No journey is a straight line.
I've talked about this before and it remains true to me today. How wonderful it would be to simply say "I am going to lose 65 pounds" and head directly there.
But journeys of self-improvement are more like the game of snakes and ladders, we have some ups, some downs, and hopefully we eventually reach the top. Perseverance is the key.
My back injury has me sliding down the squares. It's immensely frustrating and at times feels like I'm going to be stuck for a long while. My workout program is limited, I can't do karate, and I'm sore most of the time.
I met with my trainer ( Rob from www.trainersonsite.com) again this week to discuss our strategy, he made some more modifications, shifted my focus a bit and kept me thinking about the positives.
On the subject of positives, I stepped on the scale this morning. I know normally my weigh in happens in a few days, but I was curious how my week was progressing.
247lbs
I'm stunned. I had a bad week last week, and while I was refocused the past 5 days or so I didn't expect it to be quite that good. We'll see what the official weigh in looks like Tuesday, but that's pretty awesome.
In a non-scale victory I'm seeing more differences in performance as well. On Monday we were short on players for Hockey, which led to me playing centre for the first time in years. I expected I'd be coughing up a lung by the end of the 1st period, but I actually felt pretty good. I mean I'm still a lousy hockey player, but at least I wasn't an exhausted lousy hockey player!
Training injuries happen, backs, knees, ankles, wrists, whatever. If you are trying to change your body your body gets a very Newton' First Law attitude and tries to stay at rest. The key thing is to keep focusing on what you can do, keep plugging away at it, relish the small victories and the big changes will take care of themselves.
It is the same with all endeavours, expecting smooth sailing is to invite disappointment. Disappointment can lead to giving up.
Expect it to be hard, expect it to be a struggle, and expect it to be worth it in the end.
Keep trying everyone!
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Monday, September 30, 2013
Day 42..An Inspiration and a mad fatfitman
First and foremost I want to say congratulations to the entire @trainersonsite Tough Mudder Team.
This team trained hard, worked together, and conquered a grueling 17 km, 21 obstacle course. I could not have been prouder to have acted as their photographer all day, and try to provide some encouragement along the way.
It was incredibly inspirational to watch my wife, my friends, and all the competitors work to overcome the challenges. Old, and young, fit and injured, they persevered. At the end of the day, Rob handed out his own Trainersonsite medals to everyone, including me.
I couldn't accept it.
I didn't earn it.
While they were battling the obstacles and elements, I was fighting a battle of my own. This was the first time that being this out of shape had actually kept me from doing something I desperately wanted to do. No matter my size or condition I've played golf, hockey, tennis or participated at karate. I haven't been as good as I could have been if I was fitter, but I never had to say "No, I can't do that"
Yesterday, I had to say it. And it pissed me off.
It hurts, deep down it hurts a lot. I love the outdoors, I love this kind of activity. This race and it's ilk are the kind of thing I lived for when I was fit. To watch these amazing people and photograph their remarkable day was incredibly painful.
I've had a very unfocused week. Haven't worked out as much as I should, eaten a bit sloppy, gained a small amount of weight. But yesterday brought that focus back. Now I'm mad. Mad and very very focused
I don't like the sidelines. I'm a participant. Next year I am one of these guys.
It was incredibly inspirational to watch my wife, my friends, and all the competitors work to overcome the challenges. Old, and young, fit and injured, they persevered. At the end of the day, Rob handed out his own Trainersonsite medals to everyone, including me.
I couldn't accept it.
I didn't earn it.
While they were battling the obstacles and elements, I was fighting a battle of my own. This was the first time that being this out of shape had actually kept me from doing something I desperately wanted to do. No matter my size or condition I've played golf, hockey, tennis or participated at karate. I haven't been as good as I could have been if I was fitter, but I never had to say "No, I can't do that"
Yesterday, I had to say it. And it pissed me off.
It hurts, deep down it hurts a lot. I love the outdoors, I love this kind of activity. This race and it's ilk are the kind of thing I lived for when I was fit. To watch these amazing people and photograph their remarkable day was incredibly painful.
I've had a very unfocused week. Haven't worked out as much as I should, eaten a bit sloppy, gained a small amount of weight. But yesterday brought that focus back. Now I'm mad. Mad and very very focused
I don't like the sidelines. I'm a participant. Next year I am one of these guys.
Again, congrats to my wife, my friends and the entire team who finished. You guys kicked ass. You're my Monday motivators. I hope you're back there next year, so I can truly join you.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Day 36...Vacation is from work not workouts
I travel a lot for work, and travel has specific problems for people trying to lose weight. Restaurant food, long hours, and the lack of easy to access healthy options can lead to a brutal diet.
Conversely, business travel has some big advantages too, most hotels have good workout facilities, you don't have too many demands on your time when your workday ends, so scheduling a workout shouldn't be too hard.
However, that's not what usually happens. Usually we do the bad, (eat eat eat) and make excuses around the good. For me I get back to my room and I don't want to get out to the gym again, I settle in, start on my laptop or tv and that's it.
Enter Rob Foster and TRX.
TRX is a suspension workout device that can be hooked over most doors and create the foundation for a ton of resistance and core exercises. It folds down to nothing in your travel bag.
Rob created a bunch of TRX workouts I can use when I travel, easy for me to do right in my room, yet all the challenge of working out at home
My wife and I are on vacation for a few days right now, and as I am blogging, she's is doing a great TRX exercise set, I'm up next.
Conversely, business travel has some big advantages too, most hotels have good workout facilities, you don't have too many demands on your time when your workday ends, so scheduling a workout shouldn't be too hard.
However, that's not what usually happens. Usually we do the bad, (eat eat eat) and make excuses around the good. For me I get back to my room and I don't want to get out to the gym again, I settle in, start on my laptop or tv and that's it.
Enter Rob Foster and TRX.
TRX is a suspension workout device that can be hooked over most doors and create the foundation for a ton of resistance and core exercises. It folds down to nothing in your travel bag.
Rob created a bunch of TRX workouts I can use when I travel, easy for me to do right in my room, yet all the challenge of working out at home
My wife and I are on vacation for a few days right now, and as I am blogging, she's is doing a great TRX exercise set, I'm up next.
We can always find excuses, and pass them off as reasons, but sometimes if we are properly motivated, we instead start searching for solutions. We start to enjoy the task as we see the results of our hard work.
I'm starting to really see and feel the results of my hard work, and so for the first time in a long time a trip away from home didn't lead to an easy excuse. It lead to a workout, it lead to careful choices in restaurants. All these little choices, leading to success.
Make your little choices good ones, turn your search for excuses into a search for answers.
P.S. No spotlight blog yesterday as I am away, but it will return next week.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Day 33...249 and beyond!
I stepped on the scale this morning, just as kind of a mid-week check in.
249.6 down about half a pound.
Let me give that number some context. I last blogged on Tuesday.
Wednesday - Karate, back starts acting up part way through class I have to stop
Thursday - back is sore, no workouts
Friday - Osteopath and Personal Trainer meeting. Determine best course of action is no Karate for 1-2 months. Also have to limit squats and lunges, cornerstones of my program.
So by today I'm pretty upset. Feels like a huge setback. But what a difference having my food in order makes. Despite these challenges, I'm still going the right way. That's hugely encouraging.
Also, below 250! I haven't been below 250 lbs since about 4 months after I shattered my right tibia in a hockey accident. That time I got below 250 because I literally couldn't make it to the fridge. This time the measures are far less extreme.
So challenges ahead, but I'm well set up to handle them. I have a great team working with me on this.
Could I do this alone? Maybe, but I cannot begin to express how helpful it is to have people like my personal trainer Rob Foster, and my osteopath Mindy Parmar, working with me and with each other to find solutions to some of these challenges.
It goes back to this. We all face tough times. We all face things we cannot, at that moment do. But do we give in? For me the answer has to be no.
The answer lies in what we CAN do, not in what we can't. It lies in finding the help we need, or accepting it when it comes up. We're not weak because we seek this help out, we're strong for recognizing when we need it.
249.6 down about half a pound.
Let me give that number some context. I last blogged on Tuesday.
Wednesday - Karate, back starts acting up part way through class I have to stop
Thursday - back is sore, no workouts
Friday - Osteopath and Personal Trainer meeting. Determine best course of action is no Karate for 1-2 months. Also have to limit squats and lunges, cornerstones of my program.
So by today I'm pretty upset. Feels like a huge setback. But what a difference having my food in order makes. Despite these challenges, I'm still going the right way. That's hugely encouraging.
Also, below 250! I haven't been below 250 lbs since about 4 months after I shattered my right tibia in a hockey accident. That time I got below 250 because I literally couldn't make it to the fridge. This time the measures are far less extreme.
So challenges ahead, but I'm well set up to handle them. I have a great team working with me on this.
Could I do this alone? Maybe, but I cannot begin to express how helpful it is to have people like my personal trainer Rob Foster, and my osteopath Mindy Parmar, working with me and with each other to find solutions to some of these challenges.
It goes back to this. We all face tough times. We all face things we cannot, at that moment do. But do we give in? For me the answer has to be no.
The answer lies in what we CAN do, not in what we can't. It lies in finding the help we need, or accepting it when it comes up. We're not weak because we seek this help out, we're strong for recognizing when we need it.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Day 29...Soooo Close, and a thank you to my readers
Weigh in day.
