usually lasting less than an hour -- cost me a bit over $13. Now, I can think of many things I would pay $13/hour for. A good meal. Drinks with friends. Sweating at the gym is not up there.
It's weird though. I know that going to the gym and getting in shape is WORTH far more than $13 per hour. Indeed, if I could get in shape without any exercise -- just pay a lump sum and boom! I'm in shape -- I would probably pay a couple thousand dollars. That's how much it's worth to me on a perceptual basis. Yet once I have already determined that I can get in shape for the low, low price of $199 plus the cost of meals, I don't like learning that I am being jipped. What's worse is that I am the one doing the jipping.
The good news is that so far in July, I have gone to the gym three count'em three times! I told the lady at the front desk that by the time the month was out, I would rack up 20 count'em 20 times. This will require me to get there 5-6 times a week for the next few weeks. This is my plan.
In other news, I was slightly perplexed yesterday in trying to do decline dumbbell presses. Doing them is straightforward enough, but actually getting on the bench and leaning back so that I'm laying with my head at the bottom and my feet up top... that's kind of tricky, what with the heavy weights in my hand and all. Any advice?
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Yesterday I attempted to eat right and exercise -- and I succeeded. Raisins, protein bar, South Beach frozen meal, protein bar... and then after work I made dinner for the family: grilled chicken breast marinated in teriyaki, with noodles, olive oil, garlic and a little curry. It was pretty good, and it was very healthy. Then I went to the gym and lifted weights, and had a grilled chicken sandwich after that. Total protein for the day was probably around 130 grams -- lower than it should be, but much better than it had been.
I don't have cravings when I eat well, and I am generally satisfied... it's just the urge to have bad, really tasty food... is strong. The dark side is strong in me. I must learn to overcome it.
I was going to do cardio in the morning, but I was far too tired, completely turning off my alarm clock in my sleep, and having weird dreams about the fireworks merged with Pistons playoffs. I blame the healthy eating.
I don't have cravings when I eat well, and I am generally satisfied... it's just the urge to have bad, really tasty food... is strong. The dark side is strong in me. I must learn to overcome it.
I was going to do cardio in the morning, but I was far too tired, completely turning off my alarm clock in my sleep, and having weird dreams about the fireworks merged with Pistons playoffs. I blame the healthy eating.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
"When we judge or criticize another person, it says nothing about that person; it merely says something about our own need to be critical."--Anonymous
Various family members have been telling me that I have to lose weight. It is frustrating enough when one of them does it, but in recent days they have all been doing it, jointly and severally. This is very frustrating because A) they are all very fat and have no right to tell me to lose weight when their daily diet consists of pizza and Thai and five coffees and no water and they never exercise at all and probably wouldn't even know what a Swiss ball was if they were laying on one, and B) I know I have to lose weight. I know I am chunkier than I should be. And when I know about a problem and I know that I should fix the problem and I am making vague plans to actually correct it, I rather quickly lose my temper when others make a point of making the same diagnosis and suggestions.
The extremely active fitness blogger Skwigg linked to an interesting article today about workout perserverance. I highly encourage you to read the article. I think Skwigg had a nice summary of it: "NFL quarterbacks don't go sit on the sidelines and cry and eat donuts every time they throw an interception. If you think about it, the best athletes in the world screw up all over the place. They fall down, miss serves, drop the ball, run out of bounds and don't always stick the landing. They're world class athletes not because they never make mistakes but because they succeed in spite of them."
In other words, if you make a mistake, don't throw your hands up and eat an entire pizza. Get up and keep moving.
The article made another interesting point: If you tell people you lost 2 pounds last week, they're not all that impressed. But if you tell them that you lost 100 pounds last year, well then they start pounding down your door to find out how you did it! Slow and steady is never that impressive... until it actually wins the race.
Various family members have been telling me that I have to lose weight. It is frustrating enough when one of them does it, but in recent days they have all been doing it, jointly and severally. This is very frustrating because A) they are all very fat and have no right to tell me to lose weight when their daily diet consists of pizza and Thai and five coffees and no water and they never exercise at all and probably wouldn't even know what a Swiss ball was if they were laying on one, and B) I know I have to lose weight. I know I am chunkier than I should be. And when I know about a problem and I know that I should fix the problem and I am making vague plans to actually correct it, I rather quickly lose my temper when others make a point of making the same diagnosis and suggestions.
The extremely active fitness blogger Skwigg linked to an interesting article today about workout perserverance. I highly encourage you to read the article. I think Skwigg had a nice summary of it: "NFL quarterbacks don't go sit on the sidelines and cry and eat donuts every time they throw an interception. If you think about it, the best athletes in the world screw up all over the place. They fall down, miss serves, drop the ball, run out of bounds and don't always stick the landing. They're world class athletes not because they never make mistakes but because they succeed in spite of them."
In other words, if you make a mistake, don't throw your hands up and eat an entire pizza. Get up and keep moving.
The article made another interesting point: If you tell people you lost 2 pounds last week, they're not all that impressed. But if you tell them that you lost 100 pounds last year, well then they start pounding down your door to find out how you did it! Slow and steady is never that impressive... until it actually wins the race.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
All junk and no freshness makes Matt a nauseous boy
Lately I have been having some rumblings in my tummy. I get nauseous a lot easier than I used to. For instance, I will eat a small bag of chips and wash it down with a 20 oz Mountain Dew, and after a few minutes of happy energy, I feel somewhat queasy and lethargic. Or take last week -- I was extremely tired and I had been downing Mountain Dew and Red Bull all day, as well as eating unhealthy crap. I met someone for drinks that night, and instead of making me feel euphoric, the drinks made me pretty damn nauseous. I skipped quite dramatically over the tipsy phase, going straight from paying-the-bartender to closing-my-eyes-and-willing-myself-not-to-be-sick. And it wasn't like I had a lot to drink either -- just two drinks! This was not enough to inebriate me, but it was enough to upset my stomach verily.
What gives? Well, as much as I would love to cogitate upon the mystery, I am afraid I can cut to the rather self-evident answer: I am eating poorly, and reaping the consequences. Instead of eating healthy chicken dishes with whole grains and a light sauce, I am eating fat-laden toasted subs from Quiznos with unhealthy processed carbs, a bag of chips, and a 20-or-more ounce Mountain Dew. Instead of getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night, I am lucky if I get five. Very importantly, instead of drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water throughout the day PLUS enough water to compensate for the dehydrating effects of my sodas, I drink almost no water during the day, and only partially make up for it in the evening, by drinking maybe 20 or 30 ounces. This isn't even enough to offset the diuretic effects of multiple daily Dews.
I have to change this. I simply cannot go through life getting queasy at inopportune moments. The momentary pleasure I get from forbidden foods does not outweigh the nausea I get from eating wrong.
A friend of mine has kept a healthy diet and regular exercise schedule all year, and has lost over 55 pounds because of it. She keeps an online fitness blog called, fittingly enough, Down 55.
At the rate I'm going, I should probably rename my blog Up 20.
Lately I have been having some rumblings in my tummy. I get nauseous a lot easier than I used to. For instance, I will eat a small bag of chips and wash it down with a 20 oz Mountain Dew, and after a few minutes of happy energy, I feel somewhat queasy and lethargic. Or take last week -- I was extremely tired and I had been downing Mountain Dew and Red Bull all day, as well as eating unhealthy crap. I met someone for drinks that night, and instead of making me feel euphoric, the drinks made me pretty damn nauseous. I skipped quite dramatically over the tipsy phase, going straight from paying-the-bartender to closing-my-eyes-and-willing-myself-not-to-be-sick. And it wasn't like I had a lot to drink either -- just two drinks! This was not enough to inebriate me, but it was enough to upset my stomach verily.
What gives? Well, as much as I would love to cogitate upon the mystery, I am afraid I can cut to the rather self-evident answer: I am eating poorly, and reaping the consequences. Instead of eating healthy chicken dishes with whole grains and a light sauce, I am eating fat-laden toasted subs from Quiznos with unhealthy processed carbs, a bag of chips, and a 20-or-more ounce Mountain Dew. Instead of getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night, I am lucky if I get five. Very importantly, instead of drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water throughout the day PLUS enough water to compensate for the dehydrating effects of my sodas, I drink almost no water during the day, and only partially make up for it in the evening, by drinking maybe 20 or 30 ounces. This isn't even enough to offset the diuretic effects of multiple daily Dews.
