Week 12 (Final) Report

Well, the 12 weeks are finally over. After nearly three months of calorie counting and increased exercise, my final results are in.

I made my way to the Human Performance Lab on campus and had my weight and body fat measured in the Bod Pod. The results were very encouraging, but there's still room to improve.

Weight: 167.6 pounds (Down from 179.2 for a loss of 11.6 pounds)
Body Fat %: 20.9 percent (Down from 26.8 for a loss of 5.9 percent)

Overall, I'm on the right track. I didn't quite reach my goal of 165 pounds and under 20 percent, but I came dangerously close on both counts. I certainly can make it within a few more weeks. The folks at the lab were impressed, saying the body fat I dropped in 12 weeks is more than most people in the Wellness Program do in a full year. Or perhaps they were just being nice. Either way, I left their office with a grin on my face.

So, what have I learned from my first-ever diet? Well, the first thing I can say for sure is that I definitely don't plan on counting calories for the rest of my life. While it kept me honest with the types of food I ate, being ultra conscious about everything I put in my mouth is incredibly stressful, not to mention exhausting. That being said, it has taught me a lot about portion control and keeping an eye on food labels. Some "regular" items I eat contained way more fat and calories than I ever imagined, but some others were actually much lower. I can still watch my calories without counting them religiously.

I'm not sure what I'm doing here, but Jen captured the moment anyway.

I haven't had any major revelations regarding exercise. I was fairly educated about it before, although I knew I wasn't doing enough of it. I did my best to maintain a full 2.5 hours of cardio per week throughout my diet. I only wavered in one week and in several others, I did way more than that, sometimes as much as 4.5 per week. However, I did learn that using exercise as a fail safe to "earn" extra calories is a dangerous game, one that I played way too much. I should be exercising regularly and maintaining a balanced diet anyway, not doing one or the other in extremes to balance out the other. I learned that the hard way during a few weeks, with disappointing results on the scale.

Jen and I are still expecting the baby any day now, so I finished this experiment up just in time. She's been incredibly patient with me during all this and my "restrictions," but I think even she learned a thing or two for her own weight-loss goals after the baby is born. I still plan on using MyFitnessPal daily, even though I'm not following a strict diet anymore. It should help me make healthy choices, so I don't completely fall off the wagon and gain everything back.

Week 11 report

Only one more week to go!

After a shameful Week 10, I made up some ground this week, but it wasn't quite enough to overcome the nearly two-pound weight gain from that dismal seven days. I weighed in at 168.5 , a loss of 1.4 pounds from last Wednesday, but it's still not my best (167.8), which came in Week 9.

Hey look, another narcissistic "selfie" of me on the bike last week.

Now, it's time to really pour it on. I was reading an interesting article in Time magazine while sitting in the doctor's office with Jen yesterday. It was about UFC fighters, who undergo insane transformations in the 36 hours before they weigh in for fights. They call the process "molting," which involves eating nothing but raw vegetables, little-to-no fluid intake and living in a sweatsuit. They will run on treadmills all day long and then spend the evening hours in the sauna. Doing so, they drop 10-15 pounds in almost no time, and then, after they weigh in, they pack it all back on before their fight, gorging themselves on pasta and steak. To me, this is incredible, although insane and probably very dangerous.

Although I plan to really hit the gym hard and try my best to make Week 12 my "healthiest" one yet, expecting to drop tons of weight in a short period of time simply isn't good for you. If I can drop 1.6 pounds and fall below 167 by next week, I'll be stoked. It will be the ultimate test of will, too. Jen is due ANY day now, and if the baby arrives, it will certainly throw off any workout plans I had. That being said, our doctor is going to be out of town until next Friday, so we are hoping Jen can hold out until then before having her labor induced that weekend. Fingers are crossed.

I need to schedule an appointment with the Wellness Pays staff for next Wednesday, too. I want to find out what progress I've made. Even if I don't do the full battery of tests again, I at least want to sit down in the BodPod and find out if I've made significant progress with my body fat percentage.

Week 8 report

I can't believe how fast the weeks are flying by. It's strange, because as I wait for Jen's due date, it feels like time is at a standstill. But, when it comes to my 12-week diet, I am at warp speed.

Three quarters of this regimen are now over and although I don't feel like I'm seeing a huge difference in the mirror, the scale is certainly reflecting it. This week, I weighed in at 168.8, down exactly one pound from last week. That leaves me with less than four pounds to go in the remaining four weeks. It's entirely possible that I may not reach my overall goal before the baby gets here, though, as Jen has reached a point in her pregnancy where she could go into labor at any time. Honestly, I wouldn't mind cutting this experiment a bit short if our baby boy does arrive a tad early. The entire point of this was to get down to a healthy weight and body fat percentage by the time I'm a father, and I feel like I'm certainly on track for that.