I was really hoping to drop below 250 for the first time in years, so onto the scale I stepped.
249.8....250.0
damn, hang on, stupid scale. Lets try that again
250.0
Grrrr..
Okay, down a pound again. Nothing wrong with that at all, but did the scale have to taunt me?
Anyway, it is what it is, and its still moving the right way.
I want to take a moment to thank all of you who read this. I get comments through Facebook, Twitter, and here on the blog from some of you, others talk to me in person, and some just show up and read. But I know you are there.
Why does this matter? For nights like tonight.
It's been kind of a long evening, and I really did not want to go downstairs and hit the weights. Tonight was a night I did it because I really didn't want to have to write a blog that says I didn't.
Any kind of self-improvement journey has to be done because the person wants it, not to impress or satisfy others. But every so often accountability to others can help.
Tonight you all helped me, just by being there.
Thank You.
I was really hoping to drop below 250 for the first time in years, so onto the scale I stepped.
249.8....250.0
damn, hang on, stupid scale. Lets try that again
250.0
Grrrr..
Okay, down a pound again. Nothing wrong with that at all, but did the scale have to taunt me?
Anyway, it is what it is, and its still moving the right way.
I want to take a moment to thank all of you who read this. I get comments through Facebook, Twitter, and here on the blog from some of you, others talk to me in person, and some just show up and read. But I know you are there.
Why does this matter? For nights like tonight.
It's been kind of a long evening, and I really did not want to go downstairs and hit the weights. Tonight was a night I did it because I really didn't want to have to write a blog that says I didn't.
Any kind of self-improvement journey has to be done because the person wants it, not to impress or satisfy others. But every so often accountability to others can help.
Tonight you all helped me, just by being there.
Thank You.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Day 28...Food is everything
Sorry for the brief hiatus. I got away from the blog, and honestly the weight training for a few days. I shouldn't have but I did, so back at it now.
Which is not to say I did nothing. Actually I rode in a short bike tour on Sunday, which was amazing. I had hoped to post some pictures from it, but I couldn't fit my phone anywhere in my bike gear, so I had no camera!
Tonight was my return to hockey. I've played every year for along time, and was looking forward to hitting the ice a little thinner this season. I felt better than in the past, but not as good as I'd hoped. More work to do I suppose.
It's easy when you are writing a blog alone at your laptop to forget that there are real people reading it. Walking into the dressing room tonight was a reminder. A lot of "hey it's the blogger!" "hello fitman!". All good-natured stuff, and a couple guys commented on the slimming. I won't forget anytime soon that people are reading this!
I'm doing a pretty good overhaul of my routine to achieve my results. But sometimes it is smaller changes that bring about massive improvements.
Today I want to spotlight TG, another colleague of mine from work. TG has worked out pretty frequently as long as I have known him. He also is a big time foodie, great guy to travel with as he will have done all the research you could ever need on local eateries.
But TG wanted to get a bit healthier. So he found a website, www.myfitnesspal.com and started to record his food.
All of it, Everyday.
He kept working out, still ate at great places, but when logging his food he noticed a few things. For example, he had a favourite after-work snack. What he didn't know was how calorie filled a snack it was. Logging showed him, he changed his behaviour, and bit by bit the weight has been coming off.
TG at one point logged all of his food for 420 STRAIGHT DAYS. An incredible run, broken only when he had to travel to India for work, got caught in the time change madness of travel, and according to the website, missed a day. I think he's logged everyday since
What did this lead to? Over 35 lbs of weight loss, really just because he logged his food. That's it, it was that simple.
TG, through his dedication to this small change, reminded me that exercise can't outwork a bad diet, and we can't really judge our diet unless we accurately account for what we do. So now you'll find me on www.myfitnesspal.com , working to come close to the level of success he has had.
There are a lot of tools out there, some free, like myfitnesspal, some that will cost you a bit more, like www.bodymedia.com, there's people out there too, like Rob from www.trainersonsite.com or maybe just friends who can help. People who have been there, and know the way out. The point is they are out there, tools and people alike, all ready to help us get fit. All ready to give us guidance, assistance, hope.
Utilize them, any of them, all of them. You don't have to do this alone, you don't have to struggle in solitude.
Pickup the phone, surf to a webpage, read a book. Arm yourself with the tools that are there, apply them consistently (420days!) and success will come.
Weigh in tomorrow, talk to you then.
Which is not to say I did nothing. Actually I rode in a short bike tour on Sunday, which was amazing. I had hoped to post some pictures from it, but I couldn't fit my phone anywhere in my bike gear, so I had no camera!
Tonight was my return to hockey. I've played every year for along time, and was looking forward to hitting the ice a little thinner this season. I felt better than in the past, but not as good as I'd hoped. More work to do I suppose.
It's easy when you are writing a blog alone at your laptop to forget that there are real people reading it. Walking into the dressing room tonight was a reminder. A lot of "hey it's the blogger!" "hello fitman!". All good-natured stuff, and a couple guys commented on the slimming. I won't forget anytime soon that people are reading this!
I'm doing a pretty good overhaul of my routine to achieve my results. But sometimes it is smaller changes that bring about massive improvements.
Today I want to spotlight TG, another colleague of mine from work. TG has worked out pretty frequently as long as I have known him. He also is a big time foodie, great guy to travel with as he will have done all the research you could ever need on local eateries.
But TG wanted to get a bit healthier. So he found a website, www.myfitnesspal.com and started to record his food.
All of it, Everyday.
He kept working out, still ate at great places, but when logging his food he noticed a few things. For example, he had a favourite after-work snack. What he didn't know was how calorie filled a snack it was. Logging showed him, he changed his behaviour, and bit by bit the weight has been coming off.
TG at one point logged all of his food for 420 STRAIGHT DAYS. An incredible run, broken only when he had to travel to India for work, got caught in the time change madness of travel, and according to the website, missed a day. I think he's logged everyday since
What did this lead to? Over 35 lbs of weight loss, really just because he logged his food. That's it, it was that simple.
TG, through his dedication to this small change, reminded me that exercise can't outwork a bad diet, and we can't really judge our diet unless we accurately account for what we do. So now you'll find me on www.myfitnesspal.com , working to come close to the level of success he has had.
There are a lot of tools out there, some free, like myfitnesspal, some that will cost you a bit more, like www.bodymedia.com, there's people out there too, like Rob from www.trainersonsite.com or maybe just friends who can help. People who have been there, and know the way out. The point is they are out there, tools and people alike, all ready to help us get fit. All ready to give us guidance, assistance, hope.
Utilize them, any of them, all of them. You don't have to do this alone, you don't have to struggle in solitude.
Pickup the phone, surf to a webpage, read a book. Arm yourself with the tools that are there, apply them consistently (420days!) and success will come.
Weigh in tomorrow, talk to you then.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Day 24...The results are in!
So last night and this morning I faced the scale, the rowing machine, and the tape measure.
You'll recall from the Day 1 blog that I knew this couldn't be about JUST losing weight. As important as weight loss is, it takes time. All change does. And the fickle nature of the scale (up 1lb one day down 2 the next, back up, wash, rinse, repeat) can really get you down thinking no progress is being made
But I believed if I could measure some other things I would be able to see improvements in many areas. I thought that maybe this would serve as more proof that I was on track, and encourage me to keep going.
I was right.
Lets take a look
First up weight.
Day 1 - 255.4
Day 24 - 251. 2
Change -1.6%
A good start. Over 4lbs down. This also means my BMI drops to 34.1
Waist down 2 inches to 43
Hips down .5 inch to 43.5
Chest down 1 inch to 42
Thigh down .5 inch to 27.5
Total loss is 4 inches. Again, a pretty good start
So my body is changing, slowly, but changing.
What really excited me though was the performance numbers.
Day 1 Pushups to exhaustion - 18
Day 24 Pushups to exhaustion - 29!
2000M Row
Personal Best prior to these 100 days: 8:46.5
Personal Best now: 8:33.7
Recovery from exertion (500m row at 1:58 pace) . Today's values in bold
Peak HR - 190 175
After 1 minutes - 147 130
After 2 minutes - 132 113
After 5 minutes - 110 98
In just 24 days I have seen substantial differences in my performance in all areas. Not just the scale, not just one spot. Everywhere.
I know I don't look a lot different yet. That will come, but this hard work is paying off. I'm stronger, my heart is healthier, and I feel better.
The past 24 days have not been perfect either. I have worked out 19 of 24 days. Not bad, but I can do better. I have logged my food only 15 of those days. I can do a lot better there.
So on to the next 25 days, hopefully in good health. I feel energized, proud, ready to keep this rolling. I can see results, and I know I can improve even further.
I can feel this way because I didn't measure just one thing, I looked at lots of things, make sure you do the same. No matter what your challenge is, find a way to measure all the successes along the way. Four pounds lost in almost 4 weeks wouldn't be a huge lift to me, but these other numbers are.
What other successes can you measure to help keep you going?
You'll recall from the Day 1 blog that I knew this couldn't be about JUST losing weight. As important as weight loss is, it takes time. All change does. And the fickle nature of the scale (up 1lb one day down 2 the next, back up, wash, rinse, repeat) can really get you down thinking no progress is being made
But I believed if I could measure some other things I would be able to see improvements in many areas. I thought that maybe this would serve as more proof that I was on track, and encourage me to keep going.
