I was approved for some running on Monday! So this morning I got up early and pulled on my brand spanking new running shoes and went to the gym. I'm SOOOOO glad that I did - this past week hasn't been as good for me as it could have been.
I am authorized to do 90 seconds of jogging followed by 30 seconds of walking, for up to 30 minutes. So I did a 5 minute warm up, followed by 15 90-second/30-second splits. After that, I kept walking for another hour and a half.
Ended up with 8 miles. It felt pretty good. With new shoes, there are a few tender places on my feet, but they're doing well now.
Tomorrow I think I'm going to either jump in the pool or get on a bike. I need to let my knees rest a bit, take it easy. But they're feeling well.
As for the past week...well, with Mother's Day, my wife wanted me to cook some chinese food. So I did. It was good. I think I might have underestimated the calories a little. Needless to say my weight loss stalled.
Still, back in the saddle again. I've already burned almost 2600 calories today, and I've eaten MAYBE 300. I'll have enough for a small snack later, and a good dinner, and come out with 2500 to 3000 in the deficit column.
Less than 4 weeks until that Hawaii trip...time to buckle down and get to 240!
First things first...250 before the end of next week. 240 after that.
-Silas
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Monday, May 07, 2012
12 miles in 24 hours.
Friday evening I strapped the little one on my back again and went for a walk. It was pretty fun. I needed to go to the ATM, so I did, and right after stopped by the local big-box retailer to pick up a headphone splitting jack. The thought occurred to me that the little one might want to listen to some music, so I bought the cheapest pair of headphones I could find and pulled out the iPod. I plugged us both in. It was quiet enough that we could still talk, so it was pretty fun.
The store was at about mile 1.75. By mile 3.5, he had fallen asleep. It had to be rather comical to see him on my back, completely out.
Anyway, by mile 4.5 he had woken back up, and we had a grand old time for the rest of the 6 miles. All in all, it was pretty good. We were out from 7:00 to 9:00 all told, including the store stop.
Saturday, we had a dance competition at a local amusement park. It was awesome - my daughter had finished both of her dances by 9:15, which meant that we were done before the rides even opened up. So we got to spend the rest of the day on roller coasters and everything else. It was awesome. The exerspy told me that I got in another 12,000 steps, which ROUGHLY translates to 6 miles for me. This all happened before 6:00 PM on Saturday.
So that means 12 miles within the 24 hours. VERY cool.
Physical Therapy this morning was good - and painful as usual. They had me back running a little. I did 4 minutes of running, interspersed with walking. I'm trying to get my gait to be in the right form. It is so frustrating, because there is no pain involved...NONE. But I can't do any more yet. But for those 4 minutes, it felt incredible. I really have found the endorphins that come from running.
So far so good. I get to do 6 minutes of running, interspersed with walking tomorrow evening, and we'll see what he says on Wednesday.
-Silas
The store was at about mile 1.75. By mile 3.5, he had fallen asleep. It had to be rather comical to see him on my back, completely out.
Anyway, by mile 4.5 he had woken back up, and we had a grand old time for the rest of the 6 miles. All in all, it was pretty good. We were out from 7:00 to 9:00 all told, including the store stop.
Saturday, we had a dance competition at a local amusement park. It was awesome - my daughter had finished both of her dances by 9:15, which meant that we were done before the rides even opened up. So we got to spend the rest of the day on roller coasters and everything else. It was awesome. The exerspy told me that I got in another 12,000 steps, which ROUGHLY translates to 6 miles for me. This all happened before 6:00 PM on Saturday.
So that means 12 miles within the 24 hours. VERY cool.
Physical Therapy this morning was good - and painful as usual. They had me back running a little. I did 4 minutes of running, interspersed with walking. I'm trying to get my gait to be in the right form. It is so frustrating, because there is no pain involved...NONE. But I can't do any more yet. But for those 4 minutes, it felt incredible. I really have found the endorphins that come from running.
So far so good. I get to do 6 minutes of running, interspersed with walking tomorrow evening, and we'll see what he says on Wednesday.