I have to change this. I simply cannot go through life getting queasy at inopportune moments. The momentary pleasure I get from forbidden foods does not outweigh the nausea I get from eating wrong.
A friend of mine has kept a healthy diet and regular exercise schedule all year, and has lost over 55 pounds because of it. She keeps an online fitness blog called, fittingly enough, Down 55.
At the rate I'm going, I should probably rename my blog Up 20.
Friday, June 03, 2005
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Weekly Exercise Log
Yeah, this'll be good for a laugh.
Let's see, I tried to go swimming on Sunday. I lasted about 20 minutes, and that is with considerable time spent hanging onto the side of the pool, trying not to pass out.
That's about it for the week so far. I think I may have gotten on the recumbent bike for 45 minutes or so sometime last month too. Yeah.
In other news, I ate ten Zebra Cakes tonight!
Yeah, this'll be good for a laugh.
Let's see, I tried to go swimming on Sunday. I lasted about 20 minutes, and that is with considerable time spent hanging onto the side of the pool, trying not to pass out.
That's about it for the week so far. I think I may have gotten on the recumbent bike for 45 minutes or so sometime last month too. Yeah.
In other news, I ate ten Zebra Cakes tonight!
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
God Bless The Biggest Loser... That show has motivated me to get off my ass and get a really good sweat going at the gym next door. A few days ago I did almost 8 miles on the exericse bike... yesterday I rode for a half hour (prolly 4-5 miles)... and tonight I did 8 miles, at one point getting my pulse up to 183 -- 92% of my max! For most of the time I kept it around 150. Note that I had two Red Bulls in the few hours before I went, and I really think that, plus the show, energized me. Yay for thermogenic herbs! Yay for fat people on TV!
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Trying Again
I have been sitting here for over an hour, my shorts on, my heart rate monitor strapped around my chest, trying to will myself to go next door and get on the damn bike. It has just been so long, and I am so tired, it's hard. I really don't want to. In my mind I hear J____ and R____ and all the assholes from my past saying, in their annoying voices, "Come on Schwartz, you're such a baby, just get up and go." And I have two simultaneous urges: 1) I want to beat the sh!t out of all the assholes of my past, and 2) I want to go work out, not because anyone else would yell at me if I didn't, but because I need to. And I want to, for myself.
I need to tire myself out during the day so that I can sleep at night. Otherwise I will just be laying in bed for hours, so desperately wanting to fall asleep, but unable to because I haven't used up enough energy during the day.
I have been sitting here for over an hour, my shorts on, my heart rate monitor strapped around my chest, trying to will myself to go next door and get on the damn bike. It has just been so long, and I am so tired, it's hard. I really don't want to. In my mind I hear J____ and R____ and all the assholes from my past saying, in their annoying voices, "Come on Schwartz, you're such a baby, just get up and go." And I have two simultaneous urges: 1) I want to beat the sh!t out of all the assholes of my past, and 2) I want to go work out, not because anyone else would yell at me if I didn't, but because I need to. And I want to, for myself.
I need to tire myself out during the day so that I can sleep at night. Otherwise I will just be laying in bed for hours, so desperately wanting to fall asleep, but unable to because I haven't used up enough energy during the day.
Sunday, November 28, 2004
I have probably gained 10-15 pounds since I last posted. I think I am at 200. Seriously.
Today I ate a whole Pad Thai chicken meal with spring rolls, and then when I came home I had a hankering for donuts. So I called "Nothing But Donuts" in Union Station, and asked them what kind of donuts they had left and how long they'd be open. The guy said he was going to close early tonight because it was really slow, but I told him I could be there in 10 minutes and don't close until I get there!
I walked hurriedly to the basement of Union Station and bought six donuts. I returned home and ate them all.
There is absolutely no doubt why I have gained so much weight: This is just the latest in a long string of unhealthy eating. For the first two months of school, I would get the deep fried chicken fingers almost every day for lunch, and I would dip them in blue cheese dressing. Seriously. Usually I would also have a Barq's rootbeer with it. Now, come on! Of COURSE I'm going to gain weight like that! (Comparison: Last year, at Case Western [*sniff, sniff, I miss you*], I almost always had baked pita chips and hummus for lunch.) This is all compounded by the fact that I live just 4 blocks from Chinatown, and of course I have to sample all the delectible goodies the Asians dream up over there.
Finally, I am in love with Pizza Rolls, and I quite regularly consume 44 of them in a single sitting. With Mountain Dew.
FATTY FATTY FAT FAT!
The thing is, I'm happy. Yeah I'm a little chunky, but I basically gave myself a reprieve from fitness stuff this semester in order to try to focus on school and finding a job. Luckily, I found a summer job at a big Detroit law firm that will likely become a full-time job upon graduation! As for school, well... I kinda know a little bit about the Fourth Amendment. Huh.
The point is, next semester I will be able to focus on fitness. I know, I know, it's always "next week" or "next month" or "next semester." But next semester is only a little over a month away. I can do some occasional workouts in the meantime, but then I really do look forward to hitting it HARD when January rolls around.
Today I ate a whole Pad Thai chicken meal with spring rolls, and then when I came home I had a hankering for donuts. So I called "Nothing But Donuts" in Union Station, and asked them what kind of donuts they had left and how long they'd be open. The guy said he was going to close early tonight because it was really slow, but I told him I could be there in 10 minutes and don't close until I get there!
I walked hurriedly to the basement of Union Station and bought six donuts. I returned home and ate them all.
There is absolutely no doubt why I have gained so much weight: This is just the latest in a long string of unhealthy eating. For the first two months of school, I would get the deep fried chicken fingers almost every day for lunch, and I would dip them in blue cheese dressing. Seriously. Usually I would also have a Barq's rootbeer with it. Now, come on! Of COURSE I'm going to gain weight like that! (Comparison: Last year, at Case Western [*sniff, sniff, I miss you*], I almost always had baked pita chips and hummus for lunch.) This is all compounded by the fact that I live just 4 blocks from Chinatown, and of course I have to sample all the delectible goodies the Asians dream up over there.
Finally, I am in love with Pizza Rolls, and I quite regularly consume 44 of them in a single sitting. With Mountain Dew.
FATTY FATTY FAT FAT!
The thing is, I'm happy. Yeah I'm a little chunky, but I basically gave myself a reprieve from fitness stuff this semester in order to try to focus on school and finding a job. Luckily, I found a summer job at a big Detroit law firm that will likely become a full-time job upon graduation! As for school, well... I kinda know a little bit about the Fourth Amendment. Huh.
The point is, next semester I will be able to focus on fitness. I know, I know, it's always "next week" or "next month" or "next semester." But next semester is only a little over a month away. I can do some occasional workouts in the meantime, but then I really do look forward to hitting it HARD when January rolls around.
Monday, September 20, 2004
Slowly coming along, but not without hitches
My number one hitch is a lack of time. I have realized that I will be able to exercise regularly (what with the gym right next door!), but I will likely not be able to give it almost an hour a day, complete with six meals a day.
I simply have too much going on right now. But fitness shall not fall by the wayside! Over the past two days, I have spent approximately 100 minutes on the exercise bike. I find it easy to get on the bike, keep my heart rate around 135-155 for many many minutes, and read while I'm doing it. The only problem I have found thus far is that an hour of exercise really energizes me! This is bad when I do it at night, because my evening goes like this:
As you can see, this is a problem if i want to get to bed at a reasonable hour. The solutions are twofold:
I am sure I will figure it out.
In summation, I am continuing to exercise, and continuing to eat in a relatively healthy manner. The Myoplex shakes are still a staple of my diet, and I try to limit unnecessary fat. I just don't think I can hit BFL as hard as I would like.
It's all about priorities, and these days exercise falls just slightly below school.
My number one hitch is a lack of time. I have realized that I will be able to exercise regularly (what with the gym right next door!), but I will likely not be able to give it almost an hour a day, complete with six meals a day.
