FatBloggers.net A little push to lose the tush.

We’re halfway through January, but this is really the first weekend I’ve had a chance to sit down and do any reflecting about the previous year and give some thought to this new one.  Weight loss highlighted 2007 for me, and although I’m returning to a dieting mode right now, I’d like to focus more on health and well-being this year.  Losing weight was just the start.  Some health dragons I would like to keep at bay include:

• Enjoying eating without overindulging.  Just finding that balance seems to be so difficult for me.
• Regular exercise.  I hate going to a gym, and would rather do something outside.  Makes it really difficult for me this time of the year.  I’m definitely looking forward to better weather when I can get on my bike again.
• Maintaining positive outlook.  The events of the last two years or so have taken it’s toll on my own emotional well-being, but I believe I’ve been able to get a handle on that.  Being happier has done wonders for my motivation to get and stay healthy. In fact, it’s proving to be the key factor in my own physical health. 

For so many reasons, I’m looking forward to a great 2008. 

What kind of health goals do you have for this upcoming year?

There is an article over on SavingAdvice.com about “There’s no such thing as Free Exercise“.  It is an excellent discussion of the costs of entering an exercise program of ANY kind.

Everything you choose to do that is healthy may have a way of affecting your wallet.  It is not limited to exercise, as it includes diet as well.  It is cheaper in most cases to eat unhealthily than to choose the right foods.  Healthy foods cost more.  Prepackaged foods cost less.  Salads and other good choices in restaurants cost more.  Combo meals and larger portions cost less.

However, despite all this, can we really put a price on our extended life and health?  What price would you pay to see your kids graduate or get married or have grandchildren?  What price would you pay to have a clean bill of health when you see the doctor?  How much money will you save on insurance?

It may hit our pocketbook early on, but the long-term effects of gaining a healthy lifestyle far outweigh (pun intended) the dollars we pay now to get there.

Courtesy of the good guys at MensHealth.com

Remember last Christmas when the dog chewed the wires on your new PS3 and your nephew threw up at dinner? Here are five ways to head-off holiday disasters this year.

1. Forget about your diet. Want another twice-baked potato? Eat it. A slice of cheesecake and a few cookies? Sure. Don’t stuff yourself till you’re sick, but have a little bit of everything you love. And then get a jumpstart on your New Year’s resolution by eating right and working out tomorrow.

2. Skip today’s workout. Taking a day off helps your muscles grow. Get in a workout the day before and after Christmas with this 15-minute bodyweight routine that you can do anywhere.

3. If you receive a 5-foot tall wooden giraffe, say thanks for the thought and planning. Then deflect attention from yourself by asking how and where the giver found it.

4. Laugh at her family’s jokes. If a conversation falls flat, ask her parents about their recent trip to the Grand Canyon or share that you’re training for your first marathon. Stick to neutral topics and you’ll be fine.

5. Volunteer to run an errand and take her with you so you can get out of the house. Spending time by yourselves will get you away from your cousin’s poodle that likes to hump your leg and from Uncle Jim’s criticisms about your job. You’ll return saner, knowing you can make it through the last few hours

I had a chance to visit with one of the Trainer-ettes (we don’t have any male personal trainers at my gym) this week about my lifting routine and the plateau of sorts I have found myself in. She gave me a new routine that would ’shock’ my metabolism into action again with the added benefit of being more new, and less routine.I am getting to the gym 4x per week, so she suggested that I have one dedicated cardio day and bust out the following fat-burning juggernaut.

10 min. on the elliptical (moderate intensity)
Bench Press (Chest) 12/10/8 at 125 lbs/130 lbs/135 lbs
Seated Row (Back) 12/10/8 at 120 lbs/130 lbs/140 lbs
5 min. Balls to the Wall on the bike
Leg Press (Quads/Hams) 3/15 at 260 lbs.
Ab Machine (Abs) 4/25 at 130 lbs.
5 min. Balls to the Wall on the bike
Barbell Curl (Biceps) 12/10/8 at 75 lbs/80 lbs/90 lbs
Triceps Press (Triceps) 3/15 at 95 lbs
5 min. Balls to the Wall on the bike
Standing Calf Raise 3×15 at body-weight
Overhead Shoulder Press 12/10/8 at 75 lbs/80 lbs/85 lbs
Finish up with 10 minutes on the elliptical at an easy intensity.