A nice blurry photo during the cool down of my one-hour run yesterday.

While I had a difficult Week 7, this week was a little bit better. As always, I had a few bad days, but finished the week strong. It appears to be a microcosm of how I would like to live my life anyway. We can enjoy ourselves and let loose a little bit as long as the majority of the time, we are doing our best to be healthy. I can thank a couple of in-laws for such a good week in the gym. While having dinner at their place on Sunday, Jen's brother, Vaughn, and his wife, Chrissy, were debating if they would like to run the Huntsville Half Marathon with me in September. I still am not entirely convinced I even want to run it, but they seemed receptive to it and it gave me a fresh motivation to start training for it early. That being said, I did an extra long running session yesterday to finish the week. Plus, I didn't get to start swimming in my class yesterday, as we simply discussed the course schedule and don't get in the water until tomorrow. I can't wait!

Well, I'm now down 10.4 pounds in eight weeks. Only four more weeks remain with 3.8 pounds to go.

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 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...

Rare swim day

I haven't been in the pool for over two weeks. I was nervous to even give it a shot today, but I can't keep neglecting the water. It's an itch I desperately need to scratch. I rode the stationary bike first for 30 minutes and got a good sweat on, so swimming after was much more inviting.

When I walked on to the pool deck, Anita said I looked like I've lost more weight, calling me "skinny." I know I haven't lost more, although I've maintained it well for the past three months by not gaining, but her kind words still boosted my ego a bit. I started slow, because I did some weightlifting first, but after a few short sets I felt good and did some speed work for about 20 minutes. Good overall workout today.

Tomorrow's the long-awaited Mount Ogden Summit. I'm so excited!

Total distance: 1,400 yards swimming, 8.5 miles cycling

Weight-gain from vacation

I hopped on the scale this morning, suspecting I may have had a bad week in the diet department. Other than running my 10k on Saturday I spent almost five days doing nothing and eating a lot of crap while visiting my family in Las Vegas. As I feared, I gained two pounds. It may be the first time I've gained weight since I started this whole exercise deal, so I felt extra motivated to finish the week strong.

I got to the gym and found my favorite bike empty, which is a rare occurrence. So, rather than run, I didn't pass up the opportunity to use this particular machine and I went to work. The 10k run spoiled me with the low elevation, so I really felt it on the bike this morning. I only went for about 45 minutes, because I was planning on doing some ab work and calisthenics after. Once that was complete I sat in the sauna and got a real nice sweat. I don't sit in the sauna too often because I had a bad experience that sent me to the hospital once when I was 19, but today I was glad to use it. Stretching in a hot sauna feels so good and is very therapeutic for me and today was no different. I think I'll do it again tomorrow after my run and perhaps some kicks in the pool.

Total distance: 10.8 miles cycling

Recapping my big 2011

It's crazy to think 2011 is almost over. I know everyone says that about every year, but this year was of particular significance to me. For those of you who don't know, I went and got my yearly check-up with the doctor in February. I knew I had gained a lot of weight since graduating from high school and even more so after I got married. But the doctor told me I was at a dangerous juncture in my life where I could really start to let myself go if I don't makes some changes my lifestyle now. I weighed in at 215, which was technically in the obese category and my blood work showed I had slightly elevated cholesterol, which shouldn't ever be a problem for a 24-year-old.

So, on Valentine's Day, I made a promise to Jen that I'd lose some weight and stop eating take-out so much. The fast food is a problem we've both had since getting hitched. I probably hadn't been to the gym in over a year, so I went and bought one of those "Biggest Loser" living-room workout videos. I was embarrassed to buy it, at first and I was even more embarrassed when I first started doing the 30-minute workouts. I was in such terrible shape and the first day almost killed me (I'm not exaggerating. I almost called in sick to work.). But after a while, doing the video six days a week, it started to get easier. I did those for about six weeks, and immediately dropped 10 pounds.

In April, I started mixing in a little bit of running. I started doing 1-mile runs around the neighborhood once a week, and by the first day of May, I pulled off my first 5k run at the Roy High track on a Sunday afternoon. I honestly almost broke down in tears, I was so excited, but I held them back, because Jen was with me and probably would think I was being over dramatic. Haha.

Also, during May, I wanted to see how I'd fare in a swimming pool. I probably hadn't swam laps in almost two years. It was hard at first, doing only a few hundred yards at a time, but I quickly realized how much I had forgotten about its benefits. I wrote about my exercise exploits on my work blog for the Standard-Examiner and about my renewed love for swimming and a local swimmer named Gordon Gridley (or Gords for those who know him) commented on it, recommending I try swimming in the 1st-annual Great Salt Lake open water marathon, which he was organizing in June. I was on the fence at first, but my friend Kelly wanted to start swimming again, as well, so we decided that would be a fun thing to try out.

