It Happened Again

I did it again, just what I worried I might do. I fell off the weight loss train. Got mangled in the tracks, my plan all torn to shreds.

However, I am not going to let that stop me this time. Sure, I've spent the last two weeks eating like a pig and doing nothing for a workout other than shoveling heavier and heavier plates of snacks into my mouth. The guilt was ENORMOUS. And the pounds packed themselves back on. On the 2nd I was 204.4 pounds. Today I'm up one more at 205.4. I was all the way down at 193! That's 12.4 pounds in 2 weeks. That's an even worse gain than the last time I fell from the train.

*sigh*

There, that's out of my system. I'm done with the failure. The guilt is gone (or going). Today, I'm back. It's going to be difficult. I mean, I was standing in my kitchen this morning staring at all the tempting snacks sitting on the counter, some I purchased just yesterday. I was asking myself: "What's the worst that could happen if it's just one more day of snacking?" I knew the answer before asking the question. The worst is what has happened the past two times I went one day, then another, and another until I was back to the overweight wreck I've all too frequently become.

Breakfast today was 180 calories (Fiber One cereal and milk with a glass of V8). I drank 2 glasses of water. I faced my shame and updated my weight and restarted my tracking on The Daily Plate. I'm back.

This time until the end.

I'm going all Spartan on the calories again for a few weeks, just until I get under 200 pounds - 5.5 pounds to lose to reach that goal. I'll then start building the calories back up to a normal person's level, shooting to consume a net of 1,800 - 2,000 calories a day while maintaining my new healthy weight of approximately 165 pounds.

The exercise will have to decrease in hours because I simply don't have the time to workout as much as I did during November and December. I want to do more (write, draw, read, start to date...yeah, I need to get on that - that's what she said - if I want to have a family anytime soon). So the weight loss will be slow going. Once under 200 pounds I'll shoot for an average of 1.5 - 2 pounds loss a week. I'm hoping to be at my 165 pounds by the end of June. Just in time for RAGBRAI and the start of training for the Walt Disney World "Goofy" (half-marathon AND full marathon, back-to-back) next January.

Onward, Pirate! You've got some work to do.

My Charts - Dec. 26

*sniff sniff* My graph, it's ruined. My poor slope.


Check out that final day!

Progress Report LIII - December 26

Last Week's Weight: 193 lbs
Current Weight: 194.6 lbs.
Loss/Gain: + 1.6 lbs.
Weekly Percentage of Weight Gain: 0.83%

4.4 lbs. Past Year-End Goal (199 lbs.)
4.7 lbs. to NEW Year-End Goal (189.9 lbs.)
25.6 lbs. to Goal (169 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: 16:11:55 hours

Exercise Distance: 100.97 miles (9.00 running; 27.64 walking; 64.33 biking)

Calories Burned: 7,360 (1,051 avg. daily)

Weekly Calories Consumed: 15,289* (2,184 avg. daily)

Net Weekly Calories: 7,929 (1,113 avg. daily)

*On Friday and Saturday, a large portion of calories consumed needed to be estimated due to eating foods and recipes not easily tracked via the Daily Plate website. On Friday, 1,160 calories were estimated consumed, and on Saturday, 4,480 calories were estimated consumed.

BALLS! My first weight gain of the new weight loss run attempt. I sort of knew it might happen, what with the holiday and all. Still, it is disappointing because it ruins my graphs and crushes a bit of my spirit. And it was all the result of just TWO days (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day).

However, I'm not going to let it stop me. I decided Christmas Eve that these few days of holiday celebration only come ONCE a year, and that if I didn't ENJOY them then I'd be kicking myself for a year. Because in the end, does it really - TRULY - matter if I put on a few pounds? I can take them right back off, probably as quickly as I've been taking the pounds off up until this week. I decided to enjoy the days, taking care to not enjoy them TOO much. I didn't need to almost DIE like last year on Christmas.

Still, it is really frustrating when you look at the numbers of my superheroic workout week:

• 100 miles covered!
• 16 hours working out!
• 7,000 calories burned!

This was 6 more hours of exercise from last week, 50! more miles of working out, 1,00 more calories burned (but also 7,800! more calories consumed than last week - over DOUBLE).

The only thing I can think is that all the extra calories came in the last two days of the week when I was also getting the sickest. The overload and the weak body probably didn't help the weight burning process.

I am sick now. Sore throat, cough, congestion. I'm not going to stop working out, but I'm not going to push it to the extremes I did last week. I need to take the recovery time this week to let my body heal and get better.

The plan for this week is to still eat fully today (celebrating Christmas with mom today and more family at grandma's tonight). I'll then get myself back on schedule with strictly enforced caloric intake - not at a level to lose 4.7 pounds to meet the New Year-End goal (that's out, barring a miracle) - and 2 hour workouts following the new, more manageable schedule I created (more on that later). I'm going to pass on eating "fully" during New Year's; these few days around Christmas were enough.

We'll see where that puts me. I'm fully prepared (sort of) to see a gain again this week (sickness, off days, new workout schedule, some extra eating), but after the new year there are no good reasons to see any sort of gain. It's back on schedule, hitting it hard to lose the final 25 or so pounds to reach my goal.