I guess it paid off…

Anton, a drum roll if you please…

Starting Weight (Dec. 22, 2006): 392 lbs.
Starting BMI: 51.7
Weight Today (Sept. 27, 2007): 320.8 lbs.
Current BMI: 42.3

Weight Change This Week: -2.8 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: -71.2 lbs.
NEXT GOAL: the 75 lb. magnet (3.8 lbs. to go)
WeightWatchers Challenge: 302 lbs. by Thanksgiving

The wife and I were watching Wyatt Earp on AMC tonight, you know the one with Kevin Costner? Since we are like most Americans, we hold conversations during the commercial breaks in our favorite programs. But tonight an ad came on that, at first, I wasn’t sure I heard them say what I thought I heard them say. Fortunately for us, this is basic cable and if you miss one flim-flam ad, you are sure to catch it again in the next break.

Well, tonight we (you and I) were lucky and I get to point you toward the diet pill website with a million dollar URL.  http://eatallyouwantandstillloseweight.com/

This handy-dandy pill called Akavar 20/50 promises:

A Major medical breakthrough has shattered the weight-loss barrier and a new generation of fast-acting caloric restrictors has been born… an entirely new generation of powerful, foolproof, bio-active weight loss compounds that automatically reduce caloric intake… eliminating traditional dieting, calorie counting, strenuous exercise, fad diets, supermarket “miracle” pills, Japanese wonder diets, rubber suits, belts, creams or anything else you have ever tried before. But most significantly, this new generation of potent compounds has eliminated diet failure and replaced it with guaranteed success. Akävar™-20/50 makes up for years of overeating, years without exercise, years without being able to push away the extra dessert or midnight snack and, most importantly, years of embarrassment and lack of self-confidence.

My had to practically restrain me from ordering a bottle of these babies for the unheard of price of $39.95 (plus S&H) when I found that they had the backing of the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce!

What was the phrase that was uttered that caught my attention you ask? You are lucky to be able to see its paraphrased version on their website.

“And we couldn’t say it on TV if it wasn’t true!” 

The September 2007 issue of Men’s Health magazine again lists a number of criteria to determine your fitness level. At first glance, these 5 exercises elicit a response of, Oh, hell no! But then I began thinking about it, and I think that by this time next summer, I could successfully accomplish a couple of these feats of strength and agility.

1) Single Leg Squat - Stand on a bench. Hold your arms in front of you and flex your left ankle so your toes point up. Keep your torso upright, bend your right knee and slowly lower your body until your left heel touches the floor. Pause 1 second, then push yourself up.

0 reps = Out of Shape
1 rep = Average
3 reps = Fit
More than 5 reps = MAN Fit

2) 1-Mile Run - Go to your local track and take 4-laps.

More than 10 minutes = Out of Shape
8 minutes = Average
7 minutes = Fit
Less than 6 minutes = MAN Fit

3) Vertical Jump - Against a wall, extend your arm and mark your reach with chalk. Then jump as high as you can and make another mark. The space between marks is your vertical jump.

Less than 16″ = Out of Shape
16-18″ = Average
18-24″ = Fit
More than 24″ = MAN Fit

4) Chin-Up - Start from a full hang, hands shoulder-width apart, palms toward you. Pull your chin over the bar, and then lower your body back down.

0 reps = Out of Shape
4 reps = Average
8 reps = Fit
More than 9 reps = MAN Fit

5) Push-Up - Assume the classic push-up position: legs straight, hands beneath your shoulders. Brace your abs. Keeping your body rigid, lower yourself until your chest touches the floor. Then push back up until your arms are extended.

Less than 20 reps = Out of Shape
20-34 = Average
35-44 = Fit
More than 45 = MAN Fit

So, how would you do?

