I’m new to the blogging world, although I’ve created web sites more or less from scratch before. That was back a few years before anyone had ever heard of a blog and the web site software, while pretty easy was still a long way from today. I just don’t have time to keep up with the latest software and I wasn’t much of a designer anyway.
At first I wasn’t that wild about blogger.com and my spouse mentioned that she like wordpress. I decided to try it out since I couldn’t figure out how to make blogger allow me to post spreadsheets or other files on the blog. So I abandon my blog on blogger.com and kept it on wordpress for a couple weeks. While wordpress does seem to be a little more flexible, I didn’t like the interface very well and I wasn’t that wild about the themes either. So I’m back to blogger.com. I made the decision to come back when I discovered Google Apps and figured out I could publish my spreadsheets with Google Apps and then link to them via blogger.com. So, I pasted the posts that originally were on wordpress back here and have made the wordpress version inaccessible. Yes, I’m a recovering geek. My wife might say not so recovered
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Progress (Started 2/8/09 and finished on 2/11/09)
End of Week 2, 235.6 pounds, 6.4 pounds lost
I weighed yesterday morning; looking forward to what the scale would say. I’d been diligent in tracking what I ate, avoiding late night snacking and eating healthy, or at least low cal snacks when I did snack during the day. I felt pretty confident that I would have lost at least a couple pounds. When the scale said 235.6, I was pretty disappointed. I thought that I had weighed in one day during the week and was down to 235.0, though I didn’t write it down so can’t be sure. Consequently, I thought that week over week I had actually gained a few ounces. I couldn’t believe it. I weighed again to be sure. Same result exactly. As it turns out, I’d weighed 236.4 the previous week so I lost 7/8ths of a pound. Not what I was looking for after losing over 5 pounds the first week, but I knew that wasn’t sustainable. And I’ve still lost over 3 pounds a week for the first two weeks so that’s really good. But I am concerned that it slowed down so quickly. I wonder if I need to curb my calories even more. So, I put all the daily calorie counts in a spreadsheet so I can start tracking calories on a weekly and average daily basis to make sure I’m staying on track. Week 1 was 14075 total calories for an average of 2010 calories and 15092 in week 2 for an average 2156. So an extra 150 calories per day on average. Was that the difference between losing 5 pounds and 1? I don’t know.
Exercise has been going pretty well; I’ve done 6 of 7 days each week so I feel pretty good about that part. A few days ago, I changed from two three pound dumb bells to my free weights and am now using two 9 pound bars/weights. There are some exercises with that weight that are pretty easy at 10 reps and some that become difficult toward the end, so I’m probably going to need to bring up some of the other weights and start using the long bar and additional weight for those exercises that aren’t hard to do.
So, now it is three days later and what a difference a few days can make. I think it was the next day or something crazy that I weighed myself again and I was down to 230. I couldn’t believe it. I’ve since weighed myself about every day, though I’m not writing it down and it’s been any where from 232 to 234; but the good news is that I’m still losing weight.
Since tracking my daily caloric intake on the spreadsheet, I’ve been more diligent about trying to keep my intake under 2000/day. This week is at 1904 so far so I’m feeling pretty good about that. I know I was eating less the first two weeks than when I started, but I’m really trying hard to keep it under 2000 now. I had one day at over 2400 and another over 2100 and then somehow had a day at 1295, but as I do this more, I think I’ll get better at staying closer to the goal.
I’ve been pretty hit or miss on getting up to do my exercising first thing in the morning; most days in the last week have probably been in the evening either right before or right after putting the girls to bed. It’s not ideal, but I am having a hard time getting to bed at 10 which I need to if I’m going to feel rested at 6am the next day to exercise. I also notice I’m much more motivated when I’m awake in the evenings and tend to walk at a faster speed on the treadmill. The important thing is that I do it and I have still missed just two days in the 19 days since I started. I’m looking forward to this weekend’s weigh in and think it is time for another picture. I really want to be able to see the progression when I get down to my goal weight. One more cool thing this week, I found that I had to move to my last belt loop hole. In another month or so, I’m going to need to get a new belt, I hope.