-Silas
Friday, May 04, 2012
OW! Ow, ow ow ow.
Also: ouch.
But it helps, they say, so I keep doing it! More physical therapy, in case you hadn't guessed.
It wasn't too bad today, except for one part of my hamstring which was pretty darned sore. But it's all good. I still think things are getting stronger.
Down to 258.7 this morning, which is down two pounds from yesterday, which was only down .2 pounds from last Sunday, but a grand total of three pounds down from last Saturday.
I've been frustrated the past few days. I've been working hard, and actually depriving myself of a certain amount of food (on purpose) to try to get down in weight as quickly as possible before going on the Hawaii trip. I'm usually eating between 1200 (not often that low) and 1700 calories, usually hovering around 1500. I burn around 3,100 if I do no exercise, and I can burn up to 4,000 if I walk for 5 miles.
However, things just don't seem to be working fast enough.
What? I've lost over 40 pounds in two months, and it's not fast enough?
I've decided that I am worrying too much about numbers. Or at least some specific numbers. I'm been so concerned with this short term loss, with 2,000 to 2,500 calories per day deficit, that I haven't taken into account the other variables.
Like not burning as many calories when you lose weight.
Like what happens when your knees don't support running for a while.
Like life.
And like the fact that even though my scale may not be showing the results, I can truly see differences in how I feel, how I look, and how my clothes fit.
I think I started to get irritated that I'm not burning as many calories anymore. Such as yesterday. There was a celebration at work, and they brought in cupcakes. Not a horrible problem, especially since they were actually rather small cupcakes. But I was getting angry that I couldn't have a cupcake and still get my burn in, unless I did two hours of walking.
I have been starting to lose my focus some, being bitter about what I can't eat, and how the skinny guy in my neighborhood gets to brag about the giant burgers he eats all the time.
Boo-hoo. Cry a little more. And suck it up.
So I am going to start moving my focus a little bit more toward the long term. I am going to focus on some of the basics again. Back to thinking about the water that I'm drinking. Back to making sure I get enough fruits, and even more importantly, vegetables in my diet. Keeping my calorie intake to under 2000 every day, 1700 most days, and 1500 some days.
I don't need to be at 230 when I go on vacation, as long as the mindset that I have is long-term. This isn't a sprint. This isn't even a marathon. This is a way of life. Keeping healthy, keeping active, eating less than I burn...it's the way life needs to be.
What this decisions is telling me is that my best is enough.
And I am at peace with that.
-Silas
But it helps, they say, so I keep doing it! More physical therapy, in case you hadn't guessed.
It wasn't too bad today, except for one part of my hamstring which was pretty darned sore. But it's all good. I still think things are getting stronger.
Down to 258.7 this morning, which is down two pounds from yesterday, which was only down .2 pounds from last Sunday, but a grand total of three pounds down from last Saturday.
I've been frustrated the past few days. I've been working hard, and actually depriving myself of a certain amount of food (on purpose) to try to get down in weight as quickly as possible before going on the Hawaii trip. I'm usually eating between 1200 (not often that low) and 1700 calories, usually hovering around 1500. I burn around 3,100 if I do no exercise, and I can burn up to 4,000 if I walk for 5 miles.
However, things just don't seem to be working fast enough.
What? I've lost over 40 pounds in two months, and it's not fast enough?
I've decided that I am worrying too much about numbers. Or at least some specific numbers. I'm been so concerned with this short term loss, with 2,000 to 2,500 calories per day deficit, that I haven't taken into account the other variables.
Like not burning as many calories when you lose weight.
Like what happens when your knees don't support running for a while.
Like life.
And like the fact that even though my scale may not be showing the results, I can truly see differences in how I feel, how I look, and how my clothes fit.
I think I started to get irritated that I'm not burning as many calories anymore. Such as yesterday. There was a celebration at work, and they brought in cupcakes. Not a horrible problem, especially since they were actually rather small cupcakes. But I was getting angry that I couldn't have a cupcake and still get my burn in, unless I did two hours of walking.
I have been starting to lose my focus some, being bitter about what I can't eat, and how the skinny guy in my neighborhood gets to brag about the giant burgers he eats all the time.
