i'm baaaaaack!

I haven't blogged in awhile, and life has been a bit nutty lately. Lame. However, I have been doing well on the whole losing weight/getting healthier thing, mostly. I started smoking again (curses!), but that will stop this week as the half-marathon training starts today. I also got a little off-track with eating breakfast daily, but I'm in the process of getting my entire life back track, and hopefully things will fall into place. I weighed myself last week, and the weight is still coming off. At that point, the scale read that I had dropped 20 pounds since August, and I am happy with it. Hopefully I can lose another 20 in the upcoming months, but we'll see.

Week 1 of half-marathon training commences!

getting better all the time

we went to the gym again today for almost an hour and a half, plus we made it to class earlier this week. i'm going to try to get a walk/run in before work in the mornings; plus, that will give eronaile some necessary exercise, hopefully keeping her from chewing shoes and furniture out of boredom.

does anyone want to do the Bridge Run with me this spring?

tis the season...for overeating and indulging? how about healthy living?

despite the pounds and pounds of food fed to me during thanksgiving, i did make it to the gym twice that week, and i made it twice this past week to the class. today, we did our first gym trip to do just treadmill and weights.

because of the uncertainty of when i get to leave work, it's very easy to meet the set time for gym class, which is a good cardio workout. so this week, we're going to make an effort to do the machines on our own if we miss the class. and with two board meetings this week, missing class is a certainty.

eating? still doing well. lighter dinners, healthier lunches, an apple for breakfast, and water throughout the day.

drinking? beer is still pretty much out of the picture, which i'm sure will have a good long term impact on this little effort.

so, a friend of mine (who i used to smoke cigarettes with and helped me invent the whiskey slam) ran a 26.2 mile marathon yesterday. good for him. i'm reinforcing here that i want to run the Cooper River Bridge run this year. anyone with me?

getting MUCH better...with one setback

The past two weeks have been great for health. I was eating right, with an apple in the morning, decent sized and healthy lunch, and a smaller meal in the evening. I would have a snack somewhere in the middle there. I've returned to my only drinking water at work for the past several weeks. two weeks ago, i made 3 gym trips, last week was only one because of evening meetings, and this week, i went monday and tuesday. so i'm doing MUCH better.

The setback? Thanksgiving. Emily came in to town Wednesday, which meant drinks and playing Wii (new Super Mario, not Fit), and yesterday, was, well, full of food. I mowed the lawn just to get SOME activity.

we're heading to atlanta today and tomorrow is the carolina-clemson game. i will need to go to the gym sunday.

also, i loved having this whole week off...it has been magnificent.

week schmeek

sooooo i've been doing pretty good on the exercise front, wii active is what i've been using and i do 30 min every morning of "heavy" work out, which is sometimes heavier than others, and trying to do a little wii fit at night. eating is ok, i'm good in the morning (aka about 11am) with an apple and sometimes a cheese stick before work, then lunch around 6-7, then snack when i get home, but i wish i could fit in more small meals instead of just eating 3x a day. my job doesn't really permit it though, speaking of which, my 30 mins are up here! back to work! have a happy thanksgiving everyone and try to be good!

a week after week something or another

I made signifcant gains in my efforts this past week, if not in my measurements. I made it to the gym twice, i ate an apple most mornings, kept my dinners light, and held my alcohol to a single drink monday-wednesday and 2-3 thursday-saturday. none of those drinks were beer.

as it's sunday, i'm on my couch catching up on reading and some work. i think i'll go to the gym later today for an hour or so, and i expect dismal results. back when we were going to the gym regularly (the weights, machines, and treadmill, not the fitness classes), we kept track of our progress with increased weights and sets. i'll probably have to start a new routine, but that's okay.

30 pounds in a year and a half is unacceptable to me, and my life insurance health examiner's question was "have you lost or gained more than 10 pounds in a year". that's disturbing.

it's not that i see my 180 pounds as 'overweight,' it's just where it sits (my stomach) and the point or two over what i'm told is a healthy BMI.

so wish me luck...i'm two weekes into restarting my physical activity and we'll see how we can ramp this week up. if i can get to the gym today, maybe i'll be able to hit the gym even if i don't leave work in time for the fitness class.

week something or another

well...my eating is definitely better, but it could improve. also, my drinking is way down on the weekdays, but way up on the weekends.

however, with work being what is was the past few months, my gym time went WAY down. I've started, in the past 3 weeks, begun running semi-regularly. tonight, i went to the gym and have plans for more trips this week.

i have a renewed interest in healthier living because the suit i had tailored 2 years ago no longer fits. last summer, i had to weigh myself for a new driver's license...and i'm 30 pounds heavier. this is not good.

i'm jealous of your ability to stick with your plan, case-of-bass...i need to get some apples to eat for breakfast and lay off the heavy starch and snacks in the evening.

where are the posts from everyone else?

i've stopped counting the weeks...

It is week... whatever. I haven't been doing so great lately on the blogging, but I have been sticking to the changes I needed to make. So far I have lost 14 lbs since the middle of August, and quite frankly I am OK with that. I still have another 25-30 lbs to go, mostly from my ass, so that might take at the very least another 6 months to get where I need/want to be. I am OK with that. It took 27, almost 28 years, for me to get this way, and it is not going to change overnight.