I was right.
Lets take a look
First up weight.
Day 1 - 255.4
Day 24 - 251. 2
Change -1.6%
A good start. Over 4lbs down. This also means my BMI drops to 34.1
Waist down 2 inches to 43
Hips down .5 inch to 43.5
Chest down 1 inch to 42
Thigh down .5 inch to 27.5
Total loss is 4 inches. Again, a pretty good start
So my body is changing, slowly, but changing.
What really excited me though was the performance numbers.
Day 1 Pushups to exhaustion - 18
Day 24 Pushups to exhaustion - 29!
2000M Row
Personal Best prior to these 100 days: 8:46.5
Personal Best now: 8:33.7
Recovery from exertion (500m row at 1:58 pace) . Today's values in bold
Peak HR - 190 175
After 1 minutes - 147 130
After 2 minutes - 132 113
After 5 minutes - 110 98
In just 24 days I have seen substantial differences in my performance in all areas. Not just the scale, not just one spot. Everywhere.
I know I don't look a lot different yet. That will come, but this hard work is paying off. I'm stronger, my heart is healthier, and I feel better.
The past 24 days have not been perfect either. I have worked out 19 of 24 days. Not bad, but I can do better. I have logged my food only 15 of those days. I can do a lot better there.
So on to the next 25 days, hopefully in good health. I feel energized, proud, ready to keep this rolling. I can see results, and I know I can improve even further.
I can feel this way because I didn't measure just one thing, I looked at lots of things, make sure you do the same. No matter what your challenge is, find a way to measure all the successes along the way. Four pounds lost in almost 4 weeks wouldn't be a huge lift to me, but these other numbers are.
What other successes can you measure to help keep you going?
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Day 23, results of the first 25 days coming up
So day 25 is Friday, and as I promised every 25 days we'd check in and see how I was doing, I am ready to face the measuring tape and some of those exercises I did back on Day 1.
Unfortunately I have an appointment with my Osteopath on Monday, which means no working out, so tonight and tomorrow morning is when I'll have to go through the routine. A bit early, but that's ok.
Yesterday was a challenge for food. I was asked to go the Jays game last night, which was great (lost, damn). I know when I go to the ball game with my friend TG (you'll hear more about him, he his an upcoming Monday profile), I know we will go out to dinner.
Going out to dinner is not a problem, there are lots of good choices on a menu. But I did something kinda dumb. I also went out for lunch.
Now don't get me wrong, I made good choices at both. But I'm a food addict, and eating 2 meals in a row out starts a little engine inside of me that cries out for more fuel. I don't need anymore food, but man I want it. I managed, with some help, to get through the ballgame without having another bite, but it wasn't easy. Fortunately I had some great distractions to keep my mind off of food.
It is another lesson on this journey though. We all know what can knock us off track, and we can pretend afterwards that it was inevitable, but the fact is we know, and since we know, we have a duty to ourselves to deal with it, avoid it, overcome it.
I'm happy to have had a fun night out. I'm glad I did it without over-indulging. Not over-eating did not detract from my night at all. I'm getting to that place where I don't need food for fun, and it's an awesome place to be.
I'm going to subject myself to my rowing machine, to the tape measure, to the scale. I do so knowing I've had a pretty good first 25 days. I know I can do more in the next 75, but this has been a great start.
Check back tomorrow and see how it's shaping up.
Unfortunately I have an appointment with my Osteopath on Monday, which means no working out, so tonight and tomorrow morning is when I'll have to go through the routine. A bit early, but that's ok.
Yesterday was a challenge for food. I was asked to go the Jays game last night, which was great (lost, damn). I know when I go to the ball game with my friend TG (you'll hear more about him, he his an upcoming Monday profile), I know we will go out to dinner.
Going out to dinner is not a problem, there are lots of good choices on a menu. But I did something kinda dumb. I also went out for lunch.
Now don't get me wrong, I made good choices at both. But I'm a food addict, and eating 2 meals in a row out starts a little engine inside of me that cries out for more fuel. I don't need anymore food, but man I want it. I managed, with some help, to get through the ballgame without having another bite, but it wasn't easy. Fortunately I had some great distractions to keep my mind off of food.
It is another lesson on this journey though. We all know what can knock us off track, and we can pretend afterwards that it was inevitable, but the fact is we know, and since we know, we have a duty to ourselves to deal with it, avoid it, overcome it.
I'm happy to have had a fun night out. I'm glad I did it without over-indulging. Not over-eating did not detract from my night at all. I'm getting to that place where I don't need food for fun, and it's an awesome place to be.
I'm going to subject myself to my rowing machine, to the tape measure, to the scale. I do so knowing I've had a pretty good first 25 days. I know I can do more in the next 75, but this has been a great start.
Check back tomorrow and see how it's shaping up.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Day 21 - Monday's Spotlight
Weigh in tomorrow. I'm looking forward to this one. I've had a good week, back pain be damned. I've done my workouts, with a huge thank you to Rob from @trainersonsite the modified workouts allowed me to keep this body moving.
I've been good with food, the back is feeling a bit better, all signs point to a good morning.
No Spotlight last week with the holiday, but today it's spotlight #2
I first met JB about 10 years ago at my office. As long as I have known him he has been fit. How fit you ask? This is a guy who runs duathlons, which is like a triathlon for non-swimmers. When we would travel for work together he would wake up in the morning, very early, and run 5k or so to get his day started. Then he'd be back on the treadmill or elliptical before dinner. I'd get my workout raising a glass to my lips.
As I said, fit. But it doesn't stop at just being fit. A little over a year ago he decided to focus on his fitness even more. The results are incredible. He's down another 30lbs. I would never have guessed he could lose 30lbs, but he has. He looks incredible.
How is he doing this? Well, he's watching his diet, even more carefully than he used to. He runs frequently, then for a second workout it is almost daily bike rides with his teenage son (another fitness buff) through the hills around their home, or if the weather is no good for riding, they are doing the "Insanity" workout DVDs. On the weekends its 80-100km of road biking.
What makes this even more impressive is JB commutes from Guelph to Toronto everyday. This is a guy in his forties, in the car for a long drive home, and instead of collapsing in front of the TV and eating something packaged, has a healthy meal and then works out twice!
As if this isn't enough on it's own, JB has more personal integrity than any one I have ever known. He genuinely cares about the plights of his friends and co-workers, you will never meet a better listener, or confidant. He also gives back to his community, having been a hockey referee for over 20 years
We could all stand to be more like JB, not just for his healthy living, but for his strength of character. I would love to live in a world populated by people displaying his caring, dedication, and commitment.
So thanks JB, I'm motivated to be more like you in every way!
I've been good with food, the back is feeling a bit better, all signs point to a good morning.
No Spotlight last week with the holiday, but today it's spotlight #2
I first met JB about 10 years ago at my office. As long as I have known him he has been fit. How fit you ask? This is a guy who runs duathlons, which is like a triathlon for non-swimmers. When we would travel for work together he would wake up in the morning, very early, and run 5k or so to get his day started. Then he'd be back on the treadmill or elliptical before dinner. I'd get my workout raising a glass to my lips.
As I said, fit. But it doesn't stop at just being fit. A little over a year ago he decided to focus on his fitness even more. The results are incredible. He's down another 30lbs. I would never have guessed he could lose 30lbs, but he has. He looks incredible.
How is he doing this? Well, he's watching his diet, even more carefully than he used to. He runs frequently, then for a second workout it is almost daily bike rides with his teenage son (another fitness buff) through the hills around their home, or if the weather is no good for riding, they are doing the "Insanity" workout DVDs. On the weekends its 80-100km of road biking.
What makes this even more impressive is JB commutes from Guelph to Toronto everyday. This is a guy in his forties, in the car for a long drive home, and instead of collapsing in front of the TV and eating something packaged, has a healthy meal and then works out twice!
As if this isn't enough on it's own, JB has more personal integrity than any one I have ever known. He genuinely cares about the plights of his friends and co-workers, you will never meet a better listener, or confidant. He also gives back to his community, having been a hockey referee for over 20 years
We could all stand to be more like JB, not just for his healthy living, but for his strength of character. I would love to live in a world populated by people displaying his caring, dedication, and commitment.
So thanks JB, I'm motivated to be more like you in every way!
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Day19 - Enjoying the little changes
I want to lose 65 lbs, be faster, stronger, fit in stylish clothes and do athletic activities well again.
But that is a long way off.
The trouble with getting healthy the right way is it takes time. We are bad at patient. We have fast food, drive-thrus, minute rice, and are always looking to be quicker
We want results now. We used to wait a day for someone to call us back, a week for a letter. Now if we call someone and they don't instantly answer we're annoyed. E-mail? Even that's too slow, so we invented instant messaging.
But a healthy change takes time.
Note I didn't say weight loss. You can do weight loss fast. Many have. And many (though not all) are right back where they started or worse.
My example? I have lost 65lbs, twice, on a well known and well advertised weight loss plan. Both times the program worked as advertised. But it is not a sustainable lifestyle, at least not for me, not for most. I gained all that weight back, plus some extra.
The goal here is to do it right, normal eating, add exercise, avoid the pitfalls of too many treats or "cheat" days.
