I'm drenched in sweat, my arms ache, It's 1030 Sunday night and I have just collapsed at the end of my second set of diamond pushups. My basement floor is very comfortable. Nice and cool, lost of space to writhe in agony.
I started P90x last night. There are 3 variations of the program, classic, cardio and doubles. Lets forget doubles. Its for the heavy duty fitness junkies with loads of time. The classic variation is a bit more resistance training oriented than Cardio, although both programs have elements of the other.
The first classic routine is Chest and Back. The best way to work those muscles are push ups and pull ups. Different variations of each, with some weight training mixed in. 12 exercises in all, 2 sets. Push ups and pull ups eh? ok, I did Basic once, how hard could this be?
Did I mention I did basic 17 years ago? And that I haven't done true exercise in a while? I completed the program, perhaps setting new lows in P90X history for reps. Pull ups are a special level of hell. Overhand, under hand, wide, narrow, all the different variations, but ultimately pull ups are about one thing, Strength to Weight ratio. Let's see, I weigh 262lbs, and have the upper body strength of a small child. Total Pull ups - 0.
But here is where I like this program, in every routine is a demonstration of a modified version to be used when you are starting out. Use a chair under your foot and push with one leg to assist you doing pull ups, or do your push ups on your knees. All designed to make this program inclusive.
I had to work hard, It was late when I finished, but I did finish. Heart rate nicely elevated the whole time, and according to my bodymedia device I burned about 590 calories that hour.
One of the catch phrases you hear a lot of on the videos is just press play. Don't worry about how many reps, don't worry if you can't keep up, just be here, show up, try. I think that's a lesson for all of us, no matter what we are doing. We can choose to be intimidated, to believe we can't do something, do shy away when we can't do something well. Or, we can press play, we can try, we can approach with the attitude , its not that I can't do it, it's that I currently struggle with it, but I am here, I am going to try, and I am not going to quit.
Don't quit
Press Play
Go do whats hard if it's going to lead to a better you
Tonight: Plyometrics
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
An Object at rest
Well, my first month is over and it's time to see how I've done so far. The good news is I am down 10.4 lbs! I was thrilled this morning to see that number. 262lbs is still way too big, but a 10lb loss is a great start in one month. With my goal being 50lbs (minimum) this year, it feels great to be early in the year and 20% of the way there.
I want for a moment to thank my wife for her support in the first part of this trip. It's been very challenging moving and trying to do this, and her help has been huge. Also a number of my friends for your encouraging words and support. Especially JL who took the time to break down some numbers for me on what I had done to that point, then used those to motivate me when I was a little low. It is awesome to have the support level I have had in this journey so far
But weight loss was only part of this journey. The other part was my fitness level. I can lose all the weight I want, if I am still not feeling athletic then I have only gone part of the distance. So, it's time for phase two. Start moving big guy, and moving hard!
I have exercised on and off for years, treadmills, elliptical, free weights, machines, even yoga (try it guys, it's a MUCH harder workout than you think!) The problem was, I would get lost in the sea of suggested workouts, what to do today, how much weight to lift, etc etc.
About 6 months ago one of my co-workers mentioned he was doing the P90X routines. Now this co-worker, JB, is in fantastic shape. When we go on the road he is up at o-dark-thirty for his first workout and then goes back to the hotel after work for an hour workout before dinner. He's a machine, and I am a bean bag, but the program was fascinating. The guess work over what exercise to do is handled by the videos. 90 days of workouts, each day planned for you, all the workouts a manageable 1hour in length. Targeting different muscles, even different goals. Some days are cardio based, others strength, some flexibility, its all laid out. I tried a week a while back and really enjoyed it, but lacked the dedication to see it through.
I don't lack the dedication any more, I've shed those first 10lbs. Now its time to really bring it. The first DVD will go in tonight. The idea is 90 straight days (1 day off every 7) but I'll have to modify it a bit, life happens. But my rules will be no consecutive days off. If I must miss a day, I MUST do the next day.
Some starting numbers (these are almost as sad as my weight, but this blog is about openness and accountability)
Day 1
Weight 262
Chest 43in
Waist 45in
Hips 43.5in
Maximum push ups: 18
Heart rate after 2 min of jumping jacks: 170bpm
1min later:146
I have other numbers you record at the start of P90x, but those are the key ones. We'll check in on those after the first 30 workouts and see how I am doing.
Thanks again to everyone for the help so far. Stay with me, share your journey, and good luck with your goals!