Overall, I am eating much, much better. I eat breakfast everyday within an hour of waking up, and that has made a huge difference. I eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins, more controlled portions of whole wheat pasta and brown rice, and I do not feel deprived. I am making better choices, and I feel and look much better because of it. Occasionally I indulge in a chocolate chip cookie, a little ice cream, or a brownie, but not with so much enthusiasm. I don't even crave that stuff very often anymore, and a few bites go a much longer way now.

I hope everyone is doing well, and sticking with their plans and changes. Where is everybody? BLOG PEOPLE!

saturday morning

well, i'm still doing better about my eating and drinking. i'm walking more stairs instead of using elevators.

what's missing is my gym time or jogging. i really wanted to start leaving work on time for the gym, but that's been impossible. so i want to run in the morning with eronaile, but i'm staying up late getting work done.

it's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

week????

sooo i've been doing pretty good using the wii fit, about 4 times last week for 30min each time, and i went on a 6mi bike ride with mom and i walked the bridge this morning! also, i really need new shoes for to walk the bridge in! that was my first time walking it, but it was really pretty cool and i look forward to continuing to make that a habit a couple times a week. i've been on a kind of lose 2lb, gain one back cycle this week because my weight fluctuates so much daily, but over all there's a downward trend of about 5 or 6 pounds i think. i'm under 170 now! so yeah! still drinking too much i'm sure (saturday was just disgusting) but working out and eating more fruits and veggies has got me feelin pretty good so far. keep up the good work everyone!

week ???- and they shrunk...

What shrunk? You might be wondering, and even if you are not, I'm going to tell you: my tits. That's right. So far I have lost around 9 lbs because of my new and healthier lifestyle, and it has all been from my tits. Not my gut, my thighs, or my monster ass (of which I am convinced that even if I weighed 30 lbs less, it would still be the same size), but my tits. I have probably lost a little from the rest of my fatty self, but the most obvious place is my tits. I'm hoping the weight loss will even out to other regions of my body.

Other than that little rant, things concerning my "lifestyle change" are going quite well (I have decided that I will never use the word "diet" again). I am eating a good, well-balanced diet, and eating a good breakfast consisting of eggs scrambled with peppers and onions every day. I contribute breakfast as my most important change, and as the main reason I am losing weight.

So, physically I am feeling great, and looking better. Yay!!!

Week ??

So it's the morning of my four-day weekend (thanks, Governor Perdue, for the state-imposed furlough), and I think I should post my healthy habits now.

you see, i'm headed to columbia for the USC-UK game, with 50-yard line, row 3 tickets. yea. so i expect a somewhat unhealthy weekend. what will keep it from becoming a weekend of debauchery is that the game is at 12.30, so there is not day-long tailgating. pros and cons; they constantly battle each other.

i made it to my gym class once this week, and we walked twice. there has been beer in the house (thanks for the sampler, maleeshka!), but it was technically our friday b/c of the furlough. it's okay.

eating has been better throughout the week, so that's good.

i checked my weight last sunday, and it appeared i dropped another 4 pounds from the prior week. however, the next day, i got a different number. so i decided to wait until this weekend to see what happened and will do a full measurement sunday or monday.

go gamecocks.

Week 4 - I'm starting to miss beer

I went to the gym tonight, hoorah. However, I know I won't be able to attend my normal classes until at least Thursday.

Last week saw me hosting nightly presentations at our high schools until late in the evening, so I was a little preoccupied. But I did weigh myself briefly, and I was down to 180 pounds.

And this is without regular exercise, just better eating and reducing late-night beer. Not that late-night beer was much, but two a night at 9:00 p.m. can't help.

This past weekend, however, I overindulged on food and drink, beginning Thursday night. USC beat up on Ole Miss, and I drank. Friday night was late evening wings and beer. We went to Athens Saturday for SEC tailgating, and I ate and drank. Sunday was Waffle House brunch, riding in a long car ride, and finishing off the weekend beer to avoid late-night weekday drinks.

So weighing myself tonight, I'm down to 179 pounds. That's 6 pounds in 2 weeks, with the first 5 in a week and a half. I'm going to run/walk and go to the gym more this week and then do the stomach and waist measurements next week.

So the lesson today, Sesame Street viewers? Beer is good for the mouth and bad for the gut.

I miss beer.

Week 4- Helloooo? Are you out there?

I feel like Topher, Bagel (occasionally!), and myself are the only ones keeping up regularly with this blog. Just sayin'!

Anyhoo, things are going well here concerning the diet and exercise. I am on a good routine, and I did much better this past weekend about cheating on the diet. I figure it is better to have more frequent, smaller indulgences than depriving myself completely, and going balls out on sweets and drinks all at once. So far I have lost around 7 pounds, and gained quite a bit of muscle. I feel like I am comfortable enough to give a BMI on my next blog.

So, how is everyone doing on their quest to becoming more healthy? I'm hoping we are all doing well and reaching our personal goals. Blog and let us all know!

Week 3 (a little late)...