Kelly and I registered as U.S. Masters Swimming members, so we could track our exercise progress and get ready for the big 1-mile race. By race day, I was down to 198 pounds and it was pretty fun, so we signed up for August's Deer Creek open water marathon. I met Josh Green, another local swimmer, who organized the 1-mile portion at the GSL race and I got a lot of good swim advice from him and Gordon over the next few months. Open water swimming was entirely new to me, given I swam in the safe confines of a lap pool in high school and the two of them have been a great source of inspiration to me this year.

Kelly and I trained pretty hard for our 5k swim at Deer Creek and that's when my shoulder pain first arrived. It was pretty bad at first, but I got some medication which helped me keep up my training regimen until the race. The race was awesome and my weight was down to 188 by then. I set my sights on the 5-mile race at Lake Mead's Slam the Dam, which was slated for October and I kept pushing through the pain. Unfortunately, a scheduling issue at work wouldn't allow me to take my vacation time and compete in the race. I was so disappointed, I decided to stage a 5-mile swim of my own, since I trained for the damn thing after all. So on Sept. 26, I went to the Roy Recreation Center bright and early, set out some Gatorade and Gel packs on the pool deck and went for it. And to my surprise, it was cake. I did it in just over 2 1/2 hours, but my joy didn't last long, for my shoulder was hurting worse than ever in the weeks that followed.

In late August, I had started supplementing my running and swimming with some work on the stationary bike. I hoped if I took it easy on the swimming and did more biking instead, my shoulder would heal. Unfortunately, it didn't and my doctor told me I needed an MRI to see if it requires surgery. I ignored him, because I couldn't afford it on my health insurance until the new year started (reset my deductible) and I kept swimming until mid November. I participated in the South Davis Masters swim meet, and a week later I did my first sprint triathlon at Weber State with Kelly and Jessica. Both events were a blast, but I finally had to throw in the towel, because it became too painful to swim more than a few hundred yards.

In the past six weeks, I've amped up my running and cycling and I'm training for my first 10k run, which is next week. Unfortunately, I'm now battling foot and knee pain, but that's life, I guess. I did a few light swims this month, but nothing major. My weight loss has slowed significantly, but I'm still losing, not gaining. I now weigh about 180 (35-pound loss so far) and I can see major changes in my body from the weight training I added to my routine about two months ago. I want to start swimming seriously again as soon as possible, but January still may be out of the question. I have an appointment with the doctor on Jan. 5, so I can finally fork out the money and start the process of rehabbing my shoulder. I'm still in the process of setting goals for 2012, so I'll have those ready to post by Saturday.

Thanks again to Gordon, Josh, Kelly, Jessica and most-of-all, Jen for all your support through this long process. It's been a helluva year, and outside of my injuries, which come with the territory, I'm now healthier than I've been in almost seven years. I still have a long way to go, but I'm looking forward to it.

New look, new milestone

Yesterday, I was pretty busy and didn't have time to update my blog, but I did go to the gym. My legs and knee were pretty sore from the 6-mile run, but I still wanted to get a decent amount of cardio, so I mostly stuck to the bike. I biked for 7.5 miles and then did an easy 1.5-mile run. I followed it with some more weights and calisthenics and called it a day. I didn't push myself particularly hard, but I'm glad I at least got something in. I had a lot of errands to run.

However, when I got home, I stepped on the scale and came up at 179.8. I can't even remember the last time I was under 180, and even though it was only by two ounces, I was psyched to see the No. 7 in the tens digit column. Haha. My goal was to lose 30 pounds by Valentine's Day 2010 and now I've officially lost over 35 with more than two months to go. Awesome!

This pleases me...

Also, I finally decided to cut my hair. I probably haven't cut it since July and it grew longer than I had ever let it since I was a little kid. Jen has been complaining about it non-stop for months, suggesting I look like a 'hobo' and she is kind of right. I also haven't shaved in several weeks, probably since the SDRC Meet in November, so I took care of that, too.

I didn't go to the gym today and decided to watch a movie with some friends before work instead. I'm going to try and talk Jen into going with me tomorrow, so I can make it four times this week.

Already miss swimming

Boy, do I want to get in the water in the worst way. Since I decided to lay off swimming in order to let my shoulder heal, I've had a difficult time keeping with an exercise routine. I don't particularly enjoy dryland training and I often looked forward to my workouts in the pool. However, with that no longer an option my motivation is fading fast. I only went to the gym twice last week when I should have gone at least four times. I worked out hard when I went, but I was so disappointed in myself and I have a fear of falling out of the habit.