I weighed yesterday morning; looking forward to what the scale would say. I’d been diligent in tracking what I ate, avoiding late night snacking and eating healthy, or at least low cal snacks when I did snack during the day. I felt pretty confident that I would have lost at least a couple pounds. When the scale said 235.6, I was pretty disappointed. I thought that I had weighed in one day during the week and was down to 235.0, though I didn’t write it down so can’t be sure. Consequently, I thought that week over week I had actually gained a few ounces. I couldn’t believe it. I weighed again to be sure. Same result exactly. As it turns out, I’d weighed 236.4 the previous week so I lost 7/8ths of a pound. Not what I was looking for after losing over 5 pounds the first week, but I knew that wasn’t sustainable. And I’ve still lost over 3 pounds a week for the first two weeks so that’s really good. But I am concerned that it slowed down so quickly. I wonder if I need to curb my calories even more. So, I put all the daily calorie counts in a spreadsheet so I can start tracking calories on a weekly and average daily basis to make sure I’m staying on track. Week 1 was 14075 total calories for an average of 2010 calories and 15092 in week 2 for an average 2156. So an extra 150 calories per day on average. Was that the difference between losing 5 pounds and 1? I don’t know.
Exercise has been going pretty well; I’ve done 6 of 7 days each week so I feel pretty good about that part. A few days ago, I changed from two three pound dumb bells to my free weights and am now using two 9 pound bars/weights. There are some exercises with that weight that are pretty easy at 10 reps and some that become difficult toward the end, so I’m probably going to need to bring up some of the other weights and start using the long bar and additional weight for those exercises that aren’t hard to do.
So, now it is three days later and what a difference a few days can make. I think it was the next day or something crazy that I weighed myself again and I was down to 230. I couldn’t believe it. I’ve since weighed myself about every day, though I’m not writing it down and it’s been any where from 232 to 234; but the good news is that I’m still losing weight.
Since tracking my daily caloric intake on the spreadsheet, I’ve been more diligent about trying to keep my intake under 2000/day. This week is at 1904 so far so I’m feeling pretty good about that. I know I was eating less the first two weeks than when I started, but I’m really trying hard to keep it under 2000 now. I had one day at over 2400 and another over 2100 and then somehow had a day at 1295, but as I do this more, I think I’ll get better at staying closer to the goal.
I’ve been pretty hit or miss on getting up to do my exercising first thing in the morning; most days in the last week have probably been in the evening either right before or right after putting the girls to bed. It’s not ideal, but I am having a hard time getting to bed at 10 which I need to if I’m going to feel rested at 6am the next day to exercise. I also notice I’m much more motivated when I’m awake in the evenings and tend to walk at a faster speed on the treadmill. The important thing is that I do it and I have still missed just two days in the 19 days since I started. I’m looking forward to this weekend’s weigh in and think it is time for another picture. I really want to be able to see the progression when I get down to my goal weight. One more cool thing this week, I found that I had to move to my last belt loop hole. In another month or so, I’m going to need to get a new belt, I hope.
Week 1 ends with a Bang Part 2 (also 2/1/09)
After yesterday’s ‘set back’ of not exercising and eating 4 of the chocolate chip cookies I made, today has been a good one so far. I set my alarm and again ignored it for quite a while, but when I did finally get up with the rest of the family, I went straight to the treadmill after weighing in at 236.4. I’m calling that my weekly weigh in, which means that I lost a total of 5.6 pounds my first week. A really great start that lifted my spirits for the morning routine.
I also find that the morning exercising are quite a bit easier if I’m fully awake; when I roll out of bed and head straight for the treadmill, I find the first 15 minutes I don’t go as fast and am not at all motivated. And that is even with the fact that I went to bed about 3am last night and got up about 8:30 for only 5.5 hours of sleep. Which means I need to get to sleep earlier if I want to get up at 6am or I need to somehow plan to do the exercises later in the day, which is a challenge. Once I ‘get home’ from work, it’s pretty much dinner, dishes, hopefully a little time with the kids and then the bed time routine. I get done with all that about 9pm with hopefully time for a little relaxation either in front of the tube, or the computer for leisure time.