But how do you stay motivated? When I was on that weight loss program, it was very motivating to see 5lbs a week coming off. (and very depressing to watch 30lbs go on in one month at one point)
My weight loss to date is much slower than that, so I can't look to the scale for the drive. So where is it?
It's in the small things. Here's 2 from the past couple of days.
1. Went to the Mandarin last night for Dinner. Normally that would be 3 plates of food, plus desert, at a minimum. But I'm just not that hungry anymore. Over 110 days since I dramatically overate, my body understands full again. So after plate one, I just couldn't go again to the buffet. I didn't want to, it would have felt gross to do so. That is a huge improvement. That is motivating.
2. We do Karate as a family. All four of us have a great time at our dojo. We had taken the summer off, and returned this week. I was shocked at how good I felt on the dojo floor. From leading the warm up, right through the katas, I felt amazing. More energy, more flexibility, less tired.
Two small Non-Scale Victories (NSVs). Two things I felt good about, that will help keep me going.
We can't always get the big change we want right away. Most journeys are ones of hundreds, thousands of small steps.
Don't sabotage your goals by looking for the quick fix. There are no shortcuts.
Find your joys in the journey, and the journey will seem short on its own
But that is a long way off.
The trouble with getting healthy the right way is it takes time. We are bad at patient. We have fast food, drive-thrus, minute rice, and are always looking to be quicker
We want results now. We used to wait a day for someone to call us back, a week for a letter. Now if we call someone and they don't instantly answer we're annoyed. E-mail? Even that's too slow, so we invented instant messaging.
But a healthy change takes time.
Note I didn't say weight loss. You can do weight loss fast. Many have. And many (though not all) are right back where they started or worse.
My example? I have lost 65lbs, twice, on a well known and well advertised weight loss plan. Both times the program worked as advertised. But it is not a sustainable lifestyle, at least not for me, not for most. I gained all that weight back, plus some extra.
The goal here is to do it right, normal eating, add exercise, avoid the pitfalls of too many treats or "cheat" days.
But how do you stay motivated? When I was on that weight loss program, it was very motivating to see 5lbs a week coming off. (and very depressing to watch 30lbs go on in one month at one point)
My weight loss to date is much slower than that, so I can't look to the scale for the drive. So where is it?
It's in the small things. Here's 2 from the past couple of days.
1. Went to the Mandarin last night for Dinner. Normally that would be 3 plates of food, plus desert, at a minimum. But I'm just not that hungry anymore. Over 110 days since I dramatically overate, my body understands full again. So after plate one, I just couldn't go again to the buffet. I didn't want to, it would have felt gross to do so. That is a huge improvement. That is motivating.
2. We do Karate as a family. All four of us have a great time at our dojo. We had taken the summer off, and returned this week. I was shocked at how good I felt on the dojo floor. From leading the warm up, right through the katas, I felt amazing. More energy, more flexibility, less tired.
Two small Non-Scale Victories (NSVs). Two things I felt good about, that will help keep me going.
We can't always get the big change we want right away. Most journeys are ones of hundreds, thousands of small steps.
Don't sabotage your goals by looking for the quick fix. There are no shortcuts.
Find your joys in the journey, and the journey will seem short on its own
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Day 17 - One more day
So I saw my Osteopath Tuesday, things aren't too bad, but I am going to need at least another day or two to recover before I can go back to full working out.
It's disappointing, but not disheartening. I was able to do most of a Karate class yesterday, my Son's first, which was awesome. Then I came home and hit the new TRX workout I had. Still need to make some minor modifications to avoid further aggravating the back, and certainly rowing tonight is out of the question. I just tried and it seems I'm not quite there.
But that doesn't mean the journey stops. It means tomorrow I do Karate again, another Strength workout as well, mostly focusing on Arms and Chest. It means being super careful around food, so that I don't start undoing my gains.
It would be a simple matter to just stop now, like I have so many times before. But I'm sick of back pain, I'm sick of injuries, and the only way to get better long term, is to allow a bit of short term healing and then get right back to it.
So, I'll do what I can, instead of stopping completely, I'll focus on what I can control instead of worrying about what I can't.
How much better would we all be if we just did that? Simply focused on the things we can control, and not try to force the things we cannot. I can't make myself get better, but I can control what I do in the meantime. I can't change the weight causing me back pain today, but I can control how I act today to keep it from hurting in 6 months.
What are you trying to control right now that is actually uncontrollable? Are you worried about something that hasn't happened yet? Focus on what you can do, leave the rest to whatever happens happens.
We only control ourselves, believing anything else is foolish, and a recipe for resentments
It's disappointing, but not disheartening. I was able to do most of a Karate class yesterday, my Son's first, which was awesome. Then I came home and hit the new TRX workout I had. Still need to make some minor modifications to avoid further aggravating the back, and certainly rowing tonight is out of the question. I just tried and it seems I'm not quite there.
But that doesn't mean the journey stops. It means tomorrow I do Karate again, another Strength workout as well, mostly focusing on Arms and Chest. It means being super careful around food, so that I don't start undoing my gains.
It would be a simple matter to just stop now, like I have so many times before. But I'm sick of back pain, I'm sick of injuries, and the only way to get better long term, is to allow a bit of short term healing and then get right back to it.
So, I'll do what I can, instead of stopping completely, I'll focus on what I can control instead of worrying about what I can't.
How much better would we all be if we just did that? Simply focused on the things we can control, and not try to force the things we cannot. I can't make myself get better, but I can control what I do in the meantime. I can't change the weight causing me back pain today, but I can control how I act today to keep it from hurting in 6 months.
What are you trying to control right now that is actually uncontrollable? Are you worried about something that hasn't happened yet? Focus on what you can do, leave the rest to whatever happens happens.
We only control ourselves, believing anything else is foolish, and a recipe for resentments
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Day 15 - Could have been a real downer
First off the weight, as expected up slightly at 254 lbs. That's ok. I know why, I know how to deal with it mentally. I'll be alright.
Except that my back has started to hurt. Now normally I'd be concerned here.
Here's what my normal response to some back pain would be.
1) Cease all exercise
2) Get depressed that once again injuries had derailed my attempts at health
3) Rest back
4) After back has healed, stay lazy for at least 6 weeks thinking about working out again.
Now this time we're going to do something a little different.
Last night, as soon as I felt it flaring up I contacted Rob, my Personal Trainer from @trainersonsite . I advised him of what was happening, and within a few hours I had a new workout routine, one that won't stress my back in anyway while it heals. He included some specific instructions on supporting my spine while doing some of the routines.
So tonight I'll go see my Osteopath, who has been a miracle worker for me in the past. With any luck the back will be normal shortly.
But again, such a key lesson, when faced with a challenge, how do we respond? Do we sulk? Do we turn to Dr. Internet and hope we can find reasonable advice? Or do we turn to experts, like Rob, like Doctors, like other professionals in our fields, and ask them for help?
We cannot do all things by ourselves, there are powers and knowledge higher than ours, we have the ability to tap in to those to help ourselves.
So that's the lesson for today, whatever ails you, whatever stands between you and your goal, whatever it is, there is someone out there who can help, someone who knows a way forward.
Don't be afraid to ask.
Except that my back has started to hurt. Now normally I'd be concerned here.
Here's what my normal response to some back pain would be.
1) Cease all exercise
2) Get depressed that once again injuries had derailed my attempts at health
3) Rest back
4) After back has healed, stay lazy for at least 6 weeks thinking about working out again.
Now this time we're going to do something a little different.
Last night, as soon as I felt it flaring up I contacted Rob, my Personal Trainer from @trainersonsite . I advised him of what was happening, and within a few hours I had a new workout routine, one that won't stress my back in anyway while it heals. He included some specific instructions on supporting my spine while doing some of the routines.
So tonight I'll go see my Osteopath, who has been a miracle worker for me in the past. With any luck the back will be normal shortly.
But again, such a key lesson, when faced with a challenge, how do we respond? Do we sulk? Do we turn to Dr. Internet and hope we can find reasonable advice? Or do we turn to experts, like Rob, like Doctors, like other professionals in our fields, and ask them for help?
We cannot do all things by ourselves, there are powers and knowledge higher than ours, we have the ability to tap in to those to help ourselves.
So that's the lesson for today, whatever ails you, whatever stands between you and your goal, whatever it is, there is someone out there who can help, someone who knows a way forward.
Don't be afraid to ask.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Day 14 - Feeling good, but that scale awaits...
Last day of summer really. I know not officially, but tomorrow the regular routine begins again.
I'm not all that different from a school kid tonight. This past week I have been on vacation, relaxed, doing lots of fun things, all outside my normal routine.
On the one hand tomorrow marks the end of that, back to work, back to the stress of deadlines, projects, back to waking up early and braving traffic.
On the other hand tomorrow also marks the return of familiar patterns, routine. When you're trying to make a lifestyle change like I am, routine is your friend.
This past week I've kept a nice routine with working out. I've not shied away from putting the work in. But to be honest my food, especially the last few days has been a bit sloppy. Being away from routine will do that. Its too easy to grab an extra snack. I'm on vacation and I'll take a drink or two, eat a few things I shouldn't.
Now in the past I would have had quite the feeding frenzy over the last few days, this is nothing like that. This is more normal small indulgences. That said, it still has an effect.