I simply have too much going on right now. But fitness shall not fall by the wayside! Over the past two days, I have spent approximately 100 minutes on the exercise bike. I find it easy to get on the bike, keep my heart rate around 135-155 for many many minutes, and read while I'm doing it. The only problem I have found thus far is that an hour of exercise really energizes me! This is bad when I do it at night, because my evening goes like this:
9-10 -- On the bike
10-11 -- Tired, relaxed
11-2 -- WIRED
As you can see, this is a problem if i want to get to bed at a reasonable hour. The solutions are twofold:
- Exercise earlier, i.e. at from 6-7 p.m., and then be wired until about 11 p.m., at which point I can go to bed. This may be a good option, because I would be energetic and focused from approximately 8-11, which is prime homework time; or
- Exercise in the morning, i.e. from 7-8 a.m, and then be wired from 9 a.m. to noon. This might be good in that it would jumpstart my day and give me more energy during class, but it would definitely be hard to implement such a plan: I Love Sleeping In.
I am sure I will figure it out.
In summation, I am continuing to exercise, and continuing to eat in a relatively healthy manner. The Myoplex shakes are still a staple of my diet, and I try to limit unnecessary fat. I just don't think I can hit BFL as hard as I would like.
It's all about priorities, and these days exercise falls just slightly below school.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Day 2
Yesterday went off without a hitch. Other than the extreme exhaustion I faced all day, everything went as planned. I got about 230 grams of protein to go with my rousing morning weight lifting.
This morning I got up at the crack of 7:30 a.m. to go do my 20 minutes of cardio. Unfortunately, I am so out of shape, it turned out to be 10 minutes. It was a hard 10 minutes though. I plan to go back tonight and do another 20 minutes of moderate cardio, just to make sure I get my calorie deficit for the day.
OK, off to down a Myoplex and then run to class. Right after class, it's back for more eating. One thing's for sure: I won't be hungry on this plan!
Yesterday went off without a hitch. Other than the extreme exhaustion I faced all day, everything went as planned. I got about 230 grams of protein to go with my rousing morning weight lifting.
This morning I got up at the crack of 7:30 a.m. to go do my 20 minutes of cardio. Unfortunately, I am so out of shape, it turned out to be 10 minutes. It was a hard 10 minutes though. I plan to go back tonight and do another 20 minutes of moderate cardio, just to make sure I get my calorie deficit for the day.
OK, off to down a Myoplex and then run to class. Right after class, it's back for more eating. One thing's for sure: I won't be hungry on this plan!
Sunday, September 12, 2004
This jiggly goo is making me sick. Ugh. I reach down and feel it everywhere, on my stomach and on my face... not just under my chin anymore, but JOWLS, full-fledged jowls, hanging from the sides of my face. I resemble a fat nobleman. Disgusting.
I know from experience the order in which the weight comes off: First my face slims down a bit, but the doublechin remains. (Oh, does it remain.) Then I lose weight in my stomach. My face continues to look slimmer. Ultimately, my doublechin gets smaller, until a strong jawline is within reach.
I have never gotten to the point where I have a strong jawline, because last time I did BFL, I stopped at 13% body fat -- and I was about 178 pounds at the time. I figured the 12 weeks were up, and I had already lost 23-25 pounds, and I was more than happy with how I looked. After summer break, friends at school noticed it. Everyone was asking, "Did you lose weight??" Indeed I had. It feels nice to shout out, "25 pounds!"
But that damn chin. Grrrr.
I have a gym next door. Connected to the building. No more excuses. Wake up, roll out of bed and go!
I know from experience the order in which the weight comes off: First my face slims down a bit, but the doublechin remains. (Oh, does it remain.) Then I lose weight in my stomach. My face continues to look slimmer. Ultimately, my doublechin gets smaller, until a strong jawline is within reach.
I have never gotten to the point where I have a strong jawline, because last time I did BFL, I stopped at 13% body fat -- and I was about 178 pounds at the time. I figured the 12 weeks were up, and I had already lost 23-25 pounds, and I was more than happy with how I looked. After summer break, friends at school noticed it. Everyone was asking, "Did you lose weight??" Indeed I had. It feels nice to shout out, "25 pounds!"
But that damn chin. Grrrr.
I have a gym next door. Connected to the building. No more excuses. Wake up, roll out of bed and go!
Body for Life 2004
Tomorrow the new law school gym opens. Tomorrow is Day One of Body for Life 2004. My shelves are stocked, and my will fortified, with tons upons tons of protein powder. The goal? Lose 20 pounds, bringing me to about 8 percent body fat. Doable? With a world-class gym connected to my building? You tell me.
I'm tired of the flab. Tired of being tired. Tired of the junk food. Tired of not having confidence, of looking around at everyone else and hating them because they have what I want. My genetics are against me, but more than that, my own lack of willpower is against me. SCHWARTZ: PIZZA DOES NOT TASTE NEARLY AS GOOD AS BEING IN SHAPE FEELS. You know this. You have been there.
You will get there again.
Tomorrow the new law school gym opens. Tomorrow is Day One of Body for Life 2004. My shelves are stocked, and my will fortified, with tons upons tons of protein powder. The goal? Lose 20 pounds, bringing me to about 8 percent body fat. Doable? With a world-class gym connected to my building? You tell me.
I'm tired of the flab. Tired of being tired. Tired of the junk food. Tired of not having confidence, of looking around at everyone else and hating them because they have what I want. My genetics are against me, but more than that, my own lack of willpower is against me. SCHWARTZ: PIZZA DOES NOT TASTE NEARLY AS GOOD AS BEING IN SHAPE FEELS. You know this. You have been there.
You will get there again.
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
"Soda causes diabetes! News at eleven."
Be wary of statistics. For a long while now, I have noted with amusement various statistics meant to frighten, cajole and persuade. At first glance, these statistics are frightening, but a dose of cynicism and a little bit of thinking will go a long way:
Sensationalism runs amok at eDiets.com: "Now here's some scary news: Harvard School of Public Health research indicates women who drank at least one sugar-sweetened soda a day were 85 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who drank less!"
Well, yes, I don't doubt the veracity of the study. Upon cursory glance, it seems quite legitimate – isn't heavy sugar consumption linked to diabetes? Yes and no. People who consume a lot of sugar are generally overweight, and obesity is definitely a cause of diabetes. But simply consuming a lot of sugar will not, in itself, cause diabetes.
Then, it is very likely that "one sugar-sweetened soda a day" will not cause an 85 percent jump in the diabetes rate. One sugar-sweetened soda a day, coupled with an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, will. This Harvard study found a correlation, not a causation.
Not convinced? Look at this snippet from an AP article:
"According to [the] study, the women most prone to gaining weight had increased their consumption of sugary soft drinks from less than one a week to more than one a day. On average, those women gained nine-10 pounds in a four-year period. But women who cut their intake of soft drinks gained an average of three pounds or less."
Honestly, I am not entirely sure what this means. Did the study organizers pick the women most prone to gaining weight and ask them to increase their soda consumption more than seven-fold? In any case, it is clear that there is a very fundamental question here: What caused the increase in diabetes – the increase in sugar consumption or the increase in weight?
In a nod to fair and balanced reporting, the AP quoted a press release from the National Soft Drink Association that responded to the study. The soft drink makers called the study "unconvincing and inconclusive" because it raises questions over "factors that could create inaccuracies." The article stopped there, but a quick skim of the press release provides the needed details:
"It is unknown whether or not this study adjusted for all of the above risk factors for type 2 diabetes or for other risk factors sometimes referred to in the medical literature such as high salt intake, high blood pressure, alcohol intake and high fat intake. If this study were adjusted for all of these confounding factors, it is doubtful it would show any risk for developing type 2 diabetes from soft drink consumption," said Dr. Richard Adamson, vice president for scientific and technical affairs for NSDA.
The moral of the story? It's easy to fall victim to scary statistics. Respond with your mind rather than your fears. Always look at both sides of an issue. And don't believe everything you read.
Be wary of statistics. For a long while now, I have noted with amusement various statistics meant to frighten, cajole and persuade. At first glance, these statistics are frightening, but a dose of cynicism and a little bit of thinking will go a long way:
Sensationalism runs amok at eDiets.com: "Now here's some scary news: Harvard School of Public Health research indicates women who drank at least one sugar-sweetened soda a day were 85 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who drank less!"
