Play My Cards Right

I’m beginning to believe that my perception of my physical self changes radically based on my workout and eating routines, regardless of actual, physical changes.

I stepped on the scale today and was pretty dismayed at what I saw.  It wasn’t unexpected- between bouts of illness and Max keeping us up at night, I’ve had a lot of trouble getting back into any kind of routine- exercise or otherwise.  I’ve also pretty much completely reverted to my old bad habits, but with the added negative of bingeing on carbs.  I’ve always loved sugary foods but at some point during my initial weight loss, the occasional sugar binge somehow transformed into the all to frequent sugar lust.

So I’m going back to a food diary.  Nothing too extreme, yet.  I’ve never been one to count calories but as my last weight loss came due to routine workouts, cutting portions and eating slowly, I plan on just monitoring servings.  I’m basing it off of my current PBT but probably keeping it in a spreadsheet rather than online.  For some reason ease of use never really transferred when it came to food logging on Blood Team.  So starting today, it begins again.  Lets hope I can stick to it.

Looking back on the year, most of it seems like a blur.  Although waiting for the birth of the boy seemed to take forever, now wonder where the time went.

So while I will get to that bigger story of my life in 2009, I just wanted to reflect on the other events of the year.  The first (and maybe only  one I write about): Running the Pittsburgh Marathon

Running the Marathon

All told, I trained a good six months to tackle this beast, but prior to hardcore marathon training, I’d begun running 10Ks and just trying to get into shape since the beginning of 2007.

I basically used the Nike+ training regimen to begin, which starts with shortish runs and builds over time, with a long run every week.  It ended up that every sunday I’d do a long run- I remember my first 12 mile run, and about mid-way I was expected to do a 30 mile run but I completely failed at it.  That scared me into taking it all a bit more seriously.  Rarely did I miss training, which would see me running 4-5 days a week, during my lunch break at work if I had to.  By the end, my long run was 24 miles, and my “short” mid week runs were between 6 and 10 miles.

I got to see a Pittsburgh I never really knew, running through the puke-stained South Side at 5:30AM, through downtown and the strip as things were just starting to wake up.  I’d climb up to Bloomfield and then on to East Liberty.  Finally it was Point Breeze to Squirrel Hill and back home.

I’d take a clif bar, some clif bloks and pick up a bottle of gatorade on the way.  These runs would generally cost me about 2000 calories.

The Marathon

The day of the Marathon was rainy and cold.  I got downtown very early and ended up sitting in a stairwell playing Drop 7 while I waited for the race to start.  When it finally got underway I was surprised by how slow going it was, but things spread out quickly and I had to work to keep a good pace.

Longer than I expected

Although the race is clocked at 26.2 miles, my Nike+ registered nearly 30.  I’d assumed it was pretty accurate but I suppose I assumed wrong.  This affected not only my expectation for when the race would be over, but meant my training was not really sufficient.

Damn those hills

A lot of the race was up hill: Southside to Oakland, Oakland to Point Breeze, Point Breeze through Hazelwood, Hazelwood through East Liberty.  Let’s say miles 10-20 are practically all uphill.  This really fed the burn in my legs.

Too much energy.

By the time we reached the South Side groups of people (official and not) were passing out gels, pills, fruit and liquid with an incredible frequency.  As we ran down Forbes Avenue in Oakland Pitt students were handing out bits of peeled banana, soaking wet from the rain and right out of their palms.  I cannot think of a more disgusting thing.  I tried to restrict it to what I knew I needed but I think I actually ended up eating and drinking too much during the run.  I have yet to taste an energy gel that doesn’t hit the puke button on my tongue.

The Soundtrack

Initially I’d really hoped to run without headphones on, but I brought my iPod so I could track my run for nike+.  Running with headphones is discouraged in organized racing and its illegal in many marathons, but not so in Pittsburgh.  Lots of folks were using headphones and so when I finally gave in and realized that I would need something beside the people around me to keep me invested in the race, I put my headphones in and went with it.  I think I actually listened to a podcast but the one song that I kept coming back to, of all things, was a track from the Valkyria Chronicles soundtrack.  A video game.  That looks like an anime.   It really is a fantastic soundtrack to a truly wonderful game though.