Tomorrow, aside from being the first day back to the routine, also marks my return to the scale. I am not going to be at all surprised to step on it and find no decrease or even a slight up tick.
Will I be disappointed? Sure, a little. Will I say to hell with it and take a giant leap backwards?
I will not.
I'm 14 days into a 100 day start to the rest of my life. I do not expect this to be a perfectly smooth journey. No one should, whatever you are trying to do in your life, success looks nothing like a straight line. If Michael Jordan can get cut from his High School basketball team, I can handle a minor setback on my trek to health.
Tomorrow, no matter what it says, I will blog about it, I will workout, I will re-enter my routines.
What I won't do is look at the scale and say I failed. I said a couple weeks ago, this is not just about weight loss. This is about a long term change. This is about a lot of things.
Tomorrow is one measure, 15 days later at the 30 day mark is a whole bunch of measures.
But the real measure is at Day 100. And it won't be in inches, pounds, or a personal best time at something. It will be in how I feel, how consistent I was, and how many of you I have inspired.
Stick around
I'm not all that different from a school kid tonight. This past week I have been on vacation, relaxed, doing lots of fun things, all outside my normal routine.
On the one hand tomorrow marks the end of that, back to work, back to the stress of deadlines, projects, back to waking up early and braving traffic.
On the other hand tomorrow also marks the return of familiar patterns, routine. When you're trying to make a lifestyle change like I am, routine is your friend.
This past week I've kept a nice routine with working out. I've not shied away from putting the work in. But to be honest my food, especially the last few days has been a bit sloppy. Being away from routine will do that. Its too easy to grab an extra snack. I'm on vacation and I'll take a drink or two, eat a few things I shouldn't.
Now in the past I would have had quite the feeding frenzy over the last few days, this is nothing like that. This is more normal small indulgences. That said, it still has an effect.
Tomorrow, aside from being the first day back to the routine, also marks my return to the scale. I am not going to be at all surprised to step on it and find no decrease or even a slight up tick.
Will I be disappointed? Sure, a little. Will I say to hell with it and take a giant leap backwards?
I will not.
I'm 14 days into a 100 day start to the rest of my life. I do not expect this to be a perfectly smooth journey. No one should, whatever you are trying to do in your life, success looks nothing like a straight line. If Michael Jordan can get cut from his High School basketball team, I can handle a minor setback on my trek to health.
Tomorrow, no matter what it says, I will blog about it, I will workout, I will re-enter my routines.
What I won't do is look at the scale and say I failed. I said a couple weeks ago, this is not just about weight loss. This is about a long term change. This is about a lot of things.
Tomorrow is one measure, 15 days later at the 30 day mark is a whole bunch of measures.
But the real measure is at Day 100. And it won't be in inches, pounds, or a personal best time at something. It will be in how I feel, how consistent I was, and how many of you I have inspired.
Stick around
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Day 12 - Whats this strange feeling in my stomach?
I have overeaten most of my life. Multiple helpings of meals, meal-size snacks, 2 dinners, 2 breakfasts, lunches that went on and on. I was always the guy you could count on to order the most food, and eat whatever was left at the table. I'd also be the guy going to town on the appetizers before all that even started.
As I mentioned before it has been over 110 days since my last big binge. And today I noticed something.
Something very strange.
I am full.
I don't remember the last time I felt like this. Normally I am a pretty bottomless pit, food goes in, and the feeding doesn't stop. But today is different.
After 111 days of not abusing myself with food, of normal eating, I suddenly am aware of having eaten enough (or truthfully, maybe a little too much)
I made ribs and my wife made pasta as a dinner tonight for my visiting parents. No snack appetizers, one glass of wine.
I had a quarter rack of ribs and a helping of pasta, then had a little bit more pasta (my wife is an amazing cook)
Suddenly I realized I was uncomfortable, a strange heavy sensation in my stomach. It was a long old memory to recall what is was.
As much damage as I have done with overeating, and my lack of physical activity, as difficult as this journey has been getting my food under control, and raising the bar on my fitness, this is a watershed moment.
Suddenly recovery seems so much closer.
I may pay on the scale for tonight, I don't know yet, but I have reached a breakthrough you need to have battled the demons of food to understand.
My body is remembering what full feels like.
My body is telling me it's had enough
My body is sending a message it hasn't sent in a very long time. Stop eating, that's enough, anymore food would not be pleasant.
If this seems mundane to you, I envy you, though you may battle weight, you may never battle food. If this sounds like something you can relate to however, you understand my joy.
Suddenly recovery seems so much closer, because my body is remembering what normal is.
It's taken over 110 days, but it's worth it.
Off to my rowing machine, lets keep these good days rolling
As I mentioned before it has been over 110 days since my last big binge. And today I noticed something.
Something very strange.
I am full.
I don't remember the last time I felt like this. Normally I am a pretty bottomless pit, food goes in, and the feeding doesn't stop. But today is different.
After 111 days of not abusing myself with food, of normal eating, I suddenly am aware of having eaten enough (or truthfully, maybe a little too much)
I made ribs and my wife made pasta as a dinner tonight for my visiting parents. No snack appetizers, one glass of wine.
I had a quarter rack of ribs and a helping of pasta, then had a little bit more pasta (my wife is an amazing cook)
Suddenly I realized I was uncomfortable, a strange heavy sensation in my stomach. It was a long old memory to recall what is was.
As much damage as I have done with overeating, and my lack of physical activity, as difficult as this journey has been getting my food under control, and raising the bar on my fitness, this is a watershed moment.
Suddenly recovery seems so much closer.
I may pay on the scale for tonight, I don't know yet, but I have reached a breakthrough you need to have battled the demons of food to understand.
My body is remembering what full feels like.
My body is telling me it's had enough
My body is sending a message it hasn't sent in a very long time. Stop eating, that's enough, anymore food would not be pleasant.
If this seems mundane to you, I envy you, though you may battle weight, you may never battle food. If this sounds like something you can relate to however, you understand my joy.
Suddenly recovery seems so much closer, because my body is remembering what normal is.
It's taken over 110 days, but it's worth it.
Off to my rowing machine, lets keep these good days rolling
Friday, August 30, 2013
Day 11 - Won't lie, feeling it a bit today
I do not recall the last time I worked out 9 times in 11 days, but it's safe to say it's been a very long time.
Like maybe two decades.
I'm 42, I have 2 small kids, and hey, I'm tired.
I can make a million excuses to not work out.
Yesterday I went to Canada's Wonderland. Walked 11000 steps, burned 4200 calories, watched carefully what I ate, and came home too tired to row, went to bed early.
Today, woke up, hit the rowing machine first thing. I knew if I didn't it would stretch into the day and I'd find a reason to skip it.
But that still leaves today's strength workout. I have not done 2 workouts in a day since....oh boy....um...college?
I was fortunate to have my trainer Rob from @trainersonsite come by today. He gave me some pointers on my exercise routines, reminded me they would be switched up soon. Left with some encouraging words.
I should have worked out then.
Instead it's 915 at night. It's too late. I'm too tired. Glass of wine, sit on the couch, watch TV.
I'll workout tomorrow.
Right now some of you are agreeing with me. You know what it feels like to be tired, and just put it off until tomorrow.
Others are screaming at the screen, NO! Go do it!.
So who wins?
Pretty easy actually. I have always let later win. "I'll do it later" might end up on my tombstone one day.
Where did later get me? It got me to 272 lbs is where it got me.
I have a good friend who loves the saying "if you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got"
And since I'm not real fond of 272 lbs, its time to change that habit.
I'm going downstairs now, It's workout time.
See you all tomorrow
Like maybe two decades.
I'm 42, I have 2 small kids, and hey, I'm tired.
I can make a million excuses to not work out.
Yesterday I went to Canada's Wonderland. Walked 11000 steps, burned 4200 calories, watched carefully what I ate, and came home too tired to row, went to bed early.
Today, woke up, hit the rowing machine first thing. I knew if I didn't it would stretch into the day and I'd find a reason to skip it.
But that still leaves today's strength workout. I have not done 2 workouts in a day since....oh boy....um...college?
I was fortunate to have my trainer Rob from @trainersonsite come by today. He gave me some pointers on my exercise routines, reminded me they would be switched up soon. Left with some encouraging words.
I should have worked out then.
Instead it's 915 at night. It's too late. I'm too tired. Glass of wine, sit on the couch, watch TV.
I'll workout tomorrow.
Right now some of you are agreeing with me. You know what it feels like to be tired, and just put it off until tomorrow.
Others are screaming at the screen, NO! Go do it!.
So who wins?
Pretty easy actually. I have always let later win. "I'll do it later" might end up on my tombstone one day.
Where did later get me? It got me to 272 lbs is where it got me.
I have a good friend who loves the saying "if you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got"
And since I'm not real fond of 272 lbs, its time to change that habit.
I'm going downstairs now, It's workout time.
See you all tomorrow
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Day 8 - First Weigh in
I started this 100 days at 255.4....Today's weight is
In a minute
First a couple things about the last 24 hours. Last night was my Dad's 70th birthday. He's a young 70, and I hope I can look that good when I get there.
Being at his party was a bit of a challenge food wise. I'd already had dinner, but seeing all the great appetizers my Mom had laid out was difficult.