Well, yes, I don't doubt the veracity of the study. Upon cursory glance, it seems quite legitimate – isn't heavy sugar consumption linked to diabetes? Yes and no. People who consume a lot of sugar are generally overweight, and obesity is definitely a cause of diabetes. But simply consuming a lot of sugar will not, in itself, cause diabetes.
Then, it is very likely that "one sugar-sweetened soda a day" will not cause an 85 percent jump in the diabetes rate. One sugar-sweetened soda a day, coupled with an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, will. This Harvard study found a correlation, not a causation.
Not convinced? Look at this snippet from an AP article:
"According to [the] study, the women most prone to gaining weight had increased their consumption of sugary soft drinks from less than one a week to more than one a day. On average, those women gained nine-10 pounds in a four-year period. But women who cut their intake of soft drinks gained an average of three pounds or less."
Honestly, I am not entirely sure what this means. Did the study organizers pick the women most prone to gaining weight and ask them to increase their soda consumption more than seven-fold? In any case, it is clear that there is a very fundamental question here: What caused the increase in diabetes – the increase in sugar consumption or the increase in weight?
In a nod to fair and balanced reporting, the AP quoted a press release from the National Soft Drink Association that responded to the study. The soft drink makers called the study "unconvincing and inconclusive" because it raises questions over "factors that could create inaccuracies." The article stopped there, but a quick skim of the press release provides the needed details:
"It is unknown whether or not this study adjusted for all of the above risk factors for type 2 diabetes or for other risk factors sometimes referred to in the medical literature such as high salt intake, high blood pressure, alcohol intake and high fat intake. If this study were adjusted for all of these confounding factors, it is doubtful it would show any risk for developing type 2 diabetes from soft drink consumption," said Dr. Richard Adamson, vice president for scientific and technical affairs for NSDA.
The moral of the story? It's easy to fall victim to scary statistics. Respond with your mind rather than your fears. Always look at both sides of an issue. And don't believe everything you read.
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Why I Can't Exercise, Reason 452
I got MONO. I won't lie and say I was alllll set! to hit the gym when I was struck down in all my glory by that damn insidious Kissing Disease. But I will say this: I am not allowed to do any strenuous exercise for about a month after my symptoms start to dwindle. As my symptoms will be here for at least a few more days (weeks?), it will be a while before I can hit any 9s or 10s at the gym.
The good news is that when they took my tests at the doctor, they learned that my blood pressure is 110/68 and my cholesterol is 119! Perhaps the mono lowered that just a bit, but that is still really good. This proves that I am healthy. :-) This, despite eating fast food all last week!
I got MONO. I won't lie and say I was alllll set! to hit the gym when I was struck down in all my glory by that damn insidious Kissing Disease. But I will say this: I am not allowed to do any strenuous exercise for about a month after my symptoms start to dwindle. As my symptoms will be here for at least a few more days (weeks?), it will be a while before I can hit any 9s or 10s at the gym.
The good news is that when they took my tests at the doctor, they learned that my blood pressure is 110/68 and my cholesterol is 119! Perhaps the mono lowered that just a bit, but that is still really good. This proves that I am healthy. :-) This, despite eating fast food all last week!
Thursday, June 03, 2004
Did 47 minutes on the exercise bike last night. :-) It really wore me out, and I kept my heart rate up the whole time. FYI -- was reading the Da Vinci Code at the time, and I realized it's not that good. Quite amateurish writing. But who am I to talk? At least he's published stuff.
I also scheduled my fitness evaluation for Sunday morning! I will finally have some good body fat / weight stats, and I think they're going to measure my VO2 max also. As far as I know, I am around 190 lbs and 16% body fat -- not so horrible. But that's just an estimate. Anyway I would love to get down to single digits!
Last night for dinner I made grilled chicken breast on whole wheat spinach noodles, drizzled with olive oil, and lightly seasoned with salt, pepper and basil. It was delicous! Today I brought my homemade turkey sandwich and a couple Zone bars -- hopefully it will get me through the day.
Lifting weights tonight on my way home from work? Possibly!
I also scheduled my fitness evaluation for Sunday morning! I will finally have some good body fat / weight stats, and I think they're going to measure my VO2 max also. As far as I know, I am around 190 lbs and 16% body fat -- not so horrible. But that's just an estimate. Anyway I would love to get down to single digits!
Last night for dinner I made grilled chicken breast on whole wheat spinach noodles, drizzled with olive oil, and lightly seasoned with salt, pepper and basil. It was delicous! Today I brought my homemade turkey sandwich and a couple Zone bars -- hopefully it will get me through the day.
Lifting weights tonight on my way home from work? Possibly!
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
I spent last night A) driving home, B) printing out materials for the law review write-on, and C) sleeping. I was oh-so-tired, so I couldn't get to the gym. Excuses, excuses, I know. But I've brought my ID card with me and I have shorts on under my pants so I'm going to the gym on the way home, whether I like it or not!!!
I don't like it.
PS. My lunch today had about 1600 calories and 60 grams of fat. The funny thing is, except for the relatively sh!tty fat content, I am not totally screwed: Added to my 120 calorie breakfast of part-skim string cheese, I am only up to 1720 calories for the day. If I have a chicken breast and rice tonight, I can keep my total at around 2100 calories for the day...
Now, my BMR is approximately 2500 calories, meaning that's how much energy my body needs just to be alive per day. Soooooo..... even if I don't exercise, I could STILL lose about 1/4 pound today (assuming 3500 calories is a pound).
This means that if I do exercise today, I could lose up to HALF a pound! Wow.
I don't like it.
PS. My lunch today had about 1600 calories and 60 grams of fat. The funny thing is, except for the relatively sh!tty fat content, I am not totally screwed: Added to my 120 calorie breakfast of part-skim string cheese, I am only up to 1720 calories for the day. If I have a chicken breast and rice tonight, I can keep my total at around 2100 calories for the day...
Now, my BMR is approximately 2500 calories, meaning that's how much energy my body needs just to be alive per day. Soooooo..... even if I don't exercise, I could STILL lose about 1/4 pound today (assuming 3500 calories is a pound).
This means that if I do exercise today, I could lose up to HALF a pound! Wow.
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Soon...
Primal Eloquence is operational, albeit in a very preliminary test-page form. Eventually it will contain this blog, a nifty weight/body fat area graph, statistics, pictures -- the whole shebang. Even songs. Yes, songs!
Okay, maybe not songs.
Frith and I have decided that even though we never want to leave, we are in actuality seeing too much of each other. So we have called a two-day embargo on all things couple-related. We aren't even to CALL each other, or send text messages! How does this relate to fitness, you ask? Simple: Though we intend to jog, Frith and I usually end up laying around doing nothing, really. Yesterday morning we were totally unproductive for literally seven hours. Mind you, we COULD have gone jogging had she brought her sneakers -- and technically we *did* get exercise ;-) -- but she didn't bring her sneakers. I wasn't about to just ignore her and go jogging myself. So... yeah.
The good news is that last week, even with the time sieve, I lost about two pounds! And Frith is down also. Our goal is to be one of those Powercouples (TM) who jog through the neighborhood together and make everybody else jealous. Yes!
So now, with some free time to try to get things back in order, I can actually make healthy meals for the day, AND possibly get to the gym in the morning. Possible? Doable? Perhaps? Maybe?
Maybe. Maybe!
We will see. Until then, I have to try to eat healthy at Subway for lunch today, and then after work I have to drag my tired-ass body to the gym, explain to them that I lost my membership ID card, pay $10 for a new ID card, and get on the damn bike. I'll bring the Da Vinci Code so I have something interesting (and easy) to read whilst pumping tbe pedals. Then tonight, I *have* to make my meals for tomorrow. Have to!!!
Tomorrow morning? Exercise. AND wean myself off the daily Bruegger's/Starbucks addiction.
To me-time! :-)
Primal Eloquence is operational, albeit in a very preliminary test-page form. Eventually it will contain this blog, a nifty weight/body fat area graph, statistics, pictures -- the whole shebang. Even songs. Yes, songs!
Okay, maybe not songs.