After a trip over my handlebars a week ago last Monday night, I got back in the saddle again this morning and took a long ride.  Well, long for me, anyway.  I rode from my house and made a twenty-mile round trip to Hat Rock State Park, a place I believe I’ve blogged about before. I was gone a couple of hours, but I took some time while I was there to ride around the park a little bit, and even up the trail and around the rock itself.  The trip back was a little tougher as it was more uphill, but not too bad. 

The other evening, I was invited to participate in a group ride from our local bike shop.  When I got there, I quickly found that these were real road hounds with nice road bikes and all the right gear.  I was way out of my league.  I appreciated the offer, but I politely declined.  Hey, I’m just a guy with a trail bike and a helmet.  I had the idea to maybe start a fat guys’ biking group for guys like me who are just wanting to be in shape.  You don’t have to be a die-hard rider to get a lot of benefit out of a group ride.  I’ll have to ponder that one for next year. 

I found this in my Men’s Health Magazine.

“A fat belly makes you a bigger man - and less of a man, says a new study in the Journal Of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. When researchers studied 584 men for almost 20 years they found that a 4-point increase in body mass index accelerates your natural decline in testosterone by 10 years. This corresponds to a gain of 30 lbs. for a 5′10 man. ”
-Men’s Health August 2007, pg. 50

I am 5′11′ and still 60lbs. overweight. Which means I have the testosterone of a 55 year old man. Add the extra 40 lbs. I was carrying in January and I had the testosterone of a 70 Year old man.

Hmmmm, I wonder if you get the testosterone back as you lose the weight or if it is gone for ever like youth and innocence and my copy of the first Wallflowers CD that mysteriously disappeared. The one before the band sold out and became crappy.

According to Wikipedia

“Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group. It is the principal male sex hormone and an anabolic steroid. Testosterone plays key roles in health and well-being. Examples include enhanced libido, energy, immune function, and protection against osteoporosis.”

Tony
8/14: 245.4 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
25.4 lbs. to go

Cross Published on Guess How Much I Weigh

Well, my excuse for not posting and not keeping a close eye on my Weight Watchers is just about up.  I’ve moved to a different town, I’m just about settled in, and I now have the Internet in my home again. 

It’s not that I have abandoned my weight loss; it’s quite the opposite, in fact.  For the past week and a half or so I’ve been working without a net, just choosing what foods I should have and what I shouldn’t, but not really keeping track of it officially on the Weight Watchers site.  I also made a couple of trips to Seattle in the time, a distance of about 300 miles one way for me.  Eating on the road is tough–John, I don’t know how you managed your trip to Montana. 

So, starting today, I’m getting my food recorded again.  I’m under my points so far for today.  And at some point in the next week or so, I’m going to be paying a visit to a local WW meeting and posting my results on here.  I may be up a little, I may be down.  The main thing is that I’m staying accountable for all of it, and that’s the reason I started this blog in the first place.  Technically, I’m on maintenance, and I have six weeks from my last weigh-in (July 3) to be at 247 or less.  Hmmm…that was a month ago, so I’ve just got a couple of weeks to go.  Looks like I need to get on the stick. 

One thing about my new hometown:  It’s relatively flat, and there are bike paths all over the place.  I’ve been utilizing them quite a bit the last few days.  Plus, there is a biking club that meets Tuesdays and Thursdays for road trips. 

Glad to be back, folks.  It doesn’t get much better than this.

I had every excuse not to get out and walk/run yesterday. I had a 2 hour lunch meeting which knocked out my usual workout time. I was home alone with my two girls last night. It was 90 degrees out. It was raining.

I was settled in for the night playing with the girls when I realized, even though those are really good excuses, they are still excuses. So, I loaded the girls into the stroller and ventured out into the rain. The girls love playing in the rain and it was 90, so I wasn’t too worried about them catching a cold or being miserable. We ended up having a fun outing and I got my workout in.

I’m not sure if this is dedication or bad parenting. I’m going with dedication.

Tony
7/25: 257.2 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
37.2 lbs. to go

Cross published at Guess How Much I Weigh