Difficult, but not impossible. I made it through the evening without partaking in any of the appetizers, save for a small piece of Pork Tenderloin.
Despite not eating, drinking and generally over doing it, the night was a lot of fun. My parents are lucky to have some great friends, and I always enjoy spending time with them. It was nice to prove to myself I could go through the evening without having to be constantly eating!
It's a lesson we can all learn, when we have our minds set on a goal, we sometimes have to weigh other activities against that goal. I want to watch my diet, and I know I have a family dinner Wednesday, and I am going to the CNE (lots of food there!) on Friday. Both have the capacity to through my healthy eating for a loop, so I didn't need to add last night to the list. I don't want to cut out some fun food entirely, and so choices have to be made. Last night the choice was to not partake. On Friday at the CNE the choice will be which fun food item will I have, not how many.
So back to the weigh in. I had made up my mind that even if the number on the scale hadn't moved, or had gone the wrong way, I knew that I had done my part this week. I had put in tough workouts, I had eaten better than I had in years, I felt amazing. I can't control a single weigh in, I can only do what is right to try to influence my body in the right direction.
So I stepped on the scale already at peace with wherever the number landed.
253.4
2lbs off this week...I'll happily take that. 2lbs is a normal, healthy, sustainable weight loss. I'm quite content, even pleased with that number. It wasn't so long ago I would bounce off of 260lb like clockwork, so it's great to be far from that number, and knocking on the door of 250.
But that's a couple of week from now.For the moment it's focus on tomorrow, what's my food plan, what's my workout.
Until tomorrow my friends
In a minute
First a couple things about the last 24 hours. Last night was my Dad's 70th birthday. He's a young 70, and I hope I can look that good when I get there.
Being at his party was a bit of a challenge food wise. I'd already had dinner, but seeing all the great appetizers my Mom had laid out was difficult.
Difficult, but not impossible. I made it through the evening without partaking in any of the appetizers, save for a small piece of Pork Tenderloin.
Despite not eating, drinking and generally over doing it, the night was a lot of fun. My parents are lucky to have some great friends, and I always enjoy spending time with them. It was nice to prove to myself I could go through the evening without having to be constantly eating!
It's a lesson we can all learn, when we have our minds set on a goal, we sometimes have to weigh other activities against that goal. I want to watch my diet, and I know I have a family dinner Wednesday, and I am going to the CNE (lots of food there!) on Friday. Both have the capacity to through my healthy eating for a loop, so I didn't need to add last night to the list. I don't want to cut out some fun food entirely, and so choices have to be made. Last night the choice was to not partake. On Friday at the CNE the choice will be which fun food item will I have, not how many.
So back to the weigh in. I had made up my mind that even if the number on the scale hadn't moved, or had gone the wrong way, I knew that I had done my part this week. I had put in tough workouts, I had eaten better than I had in years, I felt amazing. I can't control a single weigh in, I can only do what is right to try to influence my body in the right direction.
So I stepped on the scale already at peace with wherever the number landed.
253.4
2lbs off this week...I'll happily take that. 2lbs is a normal, healthy, sustainable weight loss. I'm quite content, even pleased with that number. It wasn't so long ago I would bounce off of 260lb like clockwork, so it's great to be far from that number, and knocking on the door of 250.
But that's a couple of week from now.For the moment it's focus on tomorrow, what's my food plan, what's my workout.
Until tomorrow my friends
Monday, August 26, 2013
Day 7 - End of Week One and Monday's Spotlight
Well that's the end of week one. Overall pretty good, we'll have to wait for the scale tomorrow, but no matter what it says I know I've started making real change this week.
Lots of people help me with this journey, and every Monday I intend to recognize some of them. Today I want to talk about the guy who has developed the workout program I am following.
Robert Foster, Owner of www.trainersonsite.com , and his wife Michelle are a potent health combination. Robert is an accomplished Personal Trainer, Michelle a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. Between the two of them is a ton of knowledge about the human body and how to get it healthy.
I met Rob through Karate a couple of years ago, and quickly recognized the intense passion he has for physical training. Rob keeps himself in top shape, working out daily in addition to Karate, and delivering training sessions for clients. He does all this while still finding time for his wonderful family.
Rob and Michelle have been cheering me on as I try to get healthy for the last while now, and their help in this 100 day challenge cannot be understated.
Besides designing my workouts to maximize what I can do, while avoiding exercises that could trigger old injuries I deal with, Rob has given me a program I trust, at a level that provides sufficient challenge for change. He checks with me on a regular basis to see what is working and what isn't, he calls or emails just to let me know he is there to help me achieve my goals.
The passion these two have for fitness, the energy they bring, the belief they show in me being successful is infectious, and I am forever grateful for having them help me start this journey.
Today's Workout
TRX and Strength
Calories Eaten - 2222
Calories Burned - 3240
Lots of people help me with this journey, and every Monday I intend to recognize some of them. Today I want to talk about the guy who has developed the workout program I am following.
Robert Foster, Owner of www.trainersonsite.com , and his wife Michelle are a potent health combination. Robert is an accomplished Personal Trainer, Michelle a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. Between the two of them is a ton of knowledge about the human body and how to get it healthy.
I met Rob through Karate a couple of years ago, and quickly recognized the intense passion he has for physical training. Rob keeps himself in top shape, working out daily in addition to Karate, and delivering training sessions for clients. He does all this while still finding time for his wonderful family.
Rob and Michelle have been cheering me on as I try to get healthy for the last while now, and their help in this 100 day challenge cannot be understated.
Besides designing my workouts to maximize what I can do, while avoiding exercises that could trigger old injuries I deal with, Rob has given me a program I trust, at a level that provides sufficient challenge for change. He checks with me on a regular basis to see what is working and what isn't, he calls or emails just to let me know he is there to help me achieve my goals.
The passion these two have for fitness, the energy they bring, the belief they show in me being successful is infectious, and I am forever grateful for having them help me start this journey.
Today's Workout
TRX and Strength
Calories Eaten - 2222
Calories Burned - 3240
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Day 6 - Reflecting on the first week
First and foremost, what a response! The number of comments from friends and family who've been reading this has been great, and it has helped to keep me motivated and accountable.
Please, keep reading, and feel free to forward on if you think it has value.
As I said, I was going to be without Internet for a couple days, and while the camping trip didn't quite go as planned (sick child), it was a valuable lesson in the advantages of planning.
I came home and worked out first thing on Friday. I could have left it to later, but later has a habit of never arriving, so while it meant delaying our departure a bit, I got my workout, my priority, done. More on this workout tomorrow. But it also meant arriving a bit later at the camp, fortunately we had planned for that with an easy dinner cooked over the open fire.
Saturday was a scheduled off day, but that didn't mean doing nothing. Tearing down the campsite to bring the ill one home meant not cooking the healthy breakfast we had planned, but we had planned lots of fast healthy stuff too, so not an issue. Came home, and with no scheduled workout just went for nice 3k or so walk to make sure I still did something.
Today, back to workouts, a rowing one this time, and with it my first Non-Scale Victory (NSV) As the workout end approached, I didn't want to stop. I had more energy still! I stopped anyway, as too often i have over trained and injured myself, but what a great feeling to end the first week on.
Looking back at the week, that's the main thing I am taking from it. I haven't gone out and started a wicked, unattainable workout plan. I haven't gone on severe calorie restriction diet. I've simply started to take some action, with food, with exercise.
And I feel amazing
100 days of action, 6 of them done and I feel great already. No matter what the scale says tomorrow I know I'm doing the right thing
Join me.
- remember tomorrow, and every Monday, I will profile a personal role model around fitness, health, or generally living life with action. Stay tuned for the first one tomorrow.
Numbers for the weekend
Friday
Workout - Strength and TRX
Calories eaten - 2040
Calories burned - 3960
Saturday
Workout - Off Day
Calories Eaten - 2833
Calories Burned - 4250
Sunday
Workout - Row 3km
Calories Eaten - 1750
Calories Burned - 3460
Please, keep reading, and feel free to forward on if you think it has value.
As I said, I was going to be without Internet for a couple days, and while the camping trip didn't quite go as planned (sick child), it was a valuable lesson in the advantages of planning.
I came home and worked out first thing on Friday. I could have left it to later, but later has a habit of never arriving, so while it meant delaying our departure a bit, I got my workout, my priority, done. More on this workout tomorrow. But it also meant arriving a bit later at the camp, fortunately we had planned for that with an easy dinner cooked over the open fire.
Saturday was a scheduled off day, but that didn't mean doing nothing. Tearing down the campsite to bring the ill one home meant not cooking the healthy breakfast we had planned, but we had planned lots of fast healthy stuff too, so not an issue. Came home, and with no scheduled workout just went for nice 3k or so walk to make sure I still did something.
Today, back to workouts, a rowing one this time, and with it my first Non-Scale Victory (NSV) As the workout end approached, I didn't want to stop. I had more energy still! I stopped anyway, as too often i have over trained and injured myself, but what a great feeling to end the first week on.
Looking back at the week, that's the main thing I am taking from it. I haven't gone out and started a wicked, unattainable workout plan. I haven't gone on severe calorie restriction diet. I've simply started to take some action, with food, with exercise.