Boo-hoo. Cry a little more. And suck it up.
So I am going to start moving my focus a little bit more toward the long term. I am going to focus on some of the basics again. Back to thinking about the water that I'm drinking. Back to making sure I get enough fruits, and even more importantly, vegetables in my diet. Keeping my calorie intake to under 2000 every day, 1700 most days, and 1500 some days.
I don't need to be at 230 when I go on vacation, as long as the mindset that I have is long-term. This isn't a sprint. This isn't even a marathon. This is a way of life. Keeping healthy, keeping active, eating less than I burn...it's the way life needs to be.
What this decisions is telling me is that my best is enough.
And I am at peace with that.
-Silas
Wednesday, May 02, 2012
Such sweet pain...
If you've been to the physical therapist in the past few years, chances are you've run across something called astym.
http://www.astym.com/default.asp
Apparently it is a way that they've come up with to stimulate healing. I've had it multiple times over the past few years when I broke my ankle, when I had tennis elbow, and then today.
If you're not familiar with it, the therapist takes what amounts to a very hard plastic spatula and digs down deep through about every layer of tissue that there is.
IT HURTS LIKE CRAZY. But to tell you the truth, if it can help me keep running, I'll sit and endure as much of it as necessary.
It's not nearly as painful as when they were digging right into the pain location when I had tennis elbow. That was just bad. However...I do not have problems with my elbow today, so I'll take it!
Took another walk last night with the scouts. They are some good kids. We did a mile and a half (OK, the other scoutmaster and I did a mile and a half, I think the scouts did like 36 miles what with all of the zig-zagging they did). I had them paying attention to find 10 different native plants and animals. Left to their own devices, they certainly came up with some interesting answers. (They wrote them down on papers).
So I have been having some cravings recently. I'm trying to figure out why. Every day before work, I have the urge to get some crappy food. (Did you know that the bag of "pretzels" that I used to eat daily has more than 1200 calories? I already mentioned that?) The good news is that there is nothing that I want to get that I am willing to spend the calories on. So I grab my apple and come in to work.
Every day for lunch, I want to just forget everything and do whatever. But again, there really is nothing that is worth it.
I'm down more than 40 pounds. It has not been easy. I have EARNED this weight off of me. I have WORKED for it. Hard. When it would have been easy on Monday to just take it easy when my wife and the older kids were at a play, instead I strapped the youngest to my back and hiked for 5 miles. When it's 11:00 at night and I only just then remember to do my stretches, I do them, even if I'm exhausted. When the work lunch comes up, I go to the gym early and do 90 minutes of swimming.
And every single time I put something into my mouth, I account for it. When I want the candy bar, I remember the 2,281 calorie average deficit for the past 2.5 months.
Add those up? 152,835 extra calories burned. That's 43.66 pounds, by the numbers, and over 40 by the scale. I didn't weigh myself this morning, but I'd would not be surprised at all if I was at 257.
Anyway, I'm sticking to my plan. I'm WORKING THROUGH THIS. While I want the crap, while the donut would be good, while the chips are calling my name, I refuse to give in.
I will beat this.
Thanks for letting me rant...
-Silas
http://www.astym.com/default.asp
Apparently it is a way that they've come up with to stimulate healing. I've had it multiple times over the past few years when I broke my ankle, when I had tennis elbow, and then today.
If you're not familiar with it, the therapist takes what amounts to a very hard plastic spatula and digs down deep through about every layer of tissue that there is.
IT HURTS LIKE CRAZY. But to tell you the truth, if it can help me keep running, I'll sit and endure as much of it as necessary.
It's not nearly as painful as when they were digging right into the pain location when I had tennis elbow. That was just bad. However...I do not have problems with my elbow today, so I'll take it!
Took another walk last night with the scouts. They are some good kids. We did a mile and a half (OK, the other scoutmaster and I did a mile and a half, I think the scouts did like 36 miles what with all of the zig-zagging they did). I had them paying attention to find 10 different native plants and animals. Left to their own devices, they certainly came up with some interesting answers. (They wrote them down on papers).