I want for a moment to thank my wife for her support in the first part of this trip. It's been very challenging moving and trying to do this, and her help has been huge. Also a number of my friends for your encouraging words and support. Especially JL who took the time to break down some numbers for me on what I had done to that point, then used those to motivate me when I was a little low. It is awesome to have the support level I have had in this journey so far
But weight loss was only part of this journey. The other part was my fitness level. I can lose all the weight I want, if I am still not feeling athletic then I have only gone part of the distance. So, it's time for phase two. Start moving big guy, and moving hard!
I have exercised on and off for years, treadmills, elliptical, free weights, machines, even yoga (try it guys, it's a MUCH harder workout than you think!) The problem was, I would get lost in the sea of suggested workouts, what to do today, how much weight to lift, etc etc.
About 6 months ago one of my co-workers mentioned he was doing the P90X routines. Now this co-worker, JB, is in fantastic shape. When we go on the road he is up at o-dark-thirty for his first workout and then goes back to the hotel after work for an hour workout before dinner. He's a machine, and I am a bean bag, but the program was fascinating. The guess work over what exercise to do is handled by the videos. 90 days of workouts, each day planned for you, all the workouts a manageable 1hour in length. Targeting different muscles, even different goals. Some days are cardio based, others strength, some flexibility, its all laid out. I tried a week a while back and really enjoyed it, but lacked the dedication to see it through.
I don't lack the dedication any more, I've shed those first 10lbs. Now its time to really bring it. The first DVD will go in tonight. The idea is 90 straight days (1 day off every 7) but I'll have to modify it a bit, life happens. But my rules will be no consecutive days off. If I must miss a day, I MUST do the next day.
Some starting numbers (these are almost as sad as my weight, but this blog is about openness and accountability)
Day 1
Weight 262
Chest 43in
Waist 45in
Hips 43.5in
Maximum push ups: 18
Heart rate after 2 min of jumping jacks: 170bpm
1min later:146
I have other numbers you record at the start of P90x, but those are the key ones. We'll check in on those after the first 30 workouts and see how I am doing.
Thanks again to everyone for the help so far. Stay with me, share your journey, and good luck with your goals!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Back to it
Distractions Distractions......Truthfully? Excuses excuses. And I am good at excuses. Really good..Especially to myself.
Since last blog I have moved houses, had some sick kids, travelled for business, and been sick myself. Now, some would say it is reasonable to take some time off from a quest during these times. That it is unreasonable to try to exercise, diet, make healthy food choices, and maintain a blog when life is so busy. I fell into these "reasons" in the last 2 weeks.
Here's the problem though. Like a person trying to quit smoking, or an alcoholic trying to quit drinking, I cannot simply "let up for a day". 1 day becomes 2, becomes 4 becomes a fortnight. And in no time, unchecked, the old habits come back, the weight comes back. The motivation for change subsides, the accountability evaporates.
I can't let that happen. I have to make this healthy life a priority. It has to be above excuse, beyond reproach.
While I was away on business I had 5 mealtimes. Of those 5 I made exactly 1 good choice. bad odds..I had several hours in the evening to myself and the only thing I exercised was my remote control hand.
Can't do that and succeed. No matter what your endeavour, letting up for a couple of weeks puts you in a hole. You have to find a way to maintain the momentum. For me it's blogging, its watching The Biggest Loser, it's stepping on the scale and taking stock of where I am.
I was very lucky the last two weeks. Moving is hard work, and the exercise was helping me to keep losing weight while my food choices slipped.
So no more excuses, no more 2 week vacations from the effort. I'm making good progress. I need to keep driving forward. This is a year long journey, and like a job, you only get so many weeks off if you want to be successful. Those were my two weeks.
Think about you and the challenges you face on your own journey. Have you taken a few days off from your goal? Days that were counter-productive to what you were trying to achieve? Did you feel better or worse for the time off? I know my answer.
Since last blog I have moved houses, had some sick kids, travelled for business, and been sick myself. Now, some would say it is reasonable to take some time off from a quest during these times. That it is unreasonable to try to exercise, diet, make healthy food choices, and maintain a blog when life is so busy. I fell into these "reasons" in the last 2 weeks.
Here's the problem though. Like a person trying to quit smoking, or an alcoholic trying to quit drinking, I cannot simply "let up for a day". 1 day becomes 2, becomes 4 becomes a fortnight. And in no time, unchecked, the old habits come back, the weight comes back. The motivation for change subsides, the accountability evaporates.
I can't let that happen. I have to make this healthy life a priority. It has to be above excuse, beyond reproach.
While I was away on business I had 5 mealtimes. Of those 5 I made exactly 1 good choice. bad odds..I had several hours in the evening to myself and the only thing I exercised was my remote control hand.