Desperate Fight:

Bloomfield is awesome.

As I ran down Liberty Avenue, totally blasted from the rain and sheer exhaustion, my spirits were lifted by the Bloomfield revery.  Folks passing out beer and pizza, lots of cheering and just general good times.

The last mile nearly killed me.

Although it was a downhill grade to a flat run at this point, the last mile was probably one of the toughest things I’ve ever done.

Overwhelmed

When I finally reached the end, exhausted and looking for Dawn and my dad, I completely broke down.  They’d managed to literally muscle their way passed security and were waiting for me, and when I saw them, I just burst.  Physical exhaustion, elation, pure adrenalin, it all just started flying out.

After that we made our way to a nice brunch at Point Brugge and the rest is history.

In the end it took me about 5 hours, a run that is in no way respectable, but I did it.  I did it without stopping or walking.   It was so exhausting and painful I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever do it again, but I’m glad I can say I did it.

My Nike+ stats for the Pittsburgh marathon

Some stats from my PBT:

From January 19 through December 31, minus November 22 through December 9, I consumed the following:

5909.25 portions of liquid
1018.6 portions of grains
366.4 portions of dairy
416 portions of meat
731.625 portions of fruits and vegetables
1667.5 portions of sweets
1539400mg of vitamin supplements!

Sweets and grains are highly disproportionate to the rest, but that is just how I rolled this year.

In December of 2007, I weighed 253lbs. I finished the year at 185, with my lowest weight being 176.5. The majority of my weight loss took place in the first half of the year, which is when I was most disciplined. I managed to stave off significant weight increases by increasing my exercise in the second half of the year. I would like to lose 20lbs in 2008.

At the end of 2007, I had lost a total of 68 pounds.

Finally, I stayed on a very positive trajectory with my exercise, not only increasing in frequency but slowly working towards my goal of running a 10k in 2008.

I exercised 377.29 hours last year. Over 11 days!

Overall, 2007 was a very productive year for me, but now I have to learn to keep up my weight and exercise routines while getting back to reading, studying and being productive in other ways.

Other stats from 2007:

I spent $283.46 dollars on music. This included digital downloads from emusic as well as other purchases. Really, that is next to nothing.

Including Netflix, I spent $471.75 dollars on movies.

Let’s see where 2008 takes us!

Decided to try and beat my cold to death by going for a run this afternoon, and kill a second bird with said stone by going to the Edgewood Town Center Gamestop to pick up a copy of MGS 3: Subsistence. Literally the worst retail experience I have ever hard.

I tried to embed a google map of it but it didn’t work.  Anyway- 3.4 miles there and back.  Not a huge distance but I would have made it in about 35 minutes had the turds at Gamestop not slowed me down.

So I’ve been laying low for a while because I’ve wanted to talk about this but couldn’t until now.  Right before I went on vacation last month I found a lump in my neck that I was seriously concerned might be a recurrence oflymphoma or perhaps some new cancer.  After getting bumped and bounced and finally getting scanned, I am happy to report that it is not the case.

I’ve refrained from talking about it because I really wanted to not get too bent out of shape over what could potentially be nothing.  Granted I did break down a few times but now that I know it is nothing, I feel as though a tremendous weight has been lifted off of me.  I didn’t realize just how stressed out I was until I found myself calling the doctor’s office repeatedly, practically begging for the results.

So all is clear and I am in better shape than I have been in a decade.  In the words of Saul Tigh, thank the gods.   Its time to swing back into life.

This week I managed to not lose any weight, but I also didn’t gain any. I ate a lot of food, which caused me to get depressed, which caused me to eat more food. Ultimately it strengthened my resolve to continue on the path, so I got passed that dark place.

