End of Challenge - March

For 5 points, you must have eaten between 30 – 40 grams of fiber daily until March 31.

You were allowed to make up any missed fiber intake over the course of a week, but should not have exceed 60 grams of fiber on any given day. A fiber count each week of between 210 – 280 grams must have been maintained throughout the month to receive the 5 points.

I was doing great with this challenge until last week. Last week I got lazy and I let the 5 points slip away. While I’m sure I managed to eat the required amount of fiber last week, I did not record the details of my diet, more specifically, the amount of fiber I consumed. So I have no way of proving my commitment to the challenge for all 31 days of the month.

I did record my fiber intake for 24 days, and consumed a minimum of 846.26 grams of fiber for the month.

33.4 + 42.75 + 42 + 41.25 + 41.45 + 30 + 44.55 + 45.58 + 51.65 + 44.23 + 40.18 + 24.3 + 32.9 + 32 + 17.9 + 40.6 + 40 + 30.25 + 31.5 + 22.2 + 46.75 + 47.4 + 40 + 29
846.26 g of the total 930 – 1,240 g fiber needed for the month.

The challenge was not as difficult as I imagined. It took a concentrated effort of including more oats and grains into my diet. I already was eating the fruits and vegetables that also provided additional fiber. The Fiber One products (cereal and chewy bars) were the largest source of fiber in my daily diet, and I will continue to include them in my year of loss and health. Aside from being a great source of fiber, they are quite tasty.

I am upset with myself to falling down on the challenge during the last week of the month. I vow to do better next month, and on all the future challenges.

I'm Flaky

I flaked out on my uncle and our weekly bike ride tonight. I am at home busily working, but I did promise I'd be there tonight to ride. I didn't do my work Monday (or over the past 2 weeks) and it's back to bite me - and my plans - this evening.

I just couldn't see any way to accomplish what needed to be done tonight and still find the 2 hours of time for the ride and travel to and from Kyle's Bikes.

So, public apology: Steve, I'm sorry I couldn't make the ride tonight.

I will try to get a short walk in tonight - it'll be cold (and I deserve the discomfort of a chilly, windy workout), but manageable - if I can just force myself out the door.

Random Challenge - Week of Mar. 30

I have fallen out of the habit of exercising regularly. Or even at all, really. In the past 3 weeks I’ve clocked an impressively abysmal 50 minutes of walking (4 miles). In the weeks prior to that, I’d been averaging 8+ hours of exercise. I don’t necessarily believe I need to get back to such extremes, but 5 hours a week of exercise is a reasonable goal.

So, here’s the Random Challenge, for 1 point:

During the week of March 30th – April 5th, you must exercise at least 5 hours. Include your success of this challenge in next week’s progress post.

And remember, anyone can come up with Random Challenges. Just email, or post in the comments, and I’ll put them up for all. Only one Random Challenge per week though.

Week of Working Out - Mar. 29

Here is a list of the exercise I completed during the past week,
March 23rd - March 29th.
---
Monday: rest

Tuesday: WALKING – outdoors at 9:45 PM; 2 miles; 26:38.75 minutes; temps low 30’s with a brutal 30 mph wind; just what I needed tonight

Wednesday: rest

Thursday: rest

Friday: rest

Saturday: rest

Sunday: rest

Progress Report XIII - Mar. 29

Weight: 208.2 lbs.
Loss/Gain: - 2 lbs.

38.2 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: 26:38.75 minutes (walking: 26:38.75 minutes)

Exercise Distance: 2 miles (walking: 2 miles)

March Wellness Challenge progress: 33.4 + 42.75 + 42 + 41.25 + 41.45 + 30 + 44.55 + 45.58 + 51.65 + 44.23 + 40.18 + 24.3 + 32.9 + 32 + 17.9 + 40.6 + 40 + 30.25 + 31.5 + 22.2 + 46.75 + 47.4
? g of the 210 – 280 g fiber maintained weekly for the month.
777.26 g of the total 930 – 1,240 g fiber needed for the month.

Did not take the time to record any of my food this week. So I have no new totals for the March Wellness Challenge this week. The grand total will stay the same. (I’m more than upset with myself for this laziness. It is unacceptable. This one week cost me the entire 5 points for the month.)

Shocked that I had some weight loss this week. It was another week of poor nutritional choices and very little exercise. I did a terrible job keeping track of my daily eating. And all week I just felt somehow “off.”

I didn’t purchase much in the way of unhealthy snacks while at the grocery store to help ensure I get back on track with the diet. I’ll just need to make sure I don’t cave and grab more than one meal out this week. I’m also hoping that the exercise challenge for this week, and the introduction of a new monthly challenge, will renew my motivation for continued success in this year of loss and health.