Progress Report XXXXIII - December 27

Weight: 201.6 lbs.
Loss/Gain: + 1.6 lbs.

31.6 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)
2.6 lbs. to Year-End Goal (199 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: 5:51:51 hours (Biking: 4:14:21 hours; Perfect Pushups: 7:30 min.; Weightlifting: 8:00 min.; Abs: 14:00 min.; Stretching: 8:00 min.)

Exercise Distance: 42.12 miles (Biking: 42.12 miles)

On the plus side, I did get out on the bike trainer. And I purchased a heart rate monitor to more accurately track the number of calories I burn during my workouts.

That’s all I can chalk up to the plus side of this week.

Just as I knew would happen, Christmas – and the obscene amount of (tasty) food available – brought me to my knees. There was no way (easy) way to accurately count the number of calories consumed Christmas day, so I was forced to estimate. 9,000 calories. (And I’m hoping that the number is on the high side, though I fear it may not be high enough.) I did a little better (still about 5,000 calories) the day after Christmas, but there were still too many temptations.

My body, last night, decided to try and kill me. I was sick – or felt sick – but my body would not let me do anything to fix that feeling. Couldn’t throw up for the life of me – and I hate throwing up, but I thought that must be the only way I’d get a release from the intense pain – and I suffered for over an hour rolling and rocking back in forth in front of the toilet, trying to find comfort. I finally just went to bed, and tried to calm myself enough to pass out. I must have eventually done so, because I slept and woke up feeling much, much better. There’s still a hint of stomach pain. The only thing I can think is that my body went into shock over the amount of unhealthy calories I’d consumed in a 2-day period. I’ve said “never again” to holiday binges like this before, but sweet monkeys, this was painful.

I am pleased that I was out on the bike and that I kept up on the exercise. It could have made the week much, much worse. I have five more days this year to bring things back under control so that I can start the new year out on the right foot. I’m not going to meet the goal I set out on January 1st, but I will get there by my birthday this coming year. I’m seeing results and it’s motivating.

Oh, and if you’re curious to see my daily nutrition/exercise progress, check out my page on The Daily Plate.

Progress Report XXXIX - November 29

Weight: 208.8 lbs.
Loss/Gain: + 0.8 lbs.

38.8 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)
9.8 lbs. to Year-End Goal (199 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: 0 hours

Exercise Distance: 0 miles

Even with Thanksgiving and some just terrible diet decisions I managed to only gain 0.8 lbs. I shouldn’t feel as happy as I do about this. I should think about just how much I might have lost if I had been doing things the correct way.

It is my goal to lose 10 lbs. in December so that I can meet my Year-End Goal of breaking the 200 lb. mark. It’s going to take a massive amount of willpower and discipline to succeed. It all starts December 1st.

Here's my last 10 days of calories consumed and burned:


Oh, and if you’re curious to see my daily nutrition/exercise progress, check out my page on The Daily Plate.

Progress Report XXXVII - November 8

Weight: 212.6 lbs.
Loss/Gain: + 1.4 lbs.

42.6 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)
13.6 lbs. to New Goal (199 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: 1:02:41.00 hours (walking: 1:02:41.00 hours)

Exercise Distance: 4.62 miles (walking: 4.62 miles)

Not the best way to start November. I did not follow my diet. I did not exercise. And there was no good reason why I fell back into familiar bad habits. (Well, aside from stress and laziness.)

Monday through Saturday I raided the leftover Halloween candy stash. I also ate McDonalds twice and had pizza one night. I’m sure all of this wouldn’t have been so terribly bad if I’d done the even the easiest of workouts.

I’m just pleased I didn’t gain more weight than I did. Here’s to hoping I can turn things around this week. So far today has gone pretty well.

Here's my last 10 days of calories consumed and calories burned:


Here's my last 30 days of calories consumed and calories burned:


Oh, and if you’re curious to see my daily nutrition/exercise progress, check out my page on The Daily Plate.

Progress Report XXXI - August 2

Weight: 227.6 lbs.
Loss/Gain: + 5 lbs.

57.6 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: none

Exercise Distance: none

Late in posting because there was nothing here to post that I was pleased about. Some of the weight gain had to be due to the fact that a lot of what I lost on RAGBRAI was water weight, but still…I didn’t exercise and I ate crap all week. So there’s that too.

Progress Report XXVIII - July 12

Weight: 224.4 lbs.
Loss/Gain: + 5.6 lbs.

63.8 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: none

Exercise Distance: none

Depressed, really.

Progress Report XXVII - July 5

Weight: 224.4 lbs.
Loss/Gain: + 1.4 lbs.

58.2 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: none

Exercise Distance: none

*frown*

Progress Report XXV - June 21

Weight: 225.2 lbs.
Loss/Gain: + 1 lb.

57.6 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: 1:24:40 hours (biking: 1:24:40 hours)

Exercise Distance: 22.07 miles (biking: 22.07 miles)

Progress Report XXIV - June 14

Weight: 224.2 lbs.
Loss/Gain: + 4 lbs.