So, for Week 3, I took it easy on the exercising, as I was still a little sick and did not want to risk compromising my immune system. I went to the gym twice= no good for losing weight. However, I did stick to my eating plan, and did not cheat during the week.

Then, the weekend arrived: a visit to the Japanese buffet is how it all started. My life was temporarily over. Then, I got trashed at a 2 year-old's birthday party (a new low, or high, depending on how you look at it) where massive consumption of birthday cake and shots of Surfers on Acid took place. It was fun, and I got in trouble for allowing the 2 year-old to completely destroy his birthday cake, and thus his cute little outfit, with a butter knife. I was letting him be creative; his Mommy was not amused. I also went to Danny's house, which is full of Cuban pastries and his Mom's mojitos. It was all over then.

This week, I'm back on track. I am back on my regular exercise schedule, and the SBD is back in full force. On a side note, I have another goal on this long and winding road: I'm thinking about joining the military, specifically the Navy, after I'm finished with school. The main reason is because I'm in some serious debt, and with most colleges and universities on a hiring freeze because of our lovely economy, I will probably be fucked in terms of getting a job and generating steady income. The military also offers sweet college loan repayment options. I have already been "let go" from two orchestras for this season because of the economy, and as a musician it's not going to get any better for awhile. It also goes with the "getting healthy" project because I need to lose some weight to meet the Navy's height/weight standards. Thoughts?

A Question

So we're all talking healthy eating and more physical activity...which is great. But let's hit the underlying theme each of us - i believe - has.

we grew up in charleston, and we love the beach. there is a health component to all of this, but i think, deep down, each of us has a very superficial goal: to look good on the beach.

don't shake your heads...don't apply other reasons...it's probably true.

so i'm posing a question with that goal in mind. our healthy living means a gradual body change, but summer is only 10 months away. better living is required now b/c we aren't 16 or 21. beer hurts and it stays in our bodies longer.

but what do we do to speed up the process?

do those weight loss/metabolism increasers/appetite suppresants actually work? do you go to a health food store and get the system cleansers? do you get the energy pills at the gas station?

it seems to me that - as superficial as our society is - that something should work, especially in conjunction with healthy eating and physical activity. marketing may be spin on a product, but you can't actually lie about the product. so some of what we're told has a kernel of truth somewhere in there.

thoughts?

better eating and less drinking - week 3

I think this is the end of the third week.

i ate better this week. healthier meal at lunch, and a lighter dinner. my drinking was way down until i got to columbia for the SIPA Board Meeting (yes, for those of you who did newspaper in high school, I am now on the board and planning the yearly conference). that involved drinking in the evenings and a trip to Viva La Vista, which was 40 downtown restaurants offering samples.

it was amazing and uplifting to be in a vibrant city with a food festival that drew hundreds of people.

my exercise did not go as well as i had planned, and i hope to go more this week. work - again - kept me at the office late most days. what needs to change there is a determination to run for at least 20 minutes when i can't go to the gym. tomorrow night, i plan on going to get new tennis shoes b/c the ones i have now hurt my feet when i run due to their age. (not MY age!)

i didn't post my numbers the last time due to my unhealthy habits, but i think that defeats the purpose. i need - for my purposes - to hold myself accountable, and if i hide the numbers, then there is no incentive for me to do better.

so here we go:

weight - 182 pounds
(i checked with a digital scale, and my scale at home is only a few pounds heavier...so i'll stick with it to keep my baseline comparison accurate.)
waist (at my hip bones) - 38 inches
stomach (at the belly button) - 40 inches

so that's a 3 lb loss and a one inch loss to my stomach.


let me say that one reason i like doing this is because i'm becoming almost as embarrassed by my current pictures as i am when i look at pictures of skinny me from the hazy days of bartending in columbia. there's a tagged picture of me on facebook from this weekend in columbia that makes me look chubby. when i wear a collared shirt, i can scrunch up my head and make my neck disappear.

thank you all for saying yes to belhelmel's endeavor.

Week 2- I'm Sick

This week, I got sick. It's either a cold, or maybe I picked up some H1N1 when I was in Mexico a few weeks ago. I'm leaning towards a cold, but you never know. Anything can happen.

Needless to say, I haven't hit the gym much this week. I went on Tuesday, and it was probably a bad idea. Instead I have been drinking Theraflu and laying on my ass in an attempt to get well. I have been sticking to the SB Diet, and am adding a few extra days to Phase 1 because of my cheating ways. Speaking of cheating, I went to Orlando this past Sunday and Monday to visit Sabrina and her family, and I ate pizza and pasta, a no-no in Phase 1. However, I was a guest in their home, and thought it would be rude to refuse what they offered me. It was delicious. Saturday evening we had some friends over for BBQ, and I got drunk over some wine and Trivial Pursuit. It was a good time. Friday afternoon/evening is Happy Hour at RA Sushi. I did have two $1 Sakes and a beer, but no sushi (I had tuna tataki instead). I suck at following rules.

I feel like I'm at confession when I post here, lol.