I think it is about time to increase the weight I’m working with during my post treadmill strength exercises. I’ve just been using the two 3 pound dumb bells and that isn’t providing enough resistance. Bringing up the bigger free weights is going to prove challenging given the lack of space in the room in which the treadmill resides. The only exercise that really is a challenge is the leg lifts and crunches. They are both pretty tough. I’ll just need to figure a way to keep the large bar and weights upstairs or may need to do some of the work out down in the basement.
So, all in all a successful week, hopefully the first of many.
Oh, I added a page to show the weight when-ever I decide to weigh in. I was doing it daily but found that discouraging on those days where it was a little up instead of a little down. You can find the page on the ‘Weigh In’ link at the top of the page or by following this link: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pNa0br-zusCKUEXmpjFoRFA
I also find that the morning exercising are quite a bit easier if I’m fully awake; when I roll out of bed and head straight for the treadmill, I find the first 15 minutes I don’t go as fast and am not at all motivated. And that is even with the fact that I went to bed about 3am last night and got up about 8:30 for only 5.5 hours of sleep. Which means I need to get to sleep earlier if I want to get up at 6am or I need to somehow plan to do the exercises later in the day, which is a challenge. Once I ‘get home’ from work, it’s pretty much dinner, dishes, hopefully a little time with the kids and then the bed time routine. I get done with all that about 9pm with hopefully time for a little relaxation either in front of the tube, or the computer for leisure time.
I think it is about time to increase the weight I’m working with during my post treadmill strength exercises. I’ve just been using the two 3 pound dumb bells and that isn’t providing enough resistance. Bringing up the bigger free weights is going to prove challenging given the lack of space in the room in which the treadmill resides. The only exercise that really is a challenge is the leg lifts and crunches. They are both pretty tough. I’ll just need to figure a way to keep the large bar and weights upstairs or may need to do some of the work out down in the basement.
So, all in all a successful week, hopefully the first of many.
Oh, I added a page to show the weight when-ever I decide to weigh in. I was doing it daily but found that discouraging on those days where it was a little up instead of a little down. You can find the page on the ‘Weigh In’ link at the top of the page or by following this link: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pNa0br-zusCKUEXmpjFoRFA
Ending Week 1 with a bang Part 1 (2/1/09)
Ending Week 1 with a bang Part 1 (2/1/09)
Saturday mornings are swimming lesson days for Cam; they start at 9:30 and are about a 20 minute drive. I set my alarm for 7am so I would have time to get my workout done before we left. I snoozed until it was too late and then only made coffee and ate a fruit/nut granaola bar before leaving. So, not such a great start to the day from a healthly living standpoint. But we didn't have too much planned today so I figured I could do the workout when we get home about 10:30.
But then we had to go to the library to return some books and toys and for the Chinese New Year celebration they were holding. The Chinese New Year events consisteted of a banquet table set out with paper lantern stencils and the DVD Kung Fu Panda running on the TV. Not an Ox in site anywhere, nor any food. I guess we should be happy they realized it was the CNY at all.
When we got home, I was just tired and hungry, so I had a sandwich and some goldfish. Still no excersie, though Iwas thinking about it and still planned to get it done. And despite not having a very good breakfast, at least I was staying reasonable on calories. I needed to after we went out for dinner the previous night at our favorite mexican food restaurant and I had my usual chicken chipotle dinner. I ordered no sour cream, and drank water; and had only two tortillas, but I managed to put away nearly the whole dish which is a rather complete loss of the portion control I had been excerising all week.
Then we headed out for some appliance shopping and had a snack of a pretzel with awful nacho cheese sip and I had a few drinks of the coke that Mindy and Cam had. By then, I knew it was going to be a blown day and went ahead and had four small pieces of pizza and then made chocoloate chip cookies. These are the same ones Mindy had made earlier in the week, from the America's Test Kitchen cookbook. Definitely the best chocolate chip cookies we had ever made both times. I did pretty good when she made them, having had only 4 total and never more than 1 after dinner and none late at night while we were watching TV. But tonight, it was a disaster and I had 4 of these huge cookies and 1/2 a cup of 1% milk with one of them. That's about 850 calories right there. And of course, no excersise for the day to counter any of it.