Windy Night Walk

I hesitated turning around tonight on my walk. While walking my first mile I could feel the wind – 30 miles an hour – pushing me along. The problem with an out-and-back course is that at some point you have to turn around and face the force at your back.

It was a different walk home, indeed.

Still, I was happy I forced myself out into the chill and wind and dark. I put in 2 miles. It didn’t seem quick, but with the wind at my back I made good time.

Wellness Log - Mar. 22

Exercise: none

Food:
Breakfast – bowl of Fiber One Original, glass of V8 Fusion juice
Lunch – none
Dinner – Arby's: regular roast beef sandwich, medium curly fries, 4 cheese sticks, 20 oz Diet Pepsi
Snacks – 2 bags of Orville Redenbacher Smart Pop popcorn w/butter sprinkle topping, 2 glasses of Diet Coke, glass of milk, 45 Hershey's Kisses, 25 smoked almonds

Challenges:
30 – 40 grams fiber – 14 + 11 + 22.4 = 47.4 g fiber

Other: Up at 10 AM; day of reading, TV viewing, and relaxation - very pleasant, indeed; in bed at 10:30 PM

Week of Working Out - Mar. 22

Here is a list of the exercise I completed during the past week,
March 16th - March 22nd.
---
Monday: rest

Tuesday: WALKING – outdoors at 11:50 PM; 2 miles; 25:37.51 minutes; temps pleasant in the 40's; was an amazing, invigorating - and quick - walk after 9 days of no exercise; just what I needed to reignite my drive to workout

Wednesday: rest

Thursday: rest

Friday: rest

Saturday: rest

Sunday:

Progress Report XII - Mar. 22

Weight: 210.2 lbs.
Loss/Gain: + 5.4 lbs.

40.2 lbs. to Goal (170 lbs.)

Exercise Hours: 25:37.51 minutes (walking: 25:37.51 minutes)

Exercise Distance: 2 miles (walking: 2 miles)

March Wellness Challenge progress: 33.4 + 42.75 + 42 + 41.25 + 41.45 + 30 + 44.55 + 45.58 + 51.65 + 44.23 + 40.18 + 24.3 + 32.9 + 32 + 17.9 + 40.6 + 40 + 30.25 + 31.5 + 22.2 + 46.75 + 47.4
258.7 g of the 210 – 280 g fiber maintained weekly for the month.
777.26 g of the total 930 – 1,240 g fiber needed for the month.

The daily wellness logs did little in the way of discouraging me from my lapse into poor nutritional choices. At the start of the week I was extremely discouraged by this, but as the week went on, I came to terms with these two weeks of weight gain. Am I happy about it? Hell, no. But I will do better.

The thing I have to remember is that two weeks does not – should not – destroy all the progress I’ve made so far this year. As resistant to the thought as I was, I probably did just burn myself out with the massive amount of exercise and strict diet of the previous ten weeks.

This week I start back to work from vacation, and the routine should help me get back into the good habits I was developing. This time, in moderation. I will go back to daily exercise, but maybe not to the extreme of hours per workout. I’ll also watch the growing portions and unnecessary snacking I’ve become accustomed to over the past two weeks. (And honestly, the headaches and indigestion are most likely due to the complete turnaround in nutritional choices I made over the past couple of weeks – few, if any, fruits and vegetables and an increase in sugars and caffeine.)

I’m flying the health and wellness flag again. One step at a time, pirate.

Wellness Log - Mar. 21

Exercise: none

Food:
Breakfast – bowl of Fiber One Original, glass of V8 Fusion juice
Lunch – can of Campbell's Hearty Chicken w/vegetables soup, corn w/butter sauce, 1/2 can of Bush's Original baked beans, glass of milk
Dinner – Subway: foot-long chicken & bacon ranch sub, w/provolone, lettuce, and pickles on garlic herb and cheese bread, bag of Cheetos, 3 chocolate chip cookies, 20 oz Diet Coke, 16 oz of V8 Fusion juice
Snacks – 1/2 large bag of peanut M&M's, glass of Diet Coke

Challenges:
30 – 40 grams fiber – 14 + 15.75 + 13 + 4 = 46.75 g fiber

Other: did not sleep hardly any time at all last night - some kind of indigestion-like thing that was so new and painful, I couldn't sleep; finally got out of bed at 6 AM to try breakfast; food (or time) seemed to have worked; took a 5 hour nap on the couch around 9 AM; day of reading; in bed at 12 AM