Overall, I feel like I'm doing well on the diet. I will be getting back to the gym as soon as I feel better. Until then, I will wallow in my illness, and take it easy.

slight improvement - week 2

i did MUCH better this week than last, but I certainly did not work to the level possible. so this week, i don't post weight, size, etc. because i could've done much better. any gains would be incremental and not really indicative of a true effort.

highlights:

i made it the gym monday and tuesday.
i made lunch my bigger meal and ate lighter at dinner.
i avoided late night beer most of the week.
i got more rest at night.
i drank more cold water throughout the day...and not soda.
i avoided late afternoon unhealthy snacks such as huge bags of chips.
i ate apples for breakfast.

downsides:

thursday night was the opening carolina game, so there was much beer drunk.
i drank during the weekend.
though hitting the gym twice, it was only twice. i didn't go wednesday through monday, though i had the opportunity several times.
my lunches were the big meal, but they could be healthier meals.
though beer was essentially removed, there was still alcohol, which has a sugar factor.


so what do i have to look forward to this week?

a shortened work week and a trip to columbia for a board retreat. which means i have less days to hit the gym and a weekend in a hotel in one of my favorite cities. that means i have to be diligent in my eating right and physical activities because the weekend will involve good eating, some drinks, and little to no physical activity.

no updates on the weight, stomach, or waist measurment. but i'm doing better, and i hope to improve on that this week. my goal? cut out alcohol tuesday through thursday; columbia will provide me an opportunity to enjoy a drink or two.

what are your thoughts?

it seems to me we need to be actively responding to each other's blogs; what's the point of telling each other what we're doing if we don't get any feedback?

my chubby mii!

so i did pretty well the past week, i did work out on the wii monday tuesday and wednesday, but i drank a whole lot this weekend celebrating yrrab's 30th birthday...so i could have done a lot better. however the float this year was a good work out because the wind was kickin! i'll probably start updating the picture of my mii when it starts to lose weight :) have a great week everybody and stay strong!

Week 1- And it begins...

So I have been on the South Beach Diet for about a week, and I am definitely seeing and feeling some results. My clothes are overall fitting better, my skin is clearer, and I sleep much better. This also due to the fact that I have been going to the gym every day since Sunday, which consists of running, the elliptical, stair climber, abs, and free weights. I have another week on Phase 1 of the diet, and then I will slowly add carbohydrates back into my daily diet.

However, I did cheat a little on the diet. I got drunk last weekend, and it was great. Friday night I had some rum and diets and a few beers, all for the purpose of being social. Sunday night, my horn professor took the horn studio out for dinner, so of course I had a glass of wine with dinner. Monday was my last cheat; I had a vanilla mini-scone from Starbucks. My friend surprised me with it, not knowing that I'm on this diet. I did not want to be rude, so I ate it. It was delicious, heavenly, glorious, and basically every thing wonderful concerning scones. I found it interesting that the scone seemed so sweet after a week of not having sugar, and I didn't want anymore after that one teeny scone. We don't need as much of the sweet stuff as we think.

Overall, I'm doing well on this plan. At times it can be difficult; I want ice cream and chocolate so bad! However, I am controlling myself for the sake of my health and physical appearance, and once I get my weight and metabolism under control, then I can afford to splurge once in awhile. I do have a first splurge planned already: Ribfest 2009. I don't plan on splurging until Ribfest, which isn't until the beginning of November. I'll have my eyes on a few deep-fried Oreos, just not the whole dish. Maybe. ;-)

unhealthy living habits (i'm a week behind already)

this is why i had to quit tae kwon do...and the reason i haven't been to the gym in 4+ months: last week was my 4th consecutive 80-hour week. and for last week, i hit that mark by thursday afternoon. over the summer, it was 2-4 night-time board meetings a week that kept me from the gym.

yea, exactly. that's what could be termed as unhealthy living habits. i ate too much, i relaxed with a beer or two when getting home at 9, and i certainly participated in zero physical activity.

of course, it could be argued that - last week - my
body and mind stayed at elevated levels for all of those days (hopefully speeding up metabolism) and i missed several lunches. so that's good for the end result, right?

but not healthy. mom actually told me to go to a doctor to get a full health check-up, with emphasis on my heart. so i called in sick to work friday, but still fielded media calls all day long. technically working, but it was good to be out of the eye of the storm.

recognizing my need for balance, i went jogging friday evening and could tell it had been a while.

by sunday, after much soul-searching and phone calls to my PR mentors, friends, and family (but not belhelmel; he was too busy wearing a big red nose at the ronald mcdonald house), i decided seeking balance was going to be my only way to stay sane. i did it from january through may of last year, and it was great.

today, i forced my way out of office right at 5 and made it to my gym class right at 5.30. tomorrow will suck terribly, but i intend to make both classes. the first begins at 5.15 which is pushing it for me to make, but i should be able to make the 5.45.

if not, i go jogging.

so no update on weight, inches, or bmi this week because any change would from my non-healthy lifestyle of last week.