I was supposed to weigh in this morning, but I guess it will be tomorrow morning and I'll be lucky to have lost anything after the last 24 hours of eating. I'm a little nervous about losing the control I felt I had through the week and obviously about not maintaining the regimine going forward. That fear is helped by the fact that I haven't entered the last two days of food and excersise into the spreadsheet, though I do have it in hard copy ready to go. Tomrrow is a new day and I will again set my alarm (though later as it's already 2:40am) and do my weigh in and have my oatmeal breakfast before taking my girls out to the weekly daddy/daughter breakfast. It was going too well this week before Friday night so I have to not let the last 24 hours get me down and pick back up where I left off Friday afternoon. It's the individual decisions I make, it's deciding not to have that extra 200 calories in that one more cookie after I know I have already had a high calorie day with no excersise. If I am to do this, I am going to do it one decision at a time, one day, one hour and one minute at a time. It is especially important when I am feeling like I'm losing, or I have already eating 3 cookies when I know I can only have 1; it's choosing not to have the 4th one to save that 200 additional calories.
Saturday mornings are swimming lesson days for Cam; they start at 9:30 and are about a 20 minute drive. I set my alarm for 7am so I would have time to get my workout done before we left. I snoozed until it was too late and then only made coffee and ate a fruit/nut granaola bar before leaving. So, not such a great start to the day from a healthly living standpoint. But we didn't have too much planned today so I figured I could do the workout when we get home about 10:30.
But then we had to go to the library to return some books and toys and for the Chinese New Year celebration they were holding. The Chinese New Year events consisteted of a banquet table set out with paper lantern stencils and the DVD Kung Fu Panda running on the TV. Not an Ox in site anywhere, nor any food. I guess we should be happy they realized it was the CNY at all.
When we got home, I was just tired and hungry, so I had a sandwich and some goldfish. Still no excersie, though Iwas thinking about it and still planned to get it done. And despite not having a very good breakfast, at least I was staying reasonable on calories. I needed to after we went out for dinner the previous night at our favorite mexican food restaurant and I had my usual chicken chipotle dinner. I ordered no sour cream, and drank water; and had only two tortillas, but I managed to put away nearly the whole dish which is a rather complete loss of the portion control I had been excerising all week.
Then we headed out for some appliance shopping and had a snack of a pretzel with awful nacho cheese sip and I had a few drinks of the coke that Mindy and Cam had. By then, I knew it was going to be a blown day and went ahead and had four small pieces of pizza and then made chocoloate chip cookies. These are the same ones Mindy had made earlier in the week, from the America's Test Kitchen cookbook. Definitely the best chocolate chip cookies we had ever made both times. I did pretty good when she made them, having had only 4 total and never more than 1 after dinner and none late at night while we were watching TV. But tonight, it was a disaster and I had 4 of these huge cookies and 1/2 a cup of 1% milk with one of them. That's about 850 calories right there. And of course, no excersise for the day to counter any of it.
I was supposed to weigh in this morning, but I guess it will be tomorrow morning and I'll be lucky to have lost anything after the last 24 hours of eating. I'm a little nervous about losing the control I felt I had through the week and obviously about not maintaining the regimine going forward. That fear is helped by the fact that I haven't entered the last two days of food and excersise into the spreadsheet, though I do have it in hard copy ready to go. Tomrrow is a new day and I will again set my alarm (though later as it's already 2:40am) and do my weigh in and have my oatmeal breakfast before taking my girls out to the weekly daddy/daughter breakfast. It was going too well this week before Friday night so I have to not let the last 24 hours get me down and pick back up where I left off Friday afternoon. It's the individual decisions I make, it's deciding not to have that extra 200 calories in that one more cookie after I know I have already had a high calorie day with no excersise. If I am to do this, I am going to do it one decision at a time, one day, one hour and one minute at a time. It is especially important when I am feeling like I'm losing, or I have already eating 3 cookies when I know I can only have 1; it's choosing not to have the 4th one to save that 200 additional calories.
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