Frith and I have decided that even though we never want to leave, we are in actuality seeing too much of each other. So we have called a two-day embargo on all things couple-related. We aren't even to CALL each other, or send text messages! How does this relate to fitness, you ask? Simple: Though we intend to jog, Frith and I usually end up laying around doing nothing, really. Yesterday morning we were totally unproductive for literally seven hours. Mind you, we COULD have gone jogging had she brought her sneakers -- and technically we *did* get exercise ;-) -- but she didn't bring her sneakers. I wasn't about to just ignore her and go jogging myself. So... yeah.
The good news is that last week, even with the time sieve, I lost about two pounds! And Frith is down also. Our goal is to be one of those Powercouples (TM) who jog through the neighborhood together and make everybody else jealous. Yes!
So now, with some free time to try to get things back in order, I can actually make healthy meals for the day, AND possibly get to the gym in the morning. Possible? Doable? Perhaps? Maybe?
Maybe. Maybe!
We will see. Until then, I have to try to eat healthy at Subway for lunch today, and then after work I have to drag my tired-ass body to the gym, explain to them that I lost my membership ID card, pay $10 for a new ID card, and get on the damn bike. I'll bring the Da Vinci Code so I have something interesting (and easy) to read whilst pumping tbe pedals. Then tonight, I *have* to make my meals for tomorrow. Have to!!!
Tomorrow morning? Exercise. AND wean myself off the daily Bruegger's/Starbucks addiction.
To me-time! :-)
Friday, May 28, 2004
Back on the wagon, as we say. Frith and I went jogging the other day, and it was a lot of fun, and we pushed each other and I ran *really* hard. Finally, three days after the jog, the soreness is gone! Time to do it again. :-)
I am working on a new Bodyforlife-style program, which I am currently attempting to implement. I kind of started it this week, though I did make some missteps. Still, forge ahead! Today I bought www.PrimalEloquence.com -- it's from a choral piece, and it refers to music's effect on the soul, but I think it works just as well as a description of a fit body. I'll wax more about that when the site is up, probably next week.
And now... okay, Frith asked me to get dinner at the greek restaurant. I know I could eat healthy there but I will probably end up sampling the pastitsio. Hehe... as long as I keep getting regular exercise though, this should be able to fit into my plan. Will keep you posted.
I am working on a new Bodyforlife-style program, which I am currently attempting to implement. I kind of started it this week, though I did make some missteps. Still, forge ahead! Today I bought www.PrimalEloquence.com -- it's from a choral piece, and it refers to music's effect on the soul, but I think it works just as well as a description of a fit body. I'll wax more about that when the site is up, probably next week.
And now... okay, Frith asked me to get dinner at the greek restaurant. I know I could eat healthy there but I will probably end up sampling the pastitsio. Hehe... as long as I keep getting regular exercise though, this should be able to fit into my plan. Will keep you posted.
Friday, April 09, 2004
At this point, it is about the energy.
I am tired. I wake up tired, I am tired through most of the day. This makes it hard to concentrate in class. When I get home, I am even more tired, so I don't get through all my homework. I usually get around 8 hours of sleep, and yet still, I awake fatigued.
Quite clearly, I must do something about this.
I know what I have to do. I have to run. Since my last post a month ago, I hit the gym maybe 3-4 times, and did a few sets of bench presses in my room at home. But it's not enough. I am well aware that, when I get run down like this, I can recharge my batteries by jogging for 20-30 minutes. Just once or twice will od it. I have to do it. I must do it. Yet I have been slacking, putting it off, thinking about it, talking about it, waiting for it...
Do It Now.
I will update later.
I am tired. I wake up tired, I am tired through most of the day. This makes it hard to concentrate in class. When I get home, I am even more tired, so I don't get through all my homework. I usually get around 8 hours of sleep, and yet still, I awake fatigued.
Quite clearly, I must do something about this.
I know what I have to do. I have to run. Since my last post a month ago, I hit the gym maybe 3-4 times, and did a few sets of bench presses in my room at home. But it's not enough. I am well aware that, when I get run down like this, I can recharge my batteries by jogging for 20-30 minutes. Just once or twice will od it. I have to do it. I must do it. Yet I have been slacking, putting it off, thinking about it, talking about it, waiting for it...
Do It Now.
I will update later.
Thursday, March 04, 2004
By all measures, I am not "fat" -- I may be a little pudgy, but who isn't? And yet, the fact that I'm just a "little pudgy" makes it even worse, in a way. If I were just a big fattie, then I could very well accept my status as Fatty-in-Chief. It would be my new persona. I would make it my own. On the other hand, I could be just as happy (probably happier) as a skinny guy. But right now I'm somewhere in between... a skinny guy who got a little carried away with the ice cream. A fat guy who lost most of his flab, leaving a distinct layer of goo hanging around in its wake. Jiggly goo. Jiggly ucky goo that weighs me down and makes me feel kind of like a failure.
I have to lose it. At this point it's not about the energy -- I'm relatively energetic, although I'll admit the inevitable energy boost from working out regularly would be nice. At this point, however, it is simply about getting rid of the excess baggage I've been carrying around since... well, for most of my life. As far as I can remember, I have had a double chin. From the time I was 11 or so, I had a bit of a gut. It's not that bad, but it's there, and while its size fluctuates over time and almost disappeared once, it has still always been with me. Even when I was at the height of fitness on my Body for Life program, I still had a gut!! And then, after the 12 weeks were over, what did I do? Did I keep going until I reached my ideal weight of 170? Did I strive to lose that last little bit of flab on my tummy? That tiny double-chin whose demise was within my grasp? NO!!! I STOPPED WORKING OUT! I celebrated my 12 week success with a full week of utter piggitude, promising myself that I would begin another 12 week program straight away... and I tried. I really did try. But my heart just wasn't in it. Why? Because I had already lost the bulk of my flab. I had gone from 200+ to 178 in a matter of weeks. I had more energy than ever before. I wasn't hungry to complete the task -- to become not just healthier than I had been, but as healthy and trim as I could be.
In other words, I start off great but I have no follow through. This problem has followed me throughout my life, from school to work to keeping in shape.
It's time to stop half-assing it.
I have to lose it. At this point it's not about the energy -- I'm relatively energetic, although I'll admit the inevitable energy boost from working out regularly would be nice. At this point, however, it is simply about getting rid of the excess baggage I've been carrying around since... well, for most of my life. As far as I can remember, I have had a double chin. From the time I was 11 or so, I had a bit of a gut. It's not that bad, but it's there, and while its size fluctuates over time and almost disappeared once, it has still always been with me. Even when I was at the height of fitness on my Body for Life program, I still had a gut!! And then, after the 12 weeks were over, what did I do? Did I keep going until I reached my ideal weight of 170? Did I strive to lose that last little bit of flab on my tummy? That tiny double-chin whose demise was within my grasp? NO!!! I STOPPED WORKING OUT! I celebrated my 12 week success with a full week of utter piggitude, promising myself that I would begin another 12 week program straight away... and I tried. I really did try. But my heart just wasn't in it. Why? Because I had already lost the bulk of my flab. I had gone from 200+ to 178 in a matter of weeks. I had more energy than ever before. I wasn't hungry to complete the task -- to become not just healthier than I had been, but as healthy and trim as I could be.
In other words, I start off great but I have no follow through. This problem has followed me throughout my life, from school to work to keeping in shape.
It's time to stop half-assing it.
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Monday, May 05, 2003
Ugh
I am never taking a Free Day again. I ate so much shit yesterday, I felt nauseaus all day, and extremely tired to boot. I don't know if that's because of my hard run from the day before, or because of my poor eating, or maybe both. Anyway, it seems very stupid to me to be so health conscious during the week, losing two pounds on average, and then throw half of it away when I gain a pound on Free Day.
OK, I think I know what the problem was. I went out of my way to eat bad food on Free Day. I thought, since I *have* the opportunity, I am going to make use of it. Even if I didn't have any cravings. Well that is stupid stupid stupid. This will be my new Free Day mantra: Don't go out of your way to eat. Feel free to have a nice burger, or some Thai food or something, if you really want one. But if chicken would suffice, eat that. If you're really craving a sweet, eat it. But don't get a box of 6 donuts and see how many you can eat. That's just counterproductive.
(Yes, I got a box of 6 donuts and saw how many I could eat. (Four.) I felt, and still feel, like a big disgusting cow. I am never going to do that again.)