So I have been having some cravings recently. I'm trying to figure out why. Every day before work, I have the urge to get some crappy food. (Did you know that the bag of "pretzels" that I used to eat daily has more than 1200 calories? I already mentioned that?) The good news is that there is nothing that I want to get that I am willing to spend the calories on. So I grab my apple and come in to work.
Every day for lunch, I want to just forget everything and do whatever. But again, there really is nothing that is worth it.
I'm down more than 40 pounds. It has not been easy. I have EARNED this weight off of me. I have WORKED for it. Hard. When it would have been easy on Monday to just take it easy when my wife and the older kids were at a play, instead I strapped the youngest to my back and hiked for 5 miles. When it's 11:00 at night and I only just then remember to do my stretches, I do them, even if I'm exhausted. When the work lunch comes up, I go to the gym early and do 90 minutes of swimming.
And every single time I put something into my mouth, I account for it. When I want the candy bar, I remember the 2,281 calorie average deficit for the past 2.5 months.
Add those up? 152,835 extra calories burned. That's 43.66 pounds, by the numbers, and over 40 by the scale. I didn't weigh myself this morning, but I'd would not be surprised at all if I was at 257.
Anyway, I'm sticking to my plan. I'm WORKING THROUGH THIS. While I want the crap, while the donut would be good, while the chips are calling my name, I refuse to give in.
I will beat this.
Thanks for letting me rant...
-Silas
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
My kid is heavy.
He's only three, and he only weighs 33 pounds or so (skinny little dude), but after you strap him to your back and carry him for 5 miles, he gets HEAVY. It was a good 5 miles. It took 96 minutes and burned over 700 calories.
Frustration for the day? Since losing 40 pounds and really increasing my cardio fitness, I'm burning way fewer calories. I would have been up over 4,200 or 4,300 at LEAST for the day when I put in 14,000 steps and over an hour and a half of walking. Now, it's under 4,000.
Yeah, I know. Bad problem to have.
I'm still excited to get back into running. Walking (even with my kid on my back) just doesn't get my heart rate up enough to burn a lot of calories. I'm fairly sure that running will do it.
My knees are feeling stronger. The other day I was here at work, needing to hurry to the second floor. Without thinking, I just ran up the stairs. Between being much lighter and the stretches/strengthening exercises for my knees, it was effortless.
That's the good news.
I'm going to start getting on my bike at lunches a couple of days a week with my brother. I was going to start today, but it is going to rain pretty much all day. I'm also going to be walking a couple of miles with some boy scouts, so I'll at least get SOME exercise in.
Was at the grocery store this morning. I'm going to go eat an apple that I bought, instead of the OVER 1200 CALORIES of pretzels that I would have bought in the past. Oh - and those pretzels were just one package that I would have brought in. Usually way more crap.
Feeling good, fighting cravings, moving forward.
-Silas
Frustration for the day? Since losing 40 pounds and really increasing my cardio fitness, I'm burning way fewer calories. I would have been up over 4,200 or 4,300 at LEAST for the day when I put in 14,000 steps and over an hour and a half of walking. Now, it's under 4,000.
Yeah, I know. Bad problem to have.
I'm still excited to get back into running. Walking (even with my kid on my back) just doesn't get my heart rate up enough to burn a lot of calories. I'm fairly sure that running will do it.
My knees are feeling stronger. The other day I was here at work, needing to hurry to the second floor. Without thinking, I just ran up the stairs. Between being much lighter and the stretches/strengthening exercises for my knees, it was effortless.
That's the good news.
I'm going to start getting on my bike at lunches a couple of days a week with my brother. I was going to start today, but it is going to rain pretty much all day. I'm also going to be walking a couple of miles with some boy scouts, so I'll at least get SOME exercise in.
Was at the grocery store this morning. I'm going to go eat an apple that I bought, instead of the OVER 1200 CALORIES of pretzels that I would have bought in the past. Oh - and those pretzels were just one package that I would have brought in. Usually way more crap.
Feeling good, fighting cravings, moving forward.
-Silas
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)