Can't do that and succeed. No matter what your endeavour, letting up for a couple of weeks puts you in a hole. You have to find a way to maintain the momentum. For me it's blogging, its watching The Biggest Loser, it's stepping on the scale and taking stock of where I am.
I was very lucky the last two weeks. Moving is hard work, and the exercise was helping me to keep losing weight while my food choices slipped.
So no more excuses, no more 2 week vacations from the effort. I'm making good progress. I need to keep driving forward. This is a year long journey, and like a job, you only get so many weeks off if you want to be successful. Those were my two weeks.
Think about you and the challenges you face on your own journey. Have you taken a few days off from your goal? Days that were counter-productive to what you were trying to achieve? Did you feel better or worse for the time off? I know my answer.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Goals, achievements and keeping up the battle
One of the tricks I learned in previous battles with weight is to be constantly setting goals for yourself. Try not to get too bogged down by the big picture of your overall weight loss. It can be so disheartening. Look at the people on The Biggest Loser, how daunting is it for them to think, I have to lose 100, 200, 300 lbs. You lose 5 lbs, and think, I still have to lose 95, 195, 295? No... You've lost 5lbs! That's an achievement!
5lbs, relate it to something tangible. 5lbs is a bag of oranges. Would you want to carry around a bag of oranges all day? I don't. That gets heavy after a while. Well, you've lost that 5lbs, one less bag of oranges you're carrying. 10lbs? now you aren't carrying around a sack of potatoes. Starts to feel pretty good doesn't it? Before you know it, these 5 and 10 lbs add up, and you're getting closer and closer to your goal.
Since Dec 29th I have lost 6lbs. Not a bad start. Sure I still have a long way to go, but I can't get to my 2011 goal of 50lb without losing that first 6. That 260lb guy in the future is getting closer, can't wait to see the last of him.
Six pounds is a good start, and it wasn't easy. I had some tough days in there. Yesterday was one of them. We're in the middle of moving, and our house is in turmoil as a result. It's hard to plan for healthy options when you are trying to empty the fridge. Days are packed with, well, packing, and suddenly you can find yourself making excuses for a easy snack or meal. Yesterday saw me eating a couple of lindt chocolates, some of my kids french fries, an one or two other indulgences. In the past I would have said forget it, I'll start again tomorrow. But rather than get down on myself over that little lapse, I picked myself up, ate healthy the rest of the day, and planned healthy choices for today.
When you fall down in your journey, whatever that is, don't sit there feeling sorry for yourself, don't kneel there mad that you fell, and ready to quit. Pick yourself up, look forward at your goal, not back at your stumble and keep moving towards that goal. We all fall down, we all take that little side trail off our journey. What separates successful people from those by the wayside is how fast you get back on track. How quickly you can recover from that challenge.
This move will be over in a few more days, then I can start on phase two, which involves dramatically increasing my exercise routine. I hope you'll keep following along.
Feel free to share with me your own journey, your own goals, and your own challenges. And if you can think of people that would benefit from reading this, feel free to share it with them. Let's all move forward toward who we want to be, let's do it together my friends!
5lbs, relate it to something tangible. 5lbs is a bag of oranges. Would you want to carry around a bag of oranges all day? I don't. That gets heavy after a while. Well, you've lost that 5lbs, one less bag of oranges you're carrying. 10lbs? now you aren't carrying around a sack of potatoes. Starts to feel pretty good doesn't it? Before you know it, these 5 and 10 lbs add up, and you're getting closer and closer to your goal.
Since Dec 29th I have lost 6lbs. Not a bad start. Sure I still have a long way to go, but I can't get to my 2011 goal of 50lb without losing that first 6. That 260lb guy in the future is getting closer, can't wait to see the last of him.
Six pounds is a good start, and it wasn't easy. I had some tough days in there. Yesterday was one of them. We're in the middle of moving, and our house is in turmoil as a result. It's hard to plan for healthy options when you are trying to empty the fridge. Days are packed with, well, packing, and suddenly you can find yourself making excuses for a easy snack or meal. Yesterday saw me eating a couple of lindt chocolates, some of my kids french fries, an one or two other indulgences. In the past I would have said forget it, I'll start again tomorrow. But rather than get down on myself over that little lapse, I picked myself up, ate healthy the rest of the day, and planned healthy choices for today.
When you fall down in your journey, whatever that is, don't sit there feeling sorry for yourself, don't kneel there mad that you fell, and ready to quit. Pick yourself up, look forward at your goal, not back at your stumble and keep moving towards that goal. We all fall down, we all take that little side trail off our journey. What separates successful people from those by the wayside is how fast you get back on track. How quickly you can recover from that challenge.