So, today I decided to kick off the new week strong. I planned on running three miles and biking six, but when I got on the bike, I couldn't get off. I had my book with me, so the time went by very fast. I gradually increased the resistance and finished with 14.5 miles in one hour. So I blew off the run and went straight to body sculpting.

I did a full hour of weight training, ab workouts and calisthenics after the bike. I normally don't go for that long, but with the help of some good tunes (Metallica, Skrillex, Eminem, and MJ) I kept pushing myself.

Oh, and I hit a new low on the scale this morning at 180.6. I don't think I've been that light since I was 18 or 19. That brings my weight-loss total since Valentine's Day (when I had my moment of clarity and started exercising again) to 34.6 pounds.

Good start to the week, I suppose.

My crumbling body

I was always under the assumption that your body doesn't start to fall apart until you get older. That doesn't seem to be the case for me. I've been battling shoulder problems for months, but during the past two weeks it's really taken a turn for the worse. I've lowered my yardage totals significantly and cranked up the amount of times I ice it per week, but nothing seems to help.

When I last went to the doctor about it in July, he said it was rotator cuff tendinitis and he prescribed me some meds to lower the inflammation. That didn't work, but after a while, after the meds were long gone, the pain mostly went away, so I kept swimming. But now (especially after the Masters meet on Saturday) it's back with a vengeance and I don't know what to do. I fear if I go back to the doctor he's going to tell me to shut it down. No more swimming. I also fear he will need to x-ray it, revealing a problem that requires surgery, which I cannot afford.

On top of that, my knees are starting to have aches and pains when I walk and go down stairs. When I was heavier, I never had knee issues and ironically, now that I've lost almost 40 pounds, they are starting to hurt. I'm pretty sure it may have something to do with my crappy running shoes or possibly even that I'm springing off the wall to hard when I swim. Just one more problem to deal with ...

I'm only 25, and it's a frustrating feeling when your body is already falling apart. I thought you were supposed to feel like crap when you are overweight and out of shape, but as of late, it feels like the opposite. I'm still a bit chubby, but it doesn't seem fair that I've put in all this work and now my body is paying the price for it. Ughh...

Anyway, here's today's workout. I mostly did kicks, which was slightly new to me, given that I can barely lift my shoulder above my head.

Warm up
100 free
100 breast
Core
3 x 200 kick (alternating free, breast and fly every 25)
300 free (big mistake)

After doing the 300 free, my shoulder was on fire and I didn't even have it in me to attempt a cool down. I'm in a world of shit right now...

Total distance: 900 yards

A sweaty afternoon

I got up earlier than I normally do today, so I could get a head start at the gym. I wanted to have enough time to do a long bike workout before I swam. I'm glad I did, because today was fairly productive.

My view from the stationary bike upstairs.

Normally I bike anywhere from 3-10 miles at a leisurely pace, but today I wanted to crank it up a notch in preparation for my sprint triathlon. This way, I could simulate some of the more difficult hill climbs that I'm not accustomed to. I set a hill climb program and it absolutely kicked my butt. I usually sweat a great deal when I do land training, but today it was at a whole new level. I was seriously pouring. The cardio and weight rooms have a nice view of the pool below us, so that provided extra motivation to power through my workout as quick as possible. The cool water never looked so inviting.

I finished with about 8.8 miles after my cool down and I was very relieved to hit the pool. Here's what I did once I got in.

Warm up
200 free
Core
250 free (ladder build up)
500 free
1,750 free (one mile)
2 x 50 sprints
Cool down
100 free easy
100 breast

Overall, I'm starting to feel a little more confident heading into the Masters meet. My speed hasn't increased significantly, but my cardio feels solid and I'm still dropping pounds, so the workouts are starting to get a bit easier.

Total distance: 1.70 miles

NEW PERSONAL BESTS!!

Today was a very encouraging day at the gym. I personal bests in both my one-mile swim and my one-mile run. I slept in and wasn't feeling particularly great, but once I got in the pool that all changed.

Here's today's swim
Warm up
200 free
Core
1,750 free (1 mile)
500 free easy
4 x 50 sprints on the 1:00
Cool down
150 free easy
150 breast

My previous best on the one-mile in a pool was 29:51. I was really sucking wind after the first 1500 and really pushed it down the stretch. I ended up finishing in 28:36. I knew I was going to beat the time, but I was shocked to see that I shaved off a full 1:15.

After a few easy sets, I hit the bike for a little over 4 miles and then jumped on the treadmill. I was feeling sort of euphoric from my swim and decided to try and run my fastest mile, although my previous plan was to run a slow and steady 5k. In the end, I did it in 8:36 which was 21 seconds faster than the last run I timed it in a few months ago. That's not very fast and probably not my all-time personal best (I'm confident I ran it much faster in high school), but it's the fastest since I began my weight-loss regiment eight months ago.

Great day!!!

Total distance: 1.68 miles