Progress Report VI - Feb. 8

Weight: 215.8 lbs.
Loss/Gain: -2.4 lbs.

45.8 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: ~4 hours 43 minutes (biking: 1 hour 38 minutes; walking: 3 hours 5 minutes)

February Wellness Challenge progress: 9.3 + 7.2 + 11.4 + 9.5 + 7.8 + 10.4 + 9.4
65 of 224 cups.

This was my first full week of exercise. It actually went very well. I worked through my injury of blisters and was still able to make it out every day. It does take up a bit more of my already limited time, but I know it’s what I need, thus it is easily justified. I was worried throughout the week that the exercise wouldn’t have any impact on my weight loss – and it was unfounded worry. However, I still find it unusual that I lost less weight in a week where I worked out multiple hours, diet remaining the same. Not going to question the results; I’ll chalk it up to the mysteries of the body.

Did better with the dining out this week. Went out once for work (Quizno’s – I love the Roadhouse Steak Sammies) and then twice this weekend with The Girl. That’s quite acceptable. Only, now I have a ton of left over pizza (which is a lot like dining out – the food is the same – but I’ll make sure to supplement it with fruits and vegetables and exercise).

The water challenge is going well. With the exception of a couple days being just under the 8-cup goal, I am still meeting the goal of an average of 56 cups for the week. It’s a bit more difficult to drink the required amount of water than I anticipated, which tells me I definitely wasn’t meeting my hydration requirements previously.

Feeling Hinky

I'm feeling a bit worried about my weight this week. Nothing has changed on the diet; I'm still eating just as I've been eating the past month. I have added exercise and a more healthy amount of water to the equation, though. You would think this would have nothing but a positive - nay, more positive - impact on the weight loss. However, I had this selfsame thought over the summer when I decided to workout.

Nothing happened. No weight loss at all. (And this was multiple hours of activity.)

So, now - of course - I'm worried that the same may hold true this week. It's irrational, I know. I don't have to lose weight every week, and thus should not even be worried. But still, it seems damn odd that there could be a chance of not losing weight, especially when I'm doing everything right.

Sorry for the rant, the worry. It happens, and gets the better of me, from time to time.

Wonderful Night for a Walk

Tonight’s walk was an amazing thing. I wasn’t entirely sure I even wanted to head out for the walk after a later night of work, but I did decide to do so, and it was so the right decision.

There are some workouts where you feel “in the zone.” Where everything is ideal, perfect and pleasurable. The temperature was in the mid-30’s – just warm enough to not feel cold on your cheeks or chin – and the wind was nowhere to be found. My blisters were still sore, but manageable. The legs felt great, and the lungs were pumping away without strain. There was such a bounce in my step I had to hold myself back from jogging, all-out running.

This – this walk, this workout – makes the blisters and the pains of beginning an exercise program worth every miserable second.

My Poor Feet (and Leg)

After my 2 hour and 14 minute walk on Sunday, I found my feet destroyed. Blisters. Alaska-sized sonofaguns. And they hurt, bad.

Not that that stopped me from walking another 2 miles Monday night, kept me from biking Tuesday (not that biking really irritated them), or from walking another 2 miles tonight (although it was close – they hurt bad).

I had this same problem over the summer when I was doing some walking and running. I don’t know why, after years of never really having blister issues, I now know – really know – such problems. It could be the shoes, which have always seemed a bit “off” to me. Or it could be that I have rather old, and cheap, socks. I need to find some way to solve my blister problem because I do have high hopes to continue walking, and eventually get back into running, even marathon training. Some research and experimentation are in order.

The leg, you ask? Yeah, I don’t know what was wrong there. I think I must have overextended my knee and strained the muscles and ligaments behind it. But, again, I’m not entirely sure. What I do know, is that after hobbling around Sunday night, Monday, and Tuesday, the bike ride seems to have cured my problem. There’s still a slight twinge of pain – going up stairs, mostly – but I’m pleased to note that it seems to be healing up.

I think I need to lance the blisters, though. Tonight. So that maybe I can stand tomorrow.

Sprint Biking - Feb. 3

I was pumped to return to the indoor bike workout this week. As tough as last week’s ride was on me, I was anxious to test myself again.

Riding with a smaller group, we tackled a Carmichael bike training DVD that had us powering through a sprint workout.

The sprinting was mainly 12-second bursts of speed, pedaling at a cadence of 80-120, with some longer recovery periods in between the sprints. Some of the sprints were at high resistance, while others tested us at lower resistances. The final bout of sprinting involved a ladder of 1-minute high resistance, 20 seconds medium resistance, and 10 seconds low resistance. We did this ladder twice near the end of the workout, and it was brutal.