This move will be over in a few more days, then I can start on phase two, which involves dramatically increasing my exercise routine. I hope you'll keep following along.
Feel free to share with me your own journey, your own goals, and your own challenges. And if you can think of people that would benefit from reading this, feel free to share it with them. Let's all move forward toward who we want to be, let's do it together my friends!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Temptations, turning 39 and the Biggest Loser
Turned 39 today...A good chance to reflect on my 30's and think about all that changed for me. Interesting to note, I turned 30, weighed 268lbs, got separated, changed careers, moved back home, got divorced, lost weight (210!), met new girl, got engaged, got married, gained weight(240), shattered right leg, lost weight(220) changed careers, had first child, gained weight (250), had second child, turned 39 weighing..268lbs!
Seems a bit like a treadmill, but I'll tell you honestly, despite the fact my weight is the same, there is not one part of my life that is not better now than it was 10 years ago. I am thrilled with my life, maybe not with my weight and wellness, but with a great family, a supportive wife, a good job, now is the time I can concentrate on the changes I need to make.
Birthdays bring new temptations, I want my big steak dinner tonight, but I think I'll get some light thai food instead. My wife and daughter thoughtfully made a low-fat cake for me, and I'll be very mindful of the portions.
My big present? A night at a Toronto Maple Leaf hockey game. Tomorrow night in fact. Stadiums and I are not good from an eating perspective, so I'm going out to dinner before the game to better regulate my options, and hopefully come through the next couple of days with my weight unscathed.
The Biggest loser season 11 started last night. I love watching this show for the motivation and, honestly, the cautionary example. Two things stood out for me. One was a contestant who spoke of watching the show for years and always judging the people on it for their weight issues. He was very emotional when he took the scale and had to admit he was one of them. It is a lesson to us all that we should be mindful of how we perceive others, how we judge them, how we react to them. It is a slippery slope from us to them sometimes, and a real wakeup call when you hit the bottom of that slope.
The second thing that stood out was a contestant that commented how most people guess his weight wrong, he weighs over 400lbs, most people guess him around 300. This happens to a lot of us who are overweight. When I announced I was doing this, and said my starting weight was 272.4, people were stunned. Most had me 230-240. I tell people who don't know my weight I want to lose 50lbs, just to start, and they think I am nuts, that it is too much.
We can be deceived by these attitudes, we can allow those around us who tell us its ok, that we aren't "that" big, that we don't need to lose "that" much, we can allow them to shape our self-image and change it to a false one. We can say things about having a "real" body, that we like our curves, our love handles, our booty. I liked being the big guy. But it was false. All lies. Step on a scale, get a body fat analysis, try and run 1 mile. See if you are really where you think you are, where you want to be.
No, we don't all need to look like cover models, but we need to be honest with ourselves, we need friends to be honest with us, and us with them. If you can honestly look at yourself, and be perfectly happy, I congratulate you, don't lose that, do what you have to do to maintain it and be a model for others.
If, like me, you can't do that, then make this the day that the self-deception ends. Don't wait, start today, do it now, make the changes. Say goodbye to that person in the mirror and don't look back.
Seems a bit like a treadmill, but I'll tell you honestly, despite the fact my weight is the same, there is not one part of my life that is not better now than it was 10 years ago. I am thrilled with my life, maybe not with my weight and wellness, but with a great family, a supportive wife, a good job, now is the time I can concentrate on the changes I need to make.
Birthdays bring new temptations, I want my big steak dinner tonight, but I think I'll get some light thai food instead. My wife and daughter thoughtfully made a low-fat cake for me, and I'll be very mindful of the portions.
My big present? A night at a Toronto Maple Leaf hockey game. Tomorrow night in fact. Stadiums and I are not good from an eating perspective, so I'm going out to dinner before the game to better regulate my options, and hopefully come through the next couple of days with my weight unscathed.
The Biggest loser season 11 started last night. I love watching this show for the motivation and, honestly, the cautionary example. Two things stood out for me. One was a contestant who spoke of watching the show for years and always judging the people on it for their weight issues. He was very emotional when he took the scale and had to admit he was one of them. It is a lesson to us all that we should be mindful of how we perceive others, how we judge them, how we react to them. It is a slippery slope from us to them sometimes, and a real wakeup call when you hit the bottom of that slope.
The second thing that stood out was a contestant that commented how most people guess his weight wrong, he weighs over 400lbs, most people guess him around 300. This happens to a lot of us who are overweight. When I announced I was doing this, and said my starting weight was 272.4, people were stunned. Most had me 230-240. I tell people who don't know my weight I want to lose 50lbs, just to start, and they think I am nuts, that it is too much.