I'm still tired, and I want to get back into my exercising routine after the gluttony that was my Free Day. Today is the beginning of a new week: Week Three. I have done well for the past two weeks. I will only do better over the next two!
I am never taking a Free Day again. I ate so much shit yesterday, I felt nauseaus all day, and extremely tired to boot. I don't know if that's because of my hard run from the day before, or because of my poor eating, or maybe both. Anyway, it seems very stupid to me to be so health conscious during the week, losing two pounds on average, and then throw half of it away when I gain a pound on Free Day.
OK, I think I know what the problem was. I went out of my way to eat bad food on Free Day. I thought, since I *have* the opportunity, I am going to make use of it. Even if I didn't have any cravings. Well that is stupid stupid stupid. This will be my new Free Day mantra: Don't go out of your way to eat. Feel free to have a nice burger, or some Thai food or something, if you really want one. But if chicken would suffice, eat that. If you're really craving a sweet, eat it. But don't get a box of 6 donuts and see how many you can eat. That's just counterproductive.
(Yes, I got a box of 6 donuts and saw how many I could eat. (Four.) I felt, and still feel, like a big disgusting cow. I am never going to do that again.)
I'm still tired, and I want to get back into my exercising routine after the gluttony that was my Free Day. Today is the beginning of a new week: Week Three. I have done well for the past two weeks. I will only do better over the next two!
Friday, May 02, 2003
Pump up the JAM
My new MP3 player arrived yesterday, and with musical motivation I pushed myself harder than I have in years!! After 20 minutes on the bike, I realized I could do more. I wanted to do more. So I got on the treadmill and ran a mile. :-)
Fun times. I think I'm starting to nauseate family and friends with my enthusiasm.
(Check out the MP3 player link for some hilarious Korean-to-English mistranslation.)
My new MP3 player arrived yesterday, and with musical motivation I pushed myself harder than I have in years!! After 20 minutes on the bike, I realized I could do more. I wanted to do more. So I got on the treadmill and ran a mile. :-)
Fun times. I think I'm starting to nauseate family and friends with my enthusiasm.
(Check out the MP3 player link for some hilarious Korean-to-English mistranslation.)
Thursday, May 01, 2003
Sweat
DAMN, I was pushing myself so hard at the gym last night! Once you find that balance of weight that will allow you do just about 12 reps and no more... it's an exciting experience. It is difficult to find the balance -- I don't think I've found it completely. All I know is that I was pushing myself HARD last night, for more than an hour. Highlights:
No time this morning to do cardio. I'll do it after work. My MP3 player/radio arrives today, so I can fill it up with 4 hours of workout music and pump up the jam even more. :-)
DAMN, I was pushing myself so hard at the gym last night! Once you find that balance of weight that will allow you do just about 12 reps and no more... it's an exciting experience. It is difficult to find the balance -- I don't think I've found it completely. All I know is that I was pushing myself HARD last night, for more than an hour. Highlights:
- My whole upper torso, neck and face turning bright red, with little veins standing out, when I did the 20-25 pound side arm-raises -- I looked like the Red Hulk; and
- Utilizing my biceps on almost every other body part's exercise, and then STILL barbell curling 65 pounds between 10-12 times for two sets! And THEN tiring out my biceps even more with a couple sets of 20 lb. concentration curls.
No time this morning to do cardio. I'll do it after work. My MP3 player/radio arrives today, so I can fill it up with 4 hours of workout music and pump up the jam even more. :-)
Tuesday, April 29, 2003
Not too bad
Okay, so I'm doing the BFL diet to the letter. At least, I did yesterday and I plan to today. It takes about 10 minutes in the morning to throw together a sandwich or two, shake up a couple servings of protein drink, and put it all along with a couple oranges into a bag. That takes care of my diet for the day, and it's less expensive than getting a tuna melt and Mountain Dew every day, so that's good. :-) Yesterday I got kinda hungry -- not a lot, but enough so that it was preventing me from focusing on my work. So I grabbed a handful of popcorn, and that tided me over until my next meal.
I kind of wanted "bad" food last night, but there were no cravings or anything, so it wasn't hard to just have cottage cheese or chicken breast with spices instead. After I lifted, I simply ate protein-packed foods until I wasn't hungry anymore, and then I stopped. Pretty simple, really.
Another benefit of eating very healthy foods during the week is that you look forward to the more fattening, tastier food, on the weekend. When you don't get to have it all the time, it becomes more of a treat when you do. :-)
Okay, so I'm doing the BFL diet to the letter. At least, I did yesterday and I plan to today. It takes about 10 minutes in the morning to throw together a sandwich or two, shake up a couple servings of protein drink, and put it all along with a couple oranges into a bag. That takes care of my diet for the day, and it's less expensive than getting a tuna melt and Mountain Dew every day, so that's good. :-) Yesterday I got kinda hungry -- not a lot, but enough so that it was preventing me from focusing on my work. So I grabbed a handful of popcorn, and that tided me over until my next meal.
I kind of wanted "bad" food last night, but there were no cravings or anything, so it wasn't hard to just have cottage cheese or chicken breast with spices instead. After I lifted, I simply ate protein-packed foods until I wasn't hungry anymore, and then I stopped. Pretty simple, really.
Another benefit of eating very healthy foods during the week is that you look forward to the more fattening, tastier food, on the weekend. When you don't get to have it all the time, it becomes more of a treat when you do. :-)
Monday, April 28, 2003
Second week...
Okay, I got through week 1. I noticed two things:
1) The lift-at-night/cardio-in-the-morning thing works out pretty well. Doing cardio in the morning jump starts my metabolism and gives me energy throughout the day (especially coupled with the Betalean). Lifting at night works fine as long as I don't go *too* late -- that also revs me up, making it harder to get up early the next morning for cardio. On Saturday I exercise whenever.
2) My Diet Sucks. Last week I did a mostly-BFL diet for the first 4 days of the week, and then completely let it go from Friday through the weekend. I can't do that. About a year ago, I tried doing a BFL-style exercise program -- I exercised most every day, and my diet was okay, but it wasn't perfect. And ya know what happened? Nothing. I didn't gain weight, but I didn't really lose a whole lot of weight -- maybe just a few pounds. I cannot make a transformation unless I follow the diet to the letter. This means whole grains, 6 small meals every 2-3 hours, a gallon of water per day, and veggies. My grains have been less than whole; my meals have been fewer than six; I don't get a gallon of water and I hardly ever get my veggies. So... yeah. I know what to do. I just have to do it.
Okay, I got through week 1. I noticed two things:
1) The lift-at-night/cardio-in-the-morning thing works out pretty well. Doing cardio in the morning jump starts my metabolism and gives me energy throughout the day (especially coupled with the Betalean). Lifting at night works fine as long as I don't go *too* late -- that also revs me up, making it harder to get up early the next morning for cardio. On Saturday I exercise whenever.
2) My Diet Sucks. Last week I did a mostly-BFL diet for the first 4 days of the week, and then completely let it go from Friday through the weekend. I can't do that. About a year ago, I tried doing a BFL-style exercise program -- I exercised most every day, and my diet was okay, but it wasn't perfect. And ya know what happened? Nothing. I didn't gain weight, but I didn't really lose a whole lot of weight -- maybe just a few pounds. I cannot make a transformation unless I follow the diet to the letter. This means whole grains, 6 small meals every 2-3 hours, a gallon of water per day, and veggies. My grains have been less than whole; my meals have been fewer than six; I don't get a gallon of water and I hardly ever get my veggies. So... yeah. I know what to do. I just have to do it.
Thursday, April 24, 2003
On track.
So this is how it's playing out: On lifting days, I end up going to the gym pretty late, and pushing it hard. Then the next morning I'll do cardio before work. It's only been 4 days but this seems like an easy routine to maintain, as compared to my previous "Get to the gym every morning at 7 a.m." delusion, which left me tired for the rest of the day. Never enough sleep with that one. With this plan, however, the rest comes naturally.
I like it!
So this is how it's playing out: On lifting days, I end up going to the gym pretty late, and pushing it hard. Then the next morning I'll do cardio before work. It's only been 4 days but this seems like an easy routine to maintain, as compared to my previous "Get to the gym every morning at 7 a.m." delusion, which left me tired for the rest of the day. Never enough sleep with that one. With this plan, however, the rest comes naturally.