(for those curious as the events, just check my local media stations. you could probably even google my name at this point and get some hits. i was even quoted in the atlanta journal-constitution.)

fat slacker

sorry! i meant to sit down and give this some thought and write it out well when i had time but i'm a huge slacker so i didn't and now i'm doing it on my lunch break.
stats:
weight - 175 lbs
bmi - i didn't see where to calculate this, but last time the wii told me about 29 (borderline obese, which makes me sad)

here's the basic plan, to be improved upon later: eat and drink less and exercise more!
i will:
-do water aerobics for 30 minutes 5 times a week
-do 8 minute abs 5 times a week (mom, dad and i try to do them together)
-work out on the wii fit 10-20 minutes everyday
-get a better handle on my food portion size
-have no more late night snacks!
-drink no more than 21 alcoholic beverages per week! (i know that sounds like a lot but you know where i live now....)
-eat more fruits and vegetables
-eat breakfast everyday

these are pretty general goals, i'll refine them later and let you know how i'm doing with them. i did water aerobics last night! picture of the scale and my fatty fat fat mii to come....

The Story of a Fatty

I am a fatty. I have been struggling with my weight for as long as I can remember. My first diet started when I was in kindergarten (!!!) by recommendation of my pediatrician, and it seems that I have always been on a "diet" of sorts ever since. Clearly none of them have worked.

I was the fat kid, and believe me, it sucks to be the fatty fat kid. In elementary school and middle school I was teased relentlessly by classmates, family (never my sister), and even some kids I considered my friends. Not fun. The teasing continued throughout high school, but it mostly came from family at this point, at least to my face. All of the teasing took its toll on my self-esteem, and by no means aided me in losing weight. It actually made my situation worse, as the only thing that made me feel better was eating. Go figure.

During and after my sophomore year of college, I managed to lose a lot of weight in healthy and unhealthy ways. The healthy way was that I started to exercise, which I also found to be beneficial in managing stress and keeping my mood up (runner's high is the best). The unhealthy way was that I was basically starving myself. I was not learning how to eat the right foods to stabilize my metabolism. Starving myself worked, but of course it didn't last forever. My weight has stayed lower than it was when I was in high school, but still tends to fluctuate.

So, here is my current plan to lose weight, and hopefully keep it off...

1. South Beach Diet. I tried this diet awhile back, and it is awesome. Check it out: http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/

I started the diet this morning.

2. Half-Marathon Training. I ran a half-marathon in January of this year, and am quite proud of myself for finishing. I want to do another one this coming Spring, either the ING Miami Half-Marathon, the Ft. Lauderdale A1A Half-Marathon, or the 13.1 Marathon Miami Beach, depending on my school/gig/audition schedule. Here is the training schedule I used for the first race: http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/novice.htm

3. Get more sleep. Muy importante.

My goal for this project is not to reach a specific weight, BMI, inches, etc. Numbers depress me, but I do plan on weighing myself once a week. I will disclose my weight when I feel more comfortable, until then it shall remain a mystery. I have this cute dress which I wore to a wedding a few years ago. I want that dress to fit me again; for now I can zip it up, but I look like a sausage. Fitting in that pink dress will be my first goal for this project, and I will probably post a picture of me wearing it.

Hopefully this plan will work. All it is basically going to take on my part is self-discipline, especially when it comes to balancing my work/school/dissertation schedule with the half-marathon training. The diet is going to be rough for the first 2 weeks because I can't have any sugar (no chocolate!!!), but I will survive.

I do not want to be a fatty anymore.

ahh, ok
my weight - 154 pounds
height - 5.9
BMI - 22.7
waist - 30 in
hips - 38 inches

Goals for one month:
waist - 28 inches
hips 36 inches

really? really? that's my weight?

so i assumed i would be looking at BMI points for this little endeavor because a 5% weight loss goal that kept resetting probably wouldn't be healthy for me. not that i could be considered 'thin' or 'skinny,' but i also wouldn't be considered fat, overweight, or chubby (except for the beer belly).

i've never had too much extra weight. in college, i put on weight due to all the food my student loans were paying for. then i started the crew team, which had me rowing 5-6 days week, in addition to guided work out sessions at the gym.

after college came the bartender lifestyle, which burns through calories quicker than is probably safe.

when i moved to macon, i put on 30-40 pounds in 6-8 months. i was eating 2-3 meals a day, sitting in an office all day, and not burning off the empty beer calories. a gym membership was worthless b/c it was a 24-hour muscle place, and i never went.

starting tae kwon do did great things for my physical well-being and helped focus my attention at work. it was then i realized regular physical activity had more benefits than i realized.

tae kwon do had to stop due to my work schedule. i couldn't make the early classes, and i was exhausted for the later classes. with the urging of Stoli, we joined the medical center of central georgia's health center & gym.

we kept up with regular gym sessions for several months before being invited to the weight & sports training classes. they're given by a guy who works with me at the board office, and he's built. that lends his class credibility. for a year, we kept up with those classes.

we haven't been back in 6-7 months, and in the past two weeks, i've noticed several pairs of my pants don't fit. this disturbed me...i assumed several pounds and an inch to the waist would've been added, but to have pants not fit? really?

when belhelmel posed this idea, i did my BMI based on my assumed weight, and it was okay. then i weighed myself tonight. i'm 20-25 pounds heavier than what i thought, which is unacceptable. our scale is not accurate, so we'll have digital scales monday for confirmation.

however, i'll say that i weighed in at 180-185 pounds, based on the margin of error for our scales. at 5'10", that puts my BMI at 26.5, which is 1.5 points on the overweight side. (if that changes significantly with the digital scales, i'll post an update.)

it's not the weight that's bothersome, it's where it's placed. it's primarily in the stomach and surrounding areas. so my goal will be a loss of BMI points, a waist line reduction, and reduction in my stomach.