Did some pushups this morning- usually I stick to weights three days a week but I decided that I’d add pushups and situps to my yoga on non-weight training days. Imagine my surprise when I was able to do three sets of ten without breaking a sweat! I probably could have done about 25 in a run if I’d wanted to. It shouldn’t be a surprise- I’m 60 pounds lighter, but it still felt great, and encouraged me that much more.

After a sunday spent ripping apart my sister-in-law’s new house, working out is the last thing I want to do, but as always, I gotta keep my goals in mind.

Here, by the way, is my current goal: 180 by vacation in mid-june.

Tried running yesterday for the first time since I seriously hurt my knees and shins running last summer. It turns out that when you weigh less, running is not a hard on your body as it is when you way, say 255 lbs. After not having run in almost a year, I did a good 15 minutes without too much effort. My knees didn’t hurt, nor did my shins, and I could have continued but it was time for us to leave the gym. Good times.

M W F (AM) – Upper body weights & core

• 3 sets of 10 bench press
• 3 sets of 10 incline bench press
• 3 sets of 10 shoulder press
• 3 sets of 10 butterfly
• 3 sets of 10 squats with just a bar
• 3 sets of 10 bar bell bicep curls
• 3 sets of 10 dumb bell bicep curls
• 3 sets of 10 dumb bell tricep thingies
• 3 sets of 10 lat pull downs
• 3 sets of 10 triceps on the pull down machine
• 3 sets of 20 stomach crunches
• 3 sets of 10 leg lifts

M W (PM)

• 30 mins of low intensity elliptical

T H (AM)

• 20 mins of yoga with Yourself Fitness

T H (PM)

• 30 mins high intensity elliptical

Sat/Sund

At least 30 minutes high intensity elliptical on one of these days, preferably both.

Also 20 minutes yoga.

Sometimes clliptical is replaced in the evening by DDR if we don’t feel like or can’t go to the gym.

I’m focusing exclusively on upper body with weights because frankly I don’t feel my legs need it. This could come back to haunt me. Also this dedication is predicated on the fact that the gym is very close to me and I can go there without too much effort, and also the fact that I am paying through the nose for it. Also worth mentioning is that I am taking time off from school, so I have more free time than I am accustomed to.

If at some point the gym is no longer an option we may just buy an elliptical machine and some weights because it would end up costing us about the same amount as our annual gym fees.

Let’s dive a little deeper into the role of routine on the road to a healthier you.

I recently took a few days off of work to spend some much needed down time with my wife and generally relax over the Easter break. Additionally, the JCC has had some scheduled days off due to the Passover Holiday. The resulting complete breakdown of my workday/weekend schedule compromised my meal planning and consumption completely.

Beginning Friday, with the decision to go to the movies and go out to eat a little more frequently than we usually do, I ate. And ate and ate. I binged. I ate Chicago hot dogs and the frosting off the beater and all the Easter chocolate I could. Then I ate a half a donut. And more easter candy. Jelly beans, peanut butter meltaways, a chocolate mocha Terrine we made for Easter dessert. With more time on my hands then I new what to do with and a carb lust that seemed to increase with every morsel, I simply could not stop myself from eating.

Now part of this, I admit, is that somewhere in the back of my mind I feel like I can justify the gluttony after dropping below 200lbs for the first time in over a decade. But another part of it is that without the routine of my workday-my planned moments of eating throughout the day as a break in the monotony of work itself- I had a really hard time sticking to what I know works. I just wanted something to do. And when you’re at home, even if you are keeping yourself busy, a little munch here and there can lead to a steady stream of eating crap. Suddenly I felt awful and had the kinds of stomach aches (and more) that prior to my weight loss were a routine themselves.

Bottom line: Maintaining a routine helps me (and maybe you) keep your goals in mind. Breaking this routine on occasion is a must, but never let your goals drop from sight.