56.6 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: 3:38:29 hours (biking: 3:38:29 hours)

Exercise Distance: 52.94 miles (biking: 52.94 miles)

It’s a great feeling to have been out exercising once again. Okay, so I’m sore and tired and not feeling great great, but I am happy to be active once more. (And look: 50+ miles in two days - not bad.)

What I’m not so impressed with is the weight gain. Gah. That’s going to change this week. There are no more excuses for the poor diet choices I’m making. I’m going be counting calories each day. That will help. It has to. I’m almost back to my starting weight.

(There. A smile. Happy, Steve?)

Progress Report XXIII - June 7

Weight: 220.2 lbs.
Loss/Gain: + 0.8 lbs.

52.6 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: none

Exercise Distance: none

Progress Report XXII - May 31

Weight: 219.4 lbs.
Loss/Gain: + 4.8 lbs.

51.8 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: none

Exercise Distance: none

Progress Report XXI - May 24

Weight: 217 lbs.
Loss/Gain: + 2.4 lbs.

47 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: 1:06:21 hours (biking: 1:06:21 hours)

Exercise Distance: 14.98 miles (biking: 14.98 miles)

I managed one bike ride. That’s all I can say. Here’s to hoping it’s the start of something more, something more like the beginning of the year.

I'm Back - RAGBRAI - Aiming for 500 Miles

The lack of recent posts should have given you some indication of how well things were going in my pursuit of a healthy life. (Hint: not well.) Over the past month – in fact the entire month of April – I’ve gained back 8.4 lbs of the weight I worked so hard losing earlier this year. For the past 5 weeks (and probably this week, too) I’ve gained weight. This is due entirely to a lack of exercise and good portion control.

It all ends now.

I’ll be (essentially) starting over with the entire diet and exercise routine. To make things easier, the month of May will have no theme. It is my goal to find my way back on to the path of healthy living. I’ll return to more regular wellness blogging to help ensure I stay the course.

Upcoming event: RAGBRAI XXXVII – July 19th – 25th (riding bike 442 miles across the state of Iowa)

The time for training is now. The bike will be cleaned, the tires will be aired, and the rides will begin this week. My goal is 500 miles between now and July 19th. The addition of a second (maybe third) job will impact the amount of time I have to ride, but I’ll do my best to hit those 500 miles. It will only make RAGBRAI that much easier if I can squeeze the training in.

Progress Report XVIII - May 3

Weight: 216.4 lbs.
Loss/Gain: +2.6 lbs.

46.4 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: none

Exercise Distance: none

April Wellness Challenge progress: sleep + [relaxation]

[completely lost track of this month’s challenge]

Sorry this post is almost an entire week late. It’s been a bad month.

Progress Report XVII - Apr. 26

Weight: 213.8 lbs.
Loss/Gain: +0.6 lbs.

43.8 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: none

Exercise Distance: none

April Wellness Challenge progress: sleep + [relaxation]

[completely lost track of this month’s challenge]

Yeah, what can I say other than I had another week not following my plan to live a healthier life. No excuses.

Progress Report XVI - Apr. 19

Weight: 213.2 lbs.
Loss/Gain: +3.4 lbs.

43.2 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: none

Exercise Distance: none

April Wellness Challenge progress: sleep + [relaxation]

[Will update soon.]

Up again with the weight due to a lack of exercise and a poor diet. Still sickly with a bad cough. Finally – after two weeks – bought some cough medicine. We’ll see if it does the trick. Now, what to do about the rest of my problem?

Still need to turn things around after a month of bad habits returned.

Progress Report XV - Apr. 12

Weight: 209.8 lbs.
Loss/Gain: +0.8 lbs.

39.8 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: none

Exercise Distance: none

April Wellness Challenge progress: sleep + [relaxation]

[to be updated soon...]

It’s no excuse (well, it’s a little bit of an excuse), but I was pretty sick this week. I’m still fighting with a killer cough that burns in my chest and a head full of snot and mucus and all that glorious, disgusting stuff of colds.

Up again with the weight due to a lack of exercise and a poor diet. Even if the sickness lasts into this week, I’ll work hard on correcting the diet. Back to healthy portions and not so much out of control snacking.

Time to turn things around after a month of bad habits returned.

Progress Report XIV - Apr. 5

Weight: 209 lbs.
Loss/Gain: +0.8 lbs.

39 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: 27:28.89 minutes (walking: 27:28.89 minutes)

Exercise Distance: 2 miles (walking: 2 miles)

Random Weekly Challenge: “must exercise at least 5 hours”
– not met (not even close to met)

April Wellness Challenge progress: __ sleep + [relaxation] __

6 & [1.5] + 7 & [1.5] + 7.6 & [4.5] + 9.25 & [6] + 8.25 & [6]

57.6 of the 35 hours maintained weekly (partial of 49) for the week.
57.6 of the total 210 hours needed for the month.

*sigh* The week did not go as planned. The Random Challenge was not met. My own personal goals for the week – more exercise, smaller portions, less eating out, fewer snacks, etc. – were not met. I wish I had something positive to report.

Instead, I have 0.8 lbs. of weight gain to share, and a surly attitude.