And I feel amazing
100 days of action, 6 of them done and I feel great already. No matter what the scale says tomorrow I know I'm doing the right thing
Join me.
- remember tomorrow, and every Monday, I will profile a personal role model around fitness, health, or generally living life with action. Stay tuned for the first one tomorrow.
Numbers for the weekend
Friday
Workout - Strength and TRX
Calories eaten - 2040
Calories burned - 3960
Saturday
Workout - Off Day
Calories Eaten - 2833
Calories Burned - 4250
Sunday
Workout - Row 3km
Calories Eaten - 1750
Calories Burned - 3460
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Day 3 - Planning the Weekend
First an admission. I had a meeting to go to tonight, had an errand to run after it. Got home late.
Did NOT want to go do my row. No matter how brief the rowing workouts are right now as I build my form and stamina for longer sessions, I just had no desire to do it.
But I did. I went downstairs and did my planned session.
Why?
Because I got myself into this mess partially by taking shortcuts. Taking the easy way. Letting my bad planning become an easy excuse to not workout, or make a good meal choice, or just be lazy as a husband, father, son, friend.
This is about action. This is about seeing things through. So to the rower it was.
Speaking of planning, I'm away this weekend, so there will likely be no update until Sunday. I'll be off with no Internet access.
Does that mean no workouts? Bad meal choices? No accountability?
HELL NO!!
My DW (darling wife) has been hard at work making sure that I will have the right meal choices with me. It's amazing the support I get from her.
I've planned my workout schedule around my weekend. Friday, before I leave I have a strength workout from my friends @trainersonsite. Then Saturday is a scheduled rest day, and Sunday I'll be back in time to get my rowing workout in again.
It's this planning that's key. When we just react to what is happening we don't always leave ourselves enough time to do the right thing, so we do an easy thing.
I can't do that anymore, it lead me to misery, so I have a plan for how to maximize what I can. Sure the unpredictable happens, but we pretend it happens way more than it does. We know Sunday traffic is bad coming home from the cottage, but we pretend to be surprised when we get home at 10pm, too late for a workout. (For the record I am leaving early and expect to be home mid afternoon, lots of time)
Don't set yourself up to fail. Have a plan. Take action. Give yourself your best chance at success for all your goals.
See you Sunday with a recap.
- by the way, every Monday I will be featuring someone who inspires me to push myself, these are friends and family that I admire for their own stories, efforts or support. Be sure to check in on Mondays to see who is featured each week.
Today's Workout
Rowing 2400m
Calories Eaten - 2163
Calories Burned - 3448
Be well!
Did NOT want to go do my row. No matter how brief the rowing workouts are right now as I build my form and stamina for longer sessions, I just had no desire to do it.
But I did. I went downstairs and did my planned session.
Why?
Because I got myself into this mess partially by taking shortcuts. Taking the easy way. Letting my bad planning become an easy excuse to not workout, or make a good meal choice, or just be lazy as a husband, father, son, friend.
This is about action. This is about seeing things through. So to the rower it was.
Speaking of planning, I'm away this weekend, so there will likely be no update until Sunday. I'll be off with no Internet access.
Does that mean no workouts? Bad meal choices? No accountability?
HELL NO!!
My DW (darling wife) has been hard at work making sure that I will have the right meal choices with me. It's amazing the support I get from her.
I've planned my workout schedule around my weekend. Friday, before I leave I have a strength workout from my friends @trainersonsite. Then Saturday is a scheduled rest day, and Sunday I'll be back in time to get my rowing workout in again.
It's this planning that's key. When we just react to what is happening we don't always leave ourselves enough time to do the right thing, so we do an easy thing.
I can't do that anymore, it lead me to misery, so I have a plan for how to maximize what I can. Sure the unpredictable happens, but we pretend it happens way more than it does. We know Sunday traffic is bad coming home from the cottage, but we pretend to be surprised when we get home at 10pm, too late for a workout. (For the record I am leaving early and expect to be home mid afternoon, lots of time)
Don't set yourself up to fail. Have a plan. Take action. Give yourself your best chance at success for all your goals.
See you Sunday with a recap.
- by the way, every Monday I will be featuring someone who inspires me to push myself, these are friends and family that I admire for their own stories, efforts or support. Be sure to check in on Mondays to see who is featured each week.
Today's Workout
Rowing 2400m
Calories Eaten - 2163
Calories Burned - 3448
Be well!
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Day 2 - It's more than the scale.
I want to clear something up.
This is not about weight and weight alone.
When this blog started back in January of 2010 (that long ago, wow) I set two goals, one was a weight loss one, the other a performance one.
But over time I've realized it is about way more than that. It's about a journey. Trying to get back to being a person I remember. Active, happy, friendly, confident. And while I'm at it, lets make some improvements about me along the way.
Why both? Ever heard "you can't love another unless you love yourself?"
What if you don't like who you've become? What if you can't identify with the guy in the mirror? Can you still love others? Can you truly act towards the rest of the world in a decent manner if you are mad at yourself?
Probably not.
I'm a decent guy, at least I like to think I am. But as I have become less happy with me, its become harder to keep that going. I'm less patient, less caring, quicker to anger and frustrate.
Will losing weight cure it? Maybe, but what if the weight loss is slow? How will I react?
That's why its key I'm measuring things other than weight. I have other numbers. Inches, performance in physical tests. All designed to show me progress in case that bathroom bearer of bad news, the scale, decides to annoy me.
But it even goes beyond that. I finished my workout tonight (TRX and weights for about 45min), and yes I was tired, yes a little sore. Very sweaty.
And one other very strong feeling when I finished....Powerful
I felt like I could take on the world. I felt energized by the idea of doing this for 100 days. I felt amazing.
I felt, like I always used to.
I could get used to that. I know not every day will be like today. I know there are hard days waiting out there.
But if that's the price I pay to go back to feeling strong, confident, happy. If that's the price I pay the price I pay to stop feeling mad at myself, and regain the patience, caring and calmness I used to be known for.
If that's the price, I'm ready to pay it.
Its not just the weight, its not just the inches, its not just the measures.
It's the feeling I am doing something about it. 100 days of "acting on life instead of reacting to it." That's the biggest victory I'll have
The victory of trying, of persevering, of not sitting down and letting it happen.
100 days of action...Join me for them.
Today's workout
45 minutes of TRX and Weights
1Km on Rower
Calories Eaten - 2027
Calories Burned - 3562
See you tomorrow!
This is not about weight and weight alone.
When this blog started back in January of 2010 (that long ago, wow) I set two goals, one was a weight loss one, the other a performance one.
But over time I've realized it is about way more than that. It's about a journey. Trying to get back to being a person I remember. Active, happy, friendly, confident. And while I'm at it, lets make some improvements about me along the way.
Why both? Ever heard "you can't love another unless you love yourself?"
What if you don't like who you've become? What if you can't identify with the guy in the mirror? Can you still love others? Can you truly act towards the rest of the world in a decent manner if you are mad at yourself?
Probably not.
I'm a decent guy, at least I like to think I am. But as I have become less happy with me, its become harder to keep that going. I'm less patient, less caring, quicker to anger and frustrate.
Will losing weight cure it? Maybe, but what if the weight loss is slow? How will I react?
That's why its key I'm measuring things other than weight. I have other numbers. Inches, performance in physical tests. All designed to show me progress in case that bathroom bearer of bad news, the scale, decides to annoy me.
But it even goes beyond that. I finished my workout tonight (TRX and weights for about 45min), and yes I was tired, yes a little sore. Very sweaty.
And one other very strong feeling when I finished....Powerful
I felt like I could take on the world. I felt energized by the idea of doing this for 100 days. I felt amazing.
I felt, like I always used to.
I could get used to that. I know not every day will be like today. I know there are hard days waiting out there.
But if that's the price I pay to go back to feeling strong, confident, happy. If that's the price I pay the price I pay to stop feeling mad at myself, and regain the patience, caring and calmness I used to be known for.
If that's the price, I'm ready to pay it.
Its not just the weight, its not just the inches, its not just the measures.
It's the feeling I am doing something about it. 100 days of "acting on life instead of reacting to it." That's the biggest victory I'll have
The victory of trying, of persevering, of not sitting down and letting it happen.
100 days of action...Join me for them.
Today's workout
45 minutes of TRX and Weights
1Km on Rower
Calories Eaten - 2027
Calories Burned - 3562
See you tomorrow!
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Day 1 - Where are we at?
WARNING - if you find images of overweight men disturbing, stop reading now
When we talk about getting healthy its always about weight....Always. We tell ourselves we need to lose 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 lbs.
Here's the problem with weight...It goes on a lot faster then it comes off. So we get discouraged, we don't see results.
We stop.
Well, I can't stop, because I committed to all of you to do it for 100 days, but how else can we measure besides weight.
Exercise and being healthy is more than a number on a scale. Its how healthy our heart is. How well our bodies can perform different tasks, so I spent Day 1 compiling a few different numbers
Pushups to exhaustion - 18
Pushups are a good measure of muscular endurance, so lets see how that improves over the first 25 days and over the 100 total.
I don't run, not with this gut, so I row. I have a concept2 rowing machine. I used it for a few of the baseline numbers too.
2000m time = 8:46.5 A good measure of cardiovascular fitness.
I also did a 500m rowing sprint and measured my heart rate at various times.