Current Measurements
BMI - 26.5
weight - 180-185 pounds
waist (at my hip bones) - 38 inches
stomach (at the belly button - 41 inches

My Goals
i want my BMI to be down within the normal range of 18.5-24.9 points. i do not have a specific goal yet for my weight, since my only concern is the placement of the weight.

for the size measurements, i want to fit into my pants, which i was able to wear 7 months ago. they have a waist of 32 or 33 inches. (they still fit if i suck in my stomach and don't tuck in my shirt...so by fitting into my pants doesn't mean losing 6 inches off of my waist.)

i won't shoot for that elusive six-pack stomach...i like my wings and beer too much for that to happen. however, i would like to lost a considerable portion of the hangover.

My Plan
this is easy; it is my understanding and belief that most "diets" do not work. by setting a goal of weight loss and starving yourself of certain food groups is ridiculous. what the human body needs is a regular source of nutrition, as well as regular physical activity. you need a sustainable, healthy lifestyle.

so, to promote a healthier lifestyle, i will:

1) eat more, smaller meals during the day
2) limit dinner to a lighter dinner
3) go back to the gym classes 3-4 times during the working week
4) utilize the gym and go for a jog each weekend i'm in macon
5) remove beer from my nightly ritual due to empty calories and limit liquor consumption
6) take the dog on a walk every night

so i'll check in next week and see if anything is reduced after a week of living healthier. some of the above i do sporadically (there hasn't been much beer in the house the past 3 weeks), but i haven't followed through with all of them consistently at the same time.

tonight? tonight i'm eating beef stew, having a few drinks, and considering some ice cream. it's sunday, and it's supposed to be funday.

but tomorrow, i face that unacceptable 185 pounds and BMI score that says i'm overweight.

Barry's "Plan"

This week, I quit my gym.

It seems counterintuitive and counterproductive, but stick with me, I got a plan.

I don't have time anymore for silliness or excessive travel; with two jobs and school, I cannot even guess when I would be able to make the 25-minute bus ride just to get to my current gym, let alone hoping that I don't miss the bus back, leaving me stranded in Hyde Park for 45 minutes-1 hour waiting on the next one to come through. It is just not conducive. I have requested, and received, permission from Ronald McDonald to use the gym there even when I am not working. Ronald is three blocks from my main employer and an easy uphill walk.

Thus, I eliminate the first of many items on what I will deem my "excuse list;" that is, the reasons I use to excuse myself from exercise:

1. My gym is too far -- DONE
2. I'm too tired -- I honestly do not know how I plan to overcome this, except the belief that I will become more energetic as this project continues.
3. I don't have the time -- Yes, yes, I do. I get off work at 600am on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings; class does not begin until 8:30am. Guess what, Barry? After arriving at school (630am), you have almost two hours to use the school gym. You are just being lazy.
4. I worked out (yesterday/last week). -- I have to just suck it up, I suppose.
5. But I'm always on my feet -- between work and school, why do I have to work out! -- Barry, you're kidding yourself. You are currently gaining weight. You're just pouting.

Most of my reasons against working out boil down to simply psych'ing myself off my ass. For example, it is 7:30am here in Cincinnati, I am awake but am just sitting at home doing nothing. It's all about drive, for me, I think. I believe I have the ability -- I've done it before -- it's just a matter of getting into it.

And that is why I wanted to start this little project, the Charleston Losers, as a way of keeping myself accountable.

But I am adding two new items to my roster of tools:

1. A food diary -- Beginning tomorrow, I will write down everything that I eat (I almost wrote "everything I put in my mouth," but I didn't want to leave myself open to the jokes).
2. An exercise journal -- So's I can hold myself accountable to the amount of work I am doing.

I find that writing shit down helps more than anything else.

My current plan is to work out Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings. Possibly Friday afternoon, if I don't take over shifts that particular evening. If not, I'll add Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning. Three to four days a week is a strong start, IMHO.

In consideration for my health: my heart condition is one that the actual medical advice is to sit on your couch and do very little lest I pass out and die. I contacted my doctor as the best way to handle myself. His answer? "First, surgery." (Um, no. Open heart surgery at 26? No thanks.) The next best option is to work out longer, not harder. Rather than strive for running, I am to extend gradually the time I spend on a treadmill or on another aerobic machine and keep my heart rate in the 120-140 range. Because HCM can be classified as a "tachydysrhythmia" (my heart beat goes out of sync when it speeds up), I will be able to run, eventually. I and my doctor would prefer I keep my heart rate as steady as possible and increase the intensity only after a long time.

I will not, then, set myself up to believe that I may one day run the Cooper River Bridge. Claire knows that, in my current health, even walking up the bridge is a problem. My goal is simply to make it over in less than, say, 3 hours.