Bottom line #2: Get the Easter Candy out of the Gods’ damn house.

Meanwhile, I’ve been doing 20 minutes of Yourself Fitness Yoga on the days I don’t go to the Gym before work. I also read that squats are as good or better for your abs than crunches, leg lifts and the like, so I’ve integrated three sets of low-weight squats into my routine. I screwed up my knee about 7 years ago doing squats with too much weight, so I’m going to take it extremely slow for now.

August 2006

April 2007

I have passed 50 pounds lost since January of this year. I now weigh less than I did at the end of 12th grade.

Observations:

• This has been incredibly hard and at the same time incredibly easy.
• By training myself to look forward to the leftovers I create by not eating traditional portions, I have drastically reduced the amount I eat, and the amount we spend on food.
• In general, I feel better than I have in a long time. This is psychological as much as it is physical- I love watching the fat melt off.
• Discipline is everything. This is the first time in my life, outside of when I was playing sports and competing for a spot on a team, that I have been able to routinize my working out and eating so effectively. I feel that if I stop I will quickly drop into bad habits, and this has become somewhat stressful
• I allow myself nights where my eating goes way over the top- candy, ice cream etc.
• Related to that, I do not deny myself any food; I simply minimize the amount of it I eat. A pint of Ben And Jerry’s consumed over two weeks is a treat every night and surprisingly easy to do with my weight loss goals in mind.
• While these changes have been easy/hard, thinking about eating takes up a considerable amount of my daily thought. I have not been as productive this season and I’m not sure how I feel about it.  Perhaps weight loss should be my only goal right now anyway.

I’m going to post some before/after images soon. I have about 20 more pounds to go. Things have slowed considerably since the beginning of March. A chronicle of every single thing I have eaten since January can be found at my PBT Spreadsheet.

So my Shuffle broke again this morning and I was forced to walk to the gym without the luxury of information flowing into my brain.  I’ve become so accustomed to jumping out of bed and walking up to the gym with the headphones on full blast that walking around my neighborhood without them at 6:45AM became an almost surreal experience.  I suddenly remember so much more of the walk, for one thing.  Without the headphones I observed so much more than I usually do.  The sounds of people unloading bakery supplies, the pollutive city buses.  The surprising number of people out and about.

Working out became a far different experience as well, as suddenly I was forced to hear the dance-pop on the gym stereo but also the assorted grunts and other sounds made by the other weightlifters.  All typically events really, but again I’ve been so accustomed to my own internal soundtrack it was absolutely alien.

Is it a good idea to constantly stream information into my head?  At high volumes?  All these times when I’m exercising or walking to work I could be thinking, instead of consuming.  It seems I consume so much information I may not have time to process it.  And of course there’s the issue of my hearing loss, which Dawn will tell you is very real indeed.

I’ve lost 45 pounds.

I’m still pretty damn fat though.  Regardless, I have crossed the thin line between loose clothing and clown clothing.  I am going to have to bite the bullet and buy a few items.

I just threw out two months of dedicated mindful eating in a riotous bit Thin Mint consumption.

Evil, thy name is Girl Scouts.

I have to put a new hole in my belt. Literally.

I’m an agent of Project Blood Team. Code name Scrabble Dictionary.

Despite the occasional sugary setback, I have hit 20lbs lost.

600mg calcium tablet (1)
1000mg vitamin c tablet (1)
Red Juice Plus Pills (2)
Green Juice Plus Pills
Shot of Orange/Tangerine Juice (1)
Cup of Coffee (no cream, no sugar) (3)
Glass of Water (8)
1/4 Apple Cranberry Gorgonzola Salad
1/4 Chicken Cannelloni
Fried Chicken Breast (1/2)
Baby Carrots (8)
Birthday Cake (1/2)

For better or worse, I have rejoined the Blood Team. Once I get my spreadsheet set up I’ll be chronicling my eating habits there, rather than annoying everyone on my blog.