We can be deceived by these attitudes, we can allow those around us who tell us its ok, that we aren't "that" big, that we don't need to lose "that" much, we can allow them to shape our self-image and change it to a false one. We can say things about having a "real" body, that we like our curves, our love handles, our booty. I liked being the big guy. But it was false. All lies. Step on a scale, get a body fat analysis, try and run 1 mile. See if you are really where you think you are, where you want to be.
No, we don't all need to look like cover models, but we need to be honest with ourselves, we need friends to be honest with us, and us with them. If you can honestly look at yourself, and be perfectly happy, I congratulate you, don't lose that, do what you have to do to maintain it and be a model for others.
If, like me, you can't do that, then make this the day that the self-deception ends. Don't wait, start today, do it now, make the changes. Say goodbye to that person in the mirror and don't look back.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The Holiday Gorge
Ever wonder why so many people make New Years resolutions to lose weight? Think about what you ate for the last few weeks...Is your belt a little tighter? Your jeans a touch snugger than you remember?
A friend of mine asked me when I started this blog and overall health project, "why didn't you wait until New Years?". Good question. The first part of the answer is I stepped on a scale, saw my weight and was stunned. The second part is I knew what would happen over the last few days of the year if I didn't start right away. If I had procrastinated I would have put myself in a deeper hole. I knew I had to start making better choices right away, or end up at an even higher starting weight, an even longer road ahead of me.
Look at what we eat in the 8 day food orgy of Dec 25 to Jan 1...turkey, gravy, ham, potatoes, candied yams, prime rib, we drink bottles of wine, champagne, egg nog, lots of alcohol. Even our snacking takes on new levels. How many chocolates over the last month? I lost count. My favourite are Turtles, the pecan, caramel and chocolate cluster synonymous with Christmas. One Turtle is 80 calories. That's actually reasonable for a special little snack...However, how often have you had ONE turtle...If you have that kind of self control you probably have little interest in the blog of someone trying to lose weight! I don't eat one Turtle, I eat 3 or 4. Now we're talking almost 400 calories, or 20% of the total calories that is considered reasonable for one day.
I made my choice on December 29th to change things. If I hadn't I know that on New Years eve that instead of a reasonable portion of the dinner my wife made, I would have eaten until I was stuffed. I would have had 2 helpings of desert (I had none). I drank champagne, I had some wine, but I tried to balance that with good choices around my portions, my snacking, my sweets...My goal for Dec 29th to Jan 2 was not to make my journey any worse...I started at 272.4lbs. Its the morning of Jan 2nd, and I have lost 2.6 lbs, and hopefully said goodbye for ever to the 270lb me.
Next up, the 260lb me....He's a little ways away, but the fit guy is coming for him, and his days are numbered.
A friend of mine asked me when I started this blog and overall health project, "why didn't you wait until New Years?". Good question. The first part of the answer is I stepped on a scale, saw my weight and was stunned. The second part is I knew what would happen over the last few days of the year if I didn't start right away. If I had procrastinated I would have put myself in a deeper hole. I knew I had to start making better choices right away, or end up at an even higher starting weight, an even longer road ahead of me.
Look at what we eat in the 8 day food orgy of Dec 25 to Jan 1...turkey, gravy, ham, potatoes, candied yams, prime rib, we drink bottles of wine, champagne, egg nog, lots of alcohol. Even our snacking takes on new levels. How many chocolates over the last month? I lost count. My favourite are Turtles, the pecan, caramel and chocolate cluster synonymous with Christmas. One Turtle is 80 calories. That's actually reasonable for a special little snack...However, how often have you had ONE turtle...If you have that kind of self control you probably have little interest in the blog of someone trying to lose weight! I don't eat one Turtle, I eat 3 or 4. Now we're talking almost 400 calories, or 20% of the total calories that is considered reasonable for one day.
I made my choice on December 29th to change things. If I hadn't I know that on New Years eve that instead of a reasonable portion of the dinner my wife made, I would have eaten until I was stuffed. I would have had 2 helpings of desert (I had none). I drank champagne, I had some wine, but I tried to balance that with good choices around my portions, my snacking, my sweets...My goal for Dec 29th to Jan 2 was not to make my journey any worse...I started at 272.4lbs. Its the morning of Jan 2nd, and I have lost 2.6 lbs, and hopefully said goodbye for ever to the 270lb me.
Next up, the 260lb me....He's a little ways away, but the fit guy is coming for him, and his days are numbered.
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