I don't have a plan like Adam's. I want to get into it, first. I want to start feeling the work before delineating what I want to do. I will probably be on some sort of aerobic machine; I will probably pick up some sort of weights. In the past, I did a 15-7-30+ routine (15 minutes of aerobics, 7 resistance exercises, 30+ minutes of aerobics). It worked out well when I had 50+ machines and a plethora of free weights at my disposal. My standard work out, now, maybe 10-3-30+ or something similar. I want to get my hands on free weights... see what I can do without feeling silly.

So, I quit my gym this week. And I will start spending more time at Ronald in that gym. If I can get through those two goals, I will count this as a win for me.

Adams Goals and workout plan

Goals

Short Term Goals

• Start getting enough sleep AT NIGHT. Limit naps to 45 min. When you get tired, feel sick or down it's time to rest.
• Make time Don’t Waste time.
• Practice Karate away from the dojo (Forms, Kempos, and Combinations)
  Go to a conditioning class at least once a week
• Go to the Gym three times a week
• Go to the dojo at least two times a week
• I was to be able to do 100 pushups on my fists by October.
• I want to lose 10 lbs by October as well.
  

Long Term Goals

• Lose fat, not weight
  -Eat healthy foods and establish a regular cardio routine
• Build muscle mass (especially arms) and then shape and tone
  -Follow a gym routine with dedication putting emphasis on resistance training and conditioning.
• Get in shape to reduce fatigue and promote general health that will carry on into later years
  Stretch every evening and after every workout to increase flexibility

Make Time
*Buy and USE a day planner
*Get organized with the four D's
-Dump, Delegate, Do or Delay
*Check what you do. The things you spend your time on are your priorities (including TV, video games, and naps.)
+Use Stairs rather than the elevator.
+Save time by timing showers to workout sessions
+Be a social activist (when hanging with friends play sports)

Nutrition
*SIX TO EIGHT 8 OUNCE GLASSES OF WATER PER DAY
*SIX SMALL MEALS A DAY TO KEEP METABOLISM MOVING FASTER
-60% Carbohydrate
* IF AN ACTIVE BODY DOESNT GET ENOUGH CARBOHYDRATE, IT STARTS TAPPING PROTEIN FOR ENERGY, BY BREAKING DOWN MUSCLE

CARBS
+whole-grain breads and cereals
+ pasta
+bagels
+ apples, bananas, oranges and pears
+potatoes, corn, peas, and beans, broccoli
-10-15% Protein
*MUSCLE BUILDER
+meat (lean beef/Chicken/Turkey)
+milk (1 gram per ounce)
+fish (7 grams per ounce) (tuna)
+ yogurt (8 grams per ounce)
+eggs (6 grams per egg)
+peas (4 grams per half-cup)
-20-25% Fat
* Fat comes in two general ways: from animal products and from oils. So drink skim milk; opt for baked and broiled over fried; cut back on meat portions; trim skin and visible fat off chicken turkey and beef' substitute fruit spreads for butter; eat low fat cheeses.

Weight Lifting
*for size lift moderately heavy weights a moderate number of times (ARMS)
*for toning lift light weights a high number of times
*Rest for a day between resistance training so that muscles have a chance to regenerate.
*And effective workout will exercise large muscle groups first.
*It especially important to be smooth and slow when you're lowering the weight.
*DONT LOCK UP THE JOINT. This takes the weight of the muscle and puts it one the bone and that gives the muscles a rest.
*MAKE CHANGES, by the time you get bored with your routine your muscles are way ahead of you.

Aerobic Exercise
*Used to reduce body fat.
*Works large muscle groups for sustained periods.
*Helps deliver oxygen and glucose to muscles.
*Work hard enough to make a difference but pace yourself
*Warm up and Warm down 10 min.
*As a rule an Aerobic exercise should be at least 20 to 30min.

Flexibility
*Soften up, when muscles are cold they're stiffer, Light exercise before stretching warms muscles and makes them more pliable
*Hold each stretch for 30 sec.
*Stretches should be slow and steady, not fast and jerky

*Stretching after a workout increases flexibility faster because the muscles are already warm.

Mental Conditioning
*The better you are at pushing yourself beyond your normal limits, the closer you'll come to peak conditioning
*It's not the thing you can do that makes the difference, but the thing you can't
*By concentrating on the specific muscle being exercised, you're more likely to put more energy into your effort and execute your movements with better form.
*By limiting yourself to what you think your best is, you can shortchange your true abilities.
*Don't dwell on what you can't do because it will get in the way of what you can.
*SHOW UP ALL THE TIME

Ridding Fat
*Eat Carbohydrates: beans pasta, cereal and potatoes
*You'll still gain weight on carbs if you eat more of them than your body uses.
*You really need to eat sufficient calories to sustain both exercise and your resting metabolic rate.
*60% carbs, 20-25% fat, and 10-15% protein.
*Eat early not late; the body seems to be more efficient at storing fat during the night.
*Eat often; eating many smaller meals throughout the day keeps insulin levels down and fat burning potential up.
*The more lean muscle you have, the more calories you burn even when you’re inactive.
*Aerobic exercise versus resistance training. It’s not really an either/or proposition. Do both regularly.

