grdell's Weight Loss Blog - Week 11

[Tschel23]

You are making progress, grdell! I am sure you can tell by the fit of your clothes as well as your overall