Week 6 report

Huzzah! I'm officially halfway there. Only six more weeks to go and I'm back on track after a rough Week 5.

I hit the ground running to start the week, going to the gym for four straight days. During the first few weeks, I was averaging about 2.5 to 3 hours of cardio per week. This week, I did well over four hours in addition to the normal weight training. On top of that, I started a new mini challenge to work into my over-arching 12-week challenge. I'm trying to do 100 push-ups every day. I'm going to do it for a full two weeks, hopefully knocking out a total of 1,400 push-ups before starting my swim class. We'll see if my shoulder agrees.

My 100 push-ups per day challenge is in full swing (Day 3 actually)

In the nutrition department, I had a very good week. I did slip up once (as I seem to do every week), but I had big enough calorie deficiencies on a daily basis to more than make up for it. Oh, and I only consumed 33 percent calories from fat this week, too, which is the lowest I've managed so far. Another huzzah!

Stepping on the scale this morning was odd. I was incredibly nervous, which is never the case. Maybe it was because this is the halfway point and because last week's weigh-in was a little bit disappointing. Regardless, I felt like one of those Biggest Loser contestants and I was legitimately scared. A huge sigh of relief came over me, though, when I saw 170.6 flash across the scale. That's a loss of 1.7 pounds this week, way more than I needed. That's a total loss of 8.6 pounds in six weeks, an average of 1.43 per week. I'm definitely way ahead of pace, which is good, because the fat is only going to get harder to shed in the final weeks.

I only have 5.6 pounds to go before I reach my 12-week goal, but hitting that mark will be tough, considering in the coming weeks, my weight training is going to intensify, which may counter the weight loss, although I'll certainly be chipping away at my body fat percentage.

Till next time ...

Week 5 report

This is starting to get tough.

After initially getting into the groove with a regular diet and exercise regimen, I'm starting to show signs that I'm faltering. I had two days last week where I went way over on my daily calorie limit, forcing myself to workout extra hard in the following days in order to break even for the week and I didn't quite make it. I went over about 150 calories for the week, which still isn't all that bad, considering I'm allotted 1,500 per day. That means I averaged a surplus of about 21 calories each day.

However, I did slip a few times and I'm afraid I'm about to hit a big wall and completely fall off the wagon. This week will be critical. I need to make sure that I stay strong and make good decisions every day, especially late at night, which is when I get the most powerful cravings for sweets. That being said, I haven't slipped up at all in the exercise department, logging well over 3.5 full hours of cardio, in addition to some weight training and my rotator cuff exercises. My goal heading into this experiment was to do at least 2.5 hours of cardio per week, so I'm tearing it up right now.

I weighed in at 172.3 pounds this morning, which shocked me, considering my undisciplined diet during the week. It's only a loss of 0.3 pounds, but honestly, I was expecting to gain weight this time. That makes a total loss of 7 pounds so far, which is about 1.4 per week. So, I'm still right on track.

Next Wednesday marks the half way point, so I'll check back in then.

P.S.: Jen and I can't wait for the baby to get here. I caved the other day and bought this infant-sized Weber State jersey for him. Sweet!

Week 4 report

I'm officially one third of the way there.

I struggled mightily with my calories this week, but still managed to stay a hair under my weekly allotment. That being said, I maintained my hold on about 37% calories from fat, which didn't climb along with my increased intake. The only way I managed to stay ahead was with an extra session at the gym on Sunday, which earned me a bunch of extra calories.

Wearing down the final hole in my belt. It's time to cut out a new one.

My shoulder is still in a state of despair. I've been in considerable pain since last week's cortisone injection, which is what I feared would happen. I began my rotator cuff exercises, but they haven't been pleasant. I know I am not icing it nearly enough, as I keep forgetting to bring my shoulder pack to work with me. I signed up for a swimming class on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Weber State for the summer (tuition is free because I'm staff now), and I'm nervous I won't be ready for it in time. It begins in May and I want my shoulder to be somewhat stable before I begin. I hope the class works out, because I need to be very careful not to log too many yards in it, but I think the instructor will cater to it just fine as there will be swimmers of all levels in the course.

Other than all that, there isn't a ton of new information to report. My weight was 172.6 pounds this morning, marking a 6.6-pound total weight loss since starting this regimen four weeks ago. That's 1.65 pounds per week, which is definitely above what I was aiming for. I'm still nervous about how my body fat percentage has been affected, but I'm confident it is on the decline. Six pounds isn't a ton of weight, but I can actually start to see some small changes in my physique in the mirror, now. Also, I'm out of holes on my belt again. Another good sign...

Week 3 report

There really isn't a whole ton to add to this week's update. I'm still going strong and I'm still on pace for my weight goal. I weighed in at 174 even this morning (a 1.4 lb loss), which still puts me ahead of the curve for my 12-week goal.

This is almost identical to what I had done yesterday. Rather than getting the injection into my bursa sac again (like in this image), the doctor shot the cortisone down into my shoulder joint, which was much deeper and much more painful.

The nutrition has been going well, albeit not stellar. I maintained 36 percent of my calories from fat and 17 percent from protein, which is about the same as last week. No significant improvement there, but I stayed under my calorie intake goal for the week and it's obviously paying off on the scale.

In the fitness department, I basically rotated between cycling and running/hiking. One day, I'd knock out 30 vigorous minutes on the stationary bike, and the next I'd go for 40 minutes (one day I even did a full hour) on the treadmill, alternating 10 minutes of brisk walking on a heavy incline and 10 minutes of running at 5.5 miles per hour.

I haven't been able to do as much weight training as I wanted, due to ongoing shoulder issues, but I did do some, including a difficult ab workout session after the bike on Friday. I had an MRI done a few weeks back to see if there is an actual tear in my rotator cuff and thankfully, there isn't. However, there was some significant "fraying" throughout my tendons, and the doctor was unable to give me a straightforward solution as to what's next. Surgery to clean up the fraying is an option, but an expensive one that I cannot afford with the baby coming, and it's not even guaranteed to fix the problem.

So ... he filled up my joint with cortisone yesterday (different from the injection I got in my bursa sac well over a year ago) and told me to start doing the weight-bearing exercises on my rotator cuff religiously once the initial soreness of the shot wears off. That should limit any exercise-related pain while I strengthen the tendons as much as possible.

It may work ... it may not. I suppose only time will tell.