The Twenties
*The twenties are a critical time to establish fitness habits, abilities and passion that will stick with you later, when exercise ostensibly matters more.
*Because you’re young, your body is more resilient and stronger than it will be in late years, which means you can use it more heavily and achieve greater results in a shorter period of time. Your body is still pumping out ample amounts of growth hormone.
*Bulk up now because you begin to lose muscle mass in your thirties.
Workout Routines

Basic Fitness
*A ten minute warm up. Do a light aerobic activity to get blood lowing though you muscles.
*Five minutes of stretching

*Thirty Minutes of weight training

*Thirty minutes of aerobic activity
*Five minute cool down
*Five minutes of stretching

The Core Routine

*Follow order as listed above using the following exercises during weight training.
Thirty Minutes of weight training
-Squats
-Bench Press
-One-Arm Dumbbell Rows
-Alternating Press with Dumbbells
-Concentration Curls
-Overhead Triceps Extensions
-Crunches

*Three Month Program*
*To get fit in Three Months you're going to have to do a lot of something towards your goal everyday.
*Weight train every other day (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday)
*Aerobic Exercise almost everyday (on the seventh day he rested, so should you)

The First Month

*Goals- Build a strong cardiovascular base by getting you aerobic capacity up to 30 minutes a day. Get right into a weight-training routine.

Exercises

*Leg press 95

* Leg curls 100

*Standing heel raises 100

*Wide grip bench press 70

*Dumbbell flies 71

*Bent over row 88

*Back extensions 85

*Shrugs 64

*Military press 66

*Barbell curls 48

*Overhead triceps extensions 51

*Crunches 77

*Oblique Crunches 83

Week 1

10-15 minutes of Cardio every day

Karate Tues. Thursday

Weight Routine Wed. Fri Sun.. 15-10 reps

Week 2

15-20 min. of Cardio every day

Karate Tues. Thursday

Weight Routine Wed. Fri Sun.. 15-10 reps

Week 3

20-25 minutes of aerobic activity a day

12-15 reps in weight routine

Week 4

25-30 minutes of aerobic activity a day

15-15 reps of moderately heavy weights

The Second Month

Goals—add ten minutes to your aerobic workout. Build strength by lifting heavier weights. Start attending Conditioning classes on Tues. and Sat.

Exercises

Legs: Dumbbell step ups and step downs 97

Legs: Squats 96

Chest: Decline bench press 73

Chest: Alternating dumbbell press 71

Back: Rumanian dead lifts 86

Back Lat pull down 128

Shoulders: Upright rows 64

Shoulders: side lateral raises 65

Arms: Hammer curls 49

Arms: Seated triceps press 51

Abs Crossover crunches 78

Abs: oblique twists 82

Week 5-7

30-35 min. aerobic at 70%-75%

3 sets of 10-12 moderately heavy weights increasing weight gradually

Week 8

40 min. of aerobic exercise each day.

Three to five sets of eight to ten reps .of moderate weights

Third Month

Goals—Focus toward the activity you’ll be doing. Intensify weight routine with 3-5 sets of moderately heavy weights. Increase your weights every workout. Shift through your weight routines when you get bored with them.

.

Exercises

Legs: Barbell step ups and step downs 98

Legs: Dumbbell Lunges 96

Chest: Inclined bench press: 70

Chest: Declined push ups 74

Back: Good morning exercises 86

Back: bent over rows 88

Shoulders: Alternating front lateral raises 65

Shoulders: Alternating press with dumbbells 66

Arms: Concentration curls 50

Arms: One arm triceps pulldowns 52

Abs: Hanging single knee raises 79

Abs: Side bends with dumbbells 83

Week 9-12

40 min. at 75 percent intensity

3-5 sets of three to five reps of heavy weights increasing weight load when you can surpass your levels.

Advanced Body Shaping

*Do a number of different exercises for each muscle group. That way, you’ll call more muscles into play.

*Start with 12-15 reps of each exercise and when you can do more than 15 increase your weight and reduce your reps to 12 again

*Three to five sets: Testosterone kicks in around 6 or 7

*It’s important that muscles are continually being fatigued so rests should last between 30 and 60 seconds.

Sunday and Wednesday

Legs

Squats

Leg extensions

Leg curls

Dumbbell lunges

Standing heel raises

Back

One-arm dumbbell rows

Seated rows

Lat Pull Down

Dead Lifts

Biceps

Preacher curls

Inclined alternating dumbbell curls

Inclined alternating dumbbell curls, palm down

Concentration curls

Vertical Grip curls

Forearms

Wrist rolls

Abs/obloquies

Reverse curls

Oblique crunches

Raised leg crunches

Saturday and Monday

Chest

Bench press

Inclined bench press

Declined bench press

Dumbbell flies

Dips

Triceps

One arm triceps pulldowns

Overhead triceps extensions

Standing extensions

Skull Crusher extensions

Shoulders

Alternating press with dumbbells

Side lateral raises

Front lateral raises

Upright rows

Military press

Abs/obloquies

Oblique crunches

Raised leg crunches

Raised leg to arm crunch

Alternate Raised leg to arm crunch

Side Jackknife

Test

Just a test to see what the whole shebang will look like.