I enjoyed every minute – well, most of the minutes – of the workout, and may get back to Kyle’s Bikes for another ride on Sunday before the regular Tuesday night ride.
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Workout: 1 hour 1 minute, covering 15.4 miles, at an average of 154 watts.
Reactions: even 12-second sprints can be draining if you are putting forth a real effort; still having difficulty sitting on the seat for extended periods of time – just need to ride more and my butt will remember what to do; didn’t feel like cramping this time, but was on the verge of being sick from exertion near the end; drank 1 bottle of water.

The Milliliter/Cup Conversion

The English System is not yet lost, but the Metric System has reared its ugly head in the form of labels on some of our water bottles. In attempting to track my water intake, I've come across these tricky buggers. So, for my clarification - and to ease your calculations - I'm including the milliliter-to-cup conversion figure:

1 cup = 236.588237 milliliters
So, that means - for example - that 2,200 mL of water would be equal to approximately 9.3 cups. (2200 mL divided by 236.588237 mL ~ 9.3 cups)

Eight cups of water = ~ 1,892.7 mL

February Wellness Challenge

For 5 points, you must drink at least 8 cups of water a day – every day – until February 28. You are allowed to make up any missed water intake over the course of the challenge by drinking the necessary extra cups of water.

Keep track of the number of cups of water consumed throughout the month. You can share your total number of cups of water (minimum of 224 cups) on February 28 in the comments section of the "End of Challenge – February" post.

Enjoy the challenge!

February - H20 Hydration Month

In anticipation of the increasing amounts of exercise we will all be working towards, I’ve decided to name February H20 Hydration Month. One of the things I’ve noticed over the course of tracking my diet during January was the lack of water in my diet. This month’s goal is to rectify the situation, and keep us all properly hydrated as the challenge rages on.

According to research provided by the Mayo Clinic, the average – healthy – sedentary adult should consume approximately 2.5 liters of water a day to replace the liquids lost through urine output, breathing, and sweating. This can be done by drinking 2 liters of water (a bit over 8 cups) and eating a healthy diet (20% of normal food intake is water). The research provided in the linked article is quite informative, and worth the click over.

Exercise, environment, and health also influence the amount of liquid needed to remain adequately hydrated. To that end, I’ve located a Hydration Calculator that will help you determine the amount of water needed when considering these outside influences.

End of Challenge - January

For the 5 points, you must have eaten at least 15 different fruits and vegetables before yesterday, January 31. These must have been mouthfuls of fruits and vegetables, not just a nibble of apricot, or single pea in a bowl of soup.

I managed to eat the following 17 fruits and vegetables this month: applesauce (apples), peaches, pears, bananas, carrots, broccoli, lettuce (Romaine and iceberg), zucchini, green beans, peas and pea pods and sugar snap peas, potatoes, bell peppers (red and yellow), pineapple, strawberries, mango, black beans, edamame.

I could have eaten a larger variety, but even I was impressed to find that I enjoyed some vegetables and fruits I’d never before tried (zucchini, snap peas, mango, and endamame). Make sure that you don’t forget to continue consuming fruits and vegetables; they are an integral part of living a balanced, healthy life.

Share your list of fruits and vegetables conquered throughout the month in the comments section of this post to earn your points.

Progress Report V - Feb. 1

Weight: 218.2 lbs.
Loss/Gain: -3.6 lbs.

48.2 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: 3 hours 2 minutes (biking: 48 minutes; walking: 2 hr 14 min)

Random Challenge Week of Jan. 26: exercise at least 3 hours - check. +1 point

January Wellness Challenge progress: applesauce (apples), peaches, pears, bananas, carrots, broccoli, lettuce (Romaine and iceberg), zucchini, green beans, peas and pea pods and sugar snap peas, potatoes, bell peppers (red and yellow), pineapple, strawberries, mango, black beans, edamame.
17 of 15.

This week saw the beginnings of exercise for me. On Tuesday night I went and rode bike indoors – a practice that will be routine from now on. I had great intentions of making it to the gym in the morning this week, but sleep still won out. I’ll get there, hopefully this week. (Cross fingers)

Need to watch the dining out. I’m starting to fall back into the bad habits of the past. Once or twice a week, maximum. It’s so much cheaper – and healthier – to eat at home.

I am pleased to see the weight still shedding. I realize that most of this initial weight loss is due to portion control and attention to diet. Next month I’ll focus on adding the exercise component more completely to the program. From there – and I honestly think I could get to my goal weight early – it will be the challenge of creating a lifestyle to maintain my health.