Peak = 190bpm
After 1min = 147
After 2min = 132
After 5min = 110
This gives me an idea of how fast I can recover from exertion
Comparing future results to these will let me see beyond the scale, if the scale doesn't move, but these numbers get better, I'm still making improvements, I don't have to feel discouraged just because one number didn't move,
Now for the ugly part...the body measurements and before pictures
Weight = 255.4lbs
BMI = 34.6 (Obese) - this used to be worse! Used to be Class II obese!
% Body fat = 42.4 %
Waist - 45 in
Hips - 44 in
Chest - 43 in
Thigh - 28 in
Every 25 days along this 100 day journey we will revisit these numbers, to see if we can effect more than just the scale
Well that's me right now. Day 1 is drawing to a close.
Tomorrow the real work begins. Rob Foster from Trainersonsite.com has sent me my new workouts, so we'll report back on them
Today's workout
Rowing - 2741 meters
Swimming - 1 hour leisure
Pushups to failure
Calories eaten - 2100
Calories burned - 3500
Check back tomorrow!
When we talk about getting healthy its always about weight....Always. We tell ourselves we need to lose 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 lbs.
Here's the problem with weight...It goes on a lot faster then it comes off. So we get discouraged, we don't see results.
We stop.
Well, I can't stop, because I committed to all of you to do it for 100 days, but how else can we measure besides weight.
Exercise and being healthy is more than a number on a scale. Its how healthy our heart is. How well our bodies can perform different tasks, so I spent Day 1 compiling a few different numbers
Pushups to exhaustion - 18
Pushups are a good measure of muscular endurance, so lets see how that improves over the first 25 days and over the 100 total.
I don't run, not with this gut, so I row. I have a concept2 rowing machine. I used it for a few of the baseline numbers too.
2000m time = 8:46.5 A good measure of cardiovascular fitness.
I also did a 500m rowing sprint and measured my heart rate at various times.
Peak = 190bpm
After 1min = 147
After 2min = 132
After 5min = 110
This gives me an idea of how fast I can recover from exertion
Comparing future results to these will let me see beyond the scale, if the scale doesn't move, but these numbers get better, I'm still making improvements, I don't have to feel discouraged just because one number didn't move,
Now for the ugly part...the body measurements and before pictures
Weight = 255.4lbs
BMI = 34.6 (Obese) - this used to be worse! Used to be Class II obese!
% Body fat = 42.4 %
Waist - 45 in
Hips - 44 in
Chest - 43 in
Thigh - 28 in
Well that's me right now. Day 1 is drawing to a close.
Tomorrow the real work begins. Rob Foster from Trainersonsite.com has sent me my new workouts, so we'll report back on them
Today's workout
Rowing - 2741 meters
Swimming - 1 hour leisure
Pushups to failure
Calories eaten - 2100
Calories burned - 3500
Check back tomorrow!
Monday, August 19, 2013
100 Days
100 Days. Little more than 3 months.
How much has changed in your life?
How much of your life have you changed?
100 days ago I had a huge eating binge. How huge? 14579 calories.
14579. No that's not a typo. That includes at one point 5536 during a 40 minute car ride home from downtown.
Can't live like that. You cannot go out and eat a weeks worth of food in a day and expect life to be grand.
100 days ago I had my last binge. I'm proud of that. But what can I do with the next 100?
What could I do to change the fat man by November 26th?
I made a commitment 100 days ago not to go on any more crazy binges. I've battled binges all my life, and 100 days later I've been successful so far.
So lets lay down a new challenge.
A good friend of mine Rob Foster is the owner of Trainersonsite.com. Rob is a great guy and he's been trying to help me for a while now. Despite my struggles he has maintained his energy and drive to see me through it all.
So what if I made this commitment. I'm going to follow Rob's program he's given me for the next 100 days.
In the last 100 days I helped myself. Now lets start getting help from experts. I'm going to take advantage of people who want to help me, like Rob. I'll use tools like bodymedia.com and Myfitnesspal.com to track my food for the next 100 days, making sure I finish in the negative at least 6 days out of every 7.
Lets spend 100 days and start reversing this fat man. Lets spend 100 days together and see what happens.
100 days ago I had my last binge. Today starts the next 100 days. Join me, see how it goes.
Check back here frequently, my goal is to update as often as I can, daily whenever possible so that people can see the progression.
How much has changed in your life?
How much of your life have you changed?
100 days ago I had a huge eating binge. How huge? 14579 calories.
14579. No that's not a typo. That includes at one point 5536 during a 40 minute car ride home from downtown.
Can't live like that. You cannot go out and eat a weeks worth of food in a day and expect life to be grand.
100 days ago I had my last binge. I'm proud of that. But what can I do with the next 100?
What could I do to change the fat man by November 26th?
I made a commitment 100 days ago not to go on any more crazy binges. I've battled binges all my life, and 100 days later I've been successful so far.
So lets lay down a new challenge.
A good friend of mine Rob Foster is the owner of Trainersonsite.com. Rob is a great guy and he's been trying to help me for a while now. Despite my struggles he has maintained his energy and drive to see me through it all.
So what if I made this commitment. I'm going to follow Rob's program he's given me for the next 100 days.
In the last 100 days I helped myself. Now lets start getting help from experts. I'm going to take advantage of people who want to help me, like Rob. I'll use tools like bodymedia.com and Myfitnesspal.com to track my food for the next 100 days, making sure I finish in the negative at least 6 days out of every 7.
Lets spend 100 days and start reversing this fat man. Lets spend 100 days together and see what happens.
100 days ago I had my last binge. Today starts the next 100 days. Join me, see how it goes.
Check back here frequently, my goal is to update as often as I can, daily whenever possible so that people can see the progression.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Where oh where has the fat man been?
No, I haven't been hiding in a buffet line.
Nor have I lost all the weight and am such a success I no longer need the blog.
Basically I've been an glacier, slow to move, slow to shrink, slow to change.
But there have been some changes. Anyone who has been a regular reader of mine knows about my 260lb bounce issue. Well I am proud to say I have punched through it. I am 258.6 today, this is a small victory. The larger victory is that I have been under 260lbs consistently for many weeks now.
How? Well, I eliminated certain foods entirely from my diet. What they are isn't important, but I looked at what foods I would crave, that I would drive out of my way to binge on, what foods could I never just eat a single helping of. Then I said ENOUGH! I can't eat these. Eating these never makes things better. Eating these makes things worse, makes me unhealthy, makes me want more. It was so liberating to say " I am never having (insert red list food here) again"
And I haven't...I may not have had anything approaching a perfect diet over the last while, but I haven't touched any of those foods. For the most part I don't even miss them.
Another change, is I have found a group of wonderful people who share my desire to stop living an unhealthy lifestyle, who struggle in the same ways I do. These folks have helped me immeasurably, and I like to think I have helped them a bit too. Without them I'd still be bouncing off 260. We get together every week and we talk about the week that was, our success, our failures, our struggles and our victories. I look forward to it every week.
Unfortunately that's been the only truly consistent part of this journey recently, these weekly meetings.
I haven't exercised with regularity, I haven't tracked my food with regularity. I haven't listened to the advice of experts and loved ones on tools that could help. I haven't listened to myself when I've know the right way forward. I've hummed and hawed, and tried a lot of half measures.
And I've had results that befit someone trying half measures.
What is it about this that is so hard? I know the way, I know the effort required. I know the key is consistency.
Maybe writing this will help. Maybe opening up here about the struggle is the key.
Stay tuned...Hopefully there will be more soon
@fatfitman
Nor have I lost all the weight and am such a success I no longer need the blog.
Basically I've been an glacier, slow to move, slow to shrink, slow to change.
But there have been some changes. Anyone who has been a regular reader of mine knows about my 260lb bounce issue. Well I am proud to say I have punched through it. I am 258.6 today, this is a small victory. The larger victory is that I have been under 260lbs consistently for many weeks now.
How? Well, I eliminated certain foods entirely from my diet. What they are isn't important, but I looked at what foods I would crave, that I would drive out of my way to binge on, what foods could I never just eat a single helping of. Then I said ENOUGH! I can't eat these. Eating these never makes things better. Eating these makes things worse, makes me unhealthy, makes me want more. It was so liberating to say " I am never having (insert red list food here) again"
And I haven't...I may not have had anything approaching a perfect diet over the last while, but I haven't touched any of those foods. For the most part I don't even miss them.
Another change, is I have found a group of wonderful people who share my desire to stop living an unhealthy lifestyle, who struggle in the same ways I do. These folks have helped me immeasurably, and I like to think I have helped them a bit too. Without them I'd still be bouncing off 260. We get together every week and we talk about the week that was, our success, our failures, our struggles and our victories. I look forward to it every week.
Unfortunately that's been the only truly consistent part of this journey recently, these weekly meetings.
I haven't exercised with regularity, I haven't tracked my food with regularity. I haven't listened to the advice of experts and loved ones on tools that could help. I haven't listened to myself when I've know the right way forward. I've hummed and hawed, and tried a lot of half measures.
And I've had results that befit someone trying half measures.
What is it about this that is so hard? I know the way, I know the effort required. I know the key is consistency.
Maybe writing this will help. Maybe opening up here about the struggle is the key.
Stay tuned...Hopefully there will be more soon
@fatfitman
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