I like it!
Tuesday, April 22, 2003
Chipper YO!
I had a dream last night. I was wandering around a college campus -- I think it was a quasi-Michigan, but that's of no import -- after having driven all night. I walked into a bathroom in one of the buildings, and looked in the mirror. My eyes were leaning to the red side, a sign that I had been up all night. (Either that, or my eyes were traveling away from me at an enormous velocity! Sorry, I'm a cosmology geek.) :-)
But I noticed something else: I looked older, thinner, more... rugged. My jaw line was more clearly define, and my baby fat was gone. I suddenly realized that this was a dream, and this is what I could look like in a few years if I keep working out! Well, I woke up, sluggish, with a recollection of the generalities of the dream, but no specifics. I looked at my alarm clock -- I had set it early so I could do cardio before work. Ugh. I didn't want to go.
As I considered falling back asleep, my mind wandered through the events of the dream. When I got to my looking in the mirror, I remembered what had happened, and what I had realized in the dream. And suddenly I was excited, and eager to go to the gym to make the dream a reality!
And now, after having done 25 minutes of sweat inducing cardio, I feel great. Absolutely great. Chipper, awake, everything.
Something else -- last night, as I was considering whether to go lifting, I looked in the mirror and noticed that my left bicep was starting to show blue veins! This is something my right bicep has shown for about a year, but never my left. Boy, was I excited. :-) It was after 10, but I drove to the gym with a gusto little before displayed by any Schwartz. Got in a great workout.
Things are coming together... :-)
I had a dream last night. I was wandering around a college campus -- I think it was a quasi-Michigan, but that's of no import -- after having driven all night. I walked into a bathroom in one of the buildings, and looked in the mirror. My eyes were leaning to the red side, a sign that I had been up all night. (Either that, or my eyes were traveling away from me at an enormous velocity! Sorry, I'm a cosmology geek.) :-)
But I noticed something else: I looked older, thinner, more... rugged. My jaw line was more clearly define, and my baby fat was gone. I suddenly realized that this was a dream, and this is what I could look like in a few years if I keep working out! Well, I woke up, sluggish, with a recollection of the generalities of the dream, but no specifics. I looked at my alarm clock -- I had set it early so I could do cardio before work. Ugh. I didn't want to go.
As I considered falling back asleep, my mind wandered through the events of the dream. When I got to my looking in the mirror, I remembered what had happened, and what I had realized in the dream. And suddenly I was excited, and eager to go to the gym to make the dream a reality!
And now, after having done 25 minutes of sweat inducing cardio, I feel great. Absolutely great. Chipper, awake, everything.
Something else -- last night, as I was considering whether to go lifting, I looked in the mirror and noticed that my left bicep was starting to show blue veins! This is something my right bicep has shown for about a year, but never my left. Boy, was I excited. :-) It was after 10, but I drove to the gym with a gusto little before displayed by any Schwartz. Got in a great workout.
Things are coming together... :-)
Wednesday, April 16, 2003
Run, run, gotta run, I gotta run...
Gotta run - woooo-oooo - I gotta run...
Went running last night! Well, jogging. Accordingto my nifty Polar, I was jogging for about 35 minutes, during which my average heart rate was 150 bpm, and I spent 31 minutes in my target HR zone of 128-169! That basically means I burned a lot of calories. (503, specifically). :-)
Now I just have to, well, keep doing it. Actually I was surprised -- it wasn't too hard to go for 35 minutes, and with the HRM guiding me along and beeping when i got too fast / too slow, I was able to exert not too much effort that I burned out, but enough to really make a difference!
Very exciting. :-)
Gotta run - woooo-oooo - I gotta run...
Went running last night! Well, jogging. Accordingto my nifty Polar, I was jogging for about 35 minutes, during which my average heart rate was 150 bpm, and I spent 31 minutes in my target HR zone of 128-169! That basically means I burned a lot of calories. (503, specifically). :-)
Now I just have to, well, keep doing it. Actually I was surprised -- it wasn't too hard to go for 35 minutes, and with the HRM guiding me along and beeping when i got too fast / too slow, I was able to exert not too much effort that I burned out, but enough to really make a difference!
Very exciting. :-)
Thursday, April 10, 2003
Tired. Damn stupid tired! Cycles! Tired! Crap!
When I don't exercise on a regular basis, I get tired. Very tired. Then, it's hard to get back into exercising because I lack energy. Vicious cycle. I'm sure I've talked about this before. Too much stuff going on. Concerts, reunions, dates, work. No Me time.
I want some me time.
When I don't exercise on a regular basis, I get tired. Very tired. Then, it's hard to get back into exercising because I lack energy. Vicious cycle. I'm sure I've talked about this before. Too much stuff going on. Concerts, reunions, dates, work. No Me time.
I want some me time.
Saturday, March 22, 2003
Runnin' along...
I bought a Polar heart rate monitor yesterday, and it was oh-so-neat to watch the heart rate LCD light up when I stepped on the treadmill. :-) "105," said it. After jogging for just a couple minutes, it was up to 150, and I hovered between 150 and 170 beats per minute for a while, then walked until it was down to 130, and then brought it up again. I had been jogging between 6-7 mph; toward the end I pushed it up to a whopping 8.3 mph, and saw my pulse slowly climb to 180, 181, 182, 183... by this point I was pretty tired so I walked for a minute, watched my pulse drop to 140 and counting, and called it a day.
Oh yeah, then I did about 45 tough Swiss ball crunches.
Fun times! I like exercising in the morning because it jump starts my day. The problem is actually getting to the gym early enough. I'll try again tomorrow.
I bought a Polar heart rate monitor yesterday, and it was oh-so-neat to watch the heart rate LCD light up when I stepped on the treadmill. :-) "105," said it. After jogging for just a couple minutes, it was up to 150, and I hovered between 150 and 170 beats per minute for a while, then walked until it was down to 130, and then brought it up again. I had been jogging between 6-7 mph; toward the end I pushed it up to a whopping 8.3 mph, and saw my pulse slowly climb to 180, 181, 182, 183... by this point I was pretty tired so I walked for a minute, watched my pulse drop to 140 and counting, and called it a day.
Oh yeah, then I did about 45 tough Swiss ball crunches.
Fun times! I like exercising in the morning because it jump starts my day. The problem is actually getting to the gym early enough. I'll try again tomorrow.
Thursday, March 13, 2003
Oh well.
Okay, I didn't make it this morning. But I did get 9 hours of sleep and I'm feeling much better. :-)
Interesting article in the Wall Street Journal today: It seems heavy lifting may cause your blood pressure to get so high that you either have a stroke or an aneurism or your brain explodes or something. Some recommend superslow lifting as a solution; others say that's even worse. In any case, they say you shouldn't lift more than half your body weight, which effectively cancels out any heavy bench pressing -- I can only dumbbell press 100 or 120, max, but even that is supposedly "too much."
I'll look into this further, but I think as long as you use common sense and don't kill yourself on every set, you should be fine.
Okay, I didn't make it this morning. But I did get 9 hours of sleep and I'm feeling much better. :-)
Interesting article in the Wall Street Journal today: It seems heavy lifting may cause your blood pressure to get so high that you either have a stroke or an aneurism or your brain explodes or something. Some recommend superslow lifting as a solution; others say that's even worse. In any case, they say you shouldn't lift more than half your body weight, which effectively cancels out any heavy bench pressing -- I can only dumbbell press 100 or 120, max, but even that is supposedly "too much."
I'll look into this further, but I think as long as you use common sense and don't kill yourself on every set, you should be fine.
Wednesday, March 12, 2003
Wow, I made it
This morning when my alarm clock buzzer drilled into my peaceful slumber, I turned it off. And instead of falling back into unconsciousness, I sat up, eyes 95 percent closed, mind even more asleep. But that tiny fraction of my mind that was awake posed a challenge to the sleeping Me: Get up now and go to the gym, or give up your dreams of getting in really good shape.
Exhausted as I was, I knew the sliver of conscious brain was correct. Had I plopped back down in bed and pulled the covers up, I would have realized that my fatigue is greater than my willpower, and I might as well have stopped striving to better myself right then and there.
But I did get up, and I went to the gym, and I exercised. And I feel better for it.
This morning when my alarm clock buzzer drilled into my peaceful slumber, I turned it off. And instead of falling back into unconsciousness, I sat up, eyes 95 percent closed, mind even more asleep. But that tiny fraction of my mind that was awake posed a challenge to the sleeping Me: Get up now and go to the gym, or give up your dreams of getting in really good shape.
Exhausted as I was, I knew the sliver of conscious brain was correct. Had I plopped back down in bed and pulled the covers up, I would have realized that my fatigue is greater than my willpower, and I might as well have stopped striving to better myself right then and there.
But I did get up, and I went to the gym, and I exercised. And I feel better for it.
Feelin' good
Okay, so I went to the gym tonight and did chest/triceps/shoulders. I didn't have a lot of time, so I worked my chest most, followed by the latter two. I did pretty well on dumbbell bench press, doing:
12 reps at 15 pounds each (warm-up)
10 reps at 25 pounds each
8 reps at 35 pounds each
6 reps at 50 pounds each
12 reps at 35 pounds each
That really taxed me out... I could barely get the last rep in... then I tried to do 12 dumbbell flyes at 20 lbs each but found myself dead after 3 reps. I switched down to 15 lbs and was able to get up to 12 total.
You know, it's funny -- when I was putting together the "About Me" section of the web page, I came to the "Hobbies" line and thought to myself, what do I like to do with my free time? Besides vegging out in front of the computer, that is... And I put down "reading" "writing" and "working out."
I wasn't so sure about working out -- could I consider it a hobby? Am I that into it? Well, I realize that I AM into it. A few years ago I was this dork who had hardly set foot into a gym in his life and disdained all things physical... and now I actually enjoy it. And when I'm on, I really get into it! I've read all about exercises and proper form and nutrition and all that -- I probably know more than 4 out of 5 people about that stuff now. I try to get enough protein and I drink lots of water daily and at the gym I wear tank tops and I even grunt on the heavy sets!
I also cut my hair kinda short and am growing a pseudo-goatee, so with the tank top on I actually look somewhat rough and mean, which is neat because I am in reality smooth and nice.
Anyway, enough workout-talk tonight. I am going to *try* to get up in less than 5 hours and do some cardio. I highly doubt I'll make it out of my bed, but at least I will try. Oh yeah, that's the thing... lifting is tons of fun; cardio can be kind of a drag. Cardio's much more fun when it's part of a game like basketball... just sitting there pedaling in place can be tedious and hard. But that's what I have to do to melt the fat. So that's what I'll do (no use having muscles if they're buried under a layer of flab).
Okay, so I went to the gym tonight and did chest/triceps/shoulders. I didn't have a lot of time, so I worked my chest most, followed by the latter two. I did pretty well on dumbbell bench press, doing:
12 reps at 15 pounds each (warm-up)
10 reps at 25 pounds each
8 reps at 35 pounds each
6 reps at 50 pounds each
12 reps at 35 pounds each
That really taxed me out... I could barely get the last rep in... then I tried to do 12 dumbbell flyes at 20 lbs each but found myself dead after 3 reps. I switched down to 15 lbs and was able to get up to 12 total.
You know, it's funny -- when I was putting together the "About Me" section of the web page, I came to the "Hobbies" line and thought to myself, what do I like to do with my free time? Besides vegging out in front of the computer, that is... And I put down "reading" "writing" and "working out."
I wasn't so sure about working out -- could I consider it a hobby? Am I that into it? Well, I realize that I AM into it. A few years ago I was this dork who had hardly set foot into a gym in his life and disdained all things physical... and now I actually enjoy it. And when I'm on, I really get into it! I've read all about exercises and proper form and nutrition and all that -- I probably know more than 4 out of 5 people about that stuff now. I try to get enough protein and I drink lots of water daily and at the gym I wear tank tops and I even grunt on the heavy sets!
I also cut my hair kinda short and am growing a pseudo-goatee, so with the tank top on I actually look somewhat rough and mean, which is neat because I am in reality smooth and nice.
Anyway, enough workout-talk tonight. I am going to *try* to get up in less than 5 hours and do some cardio. I highly doubt I'll make it out of my bed, but at least I will try. Oh yeah, that's the thing... lifting is tons of fun; cardio can be kind of a drag. Cardio's much more fun when it's part of a game like basketball... just sitting there pedaling in place can be tedious and hard. But that's what I have to do to melt the fat. So that's what I'll do (no use having muscles if they're buried under a layer of flab).
Tuesday, March 11, 2003
Sunday, March 02, 2003
Monday, February 24, 2003
| Challenge 2, Week 3, Day 1
"Sure I am of this, that you have only to endure to conquer. You have only to persevere to save yourselves." -Sir Winston Churchill It's easy to get thrown off track. Last week's injury deflated my spirits. I wasn't able to move without pain, to get out of bed without all sorts of complicated maneuvers to ensure the least possible use of my lower back muscles. So know what I did? I compensated for my pain by eating whatever the hell I felt like. I think I took at least 2 free days last week, and didn't exercise at all past Monday. Today, I can move again. I don't know how long that ability will last, so I plan to take it easy tonight. I will still work my upper body, but do so with weight machines as opposed to free weights; free weights require too many stabilizer muscles, and I may reinjure my back. |
Today's Meals
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Wednesday, February 19, 2003
Challenge 2, Week 2, Day 3
"We no other pains endure
Than those that we ourselves procure." -Spencer Dryden
On Monday night, during my lower body workout, I pulled a muscle in my lower back. It wasn't during a set itself, but between sets. I had just finished 12 reps of 210 lbs. on the leg press (relatively light for me), and as I twisted my torso left and down to pick up my log, I felt an excruciating spasm in my lower back. I was able to walk it off and continue with my workout, and on Tuesday I had no problems -- until I was about to go to sleep. As I was getting ready for bed, the pain returned, and it was worse than it had been -- so bad, that I couldn't even move without stabbing pain radiating from the muscle I no doubt pulled.
I was unable to go to work today, and unable to workout. Thus, this week does not look so good for me, BFL-wise. However, I do look thinner -- many people have commented on it -- and I am keeping to a healthy diet. Proper nutrition is, after all, half the battle.
Hopefully I will be well enough to do some cardio and maybe light weights in the next couple of days, but until further notice, I plan to postpone working out HARD until Monday. And I will, accordingly, make next week the new Week 2.
yes, I can do that.
:-)
"We no other pains endure
Than those that we ourselves procure." -Spencer Dryden
On Monday night, during my lower body workout, I pulled a muscle in my lower back. It wasn't during a set itself, but between sets. I had just finished 12 reps of 210 lbs. on the leg press (relatively light for me), and as I twisted my torso left and down to pick up my log, I felt an excruciating spasm in my lower back. I was able to walk it off and continue with my workout, and on Tuesday I had no problems -- until I was about to go to sleep. As I was getting ready for bed, the pain returned, and it was worse than it had been -- so bad, that I couldn't even move without stabbing pain radiating from the muscle I no doubt pulled.
I was unable to go to work today, and unable to workout. Thus, this week does not look so good for me, BFL-wise. However, I do look thinner -- many people have commented on it -- and I am keeping to a healthy diet. Proper nutrition is, after all, half the battle.
Hopefully I will be well enough to do some cardio and maybe light weights in the next couple of days, but until further notice, I plan to postpone working out HARD until Monday. And I will, accordingly, make next week the new Week 2.
yes, I can do that.
:-)
Sunday, February 16, 2003
| Challenge 2, Week 1, Day 7
Okay, I'm trying to keep to the diet today, but it will require a trip or two to Subway... as for exercise, I realized that I didn't bring my shorts or t-shirt with me, and exercising in boxers at a friend's place just isn't cool. So, alas, I think I'll have to forego the cardio today, unless I can do it tonight when I get back to Southfield. We'll see. *** Addendum: Decided to go see Daredevil instead of getting home early enough to exercise. Great movie! Critics know nothing! Oh, and I didn't get any popcorn... but did have a couple Mountain Dews to stay awake. :-) It's okay, I still have a calorie deficit for the day, though pretty low protein (~65g... Must make up for it tomorrow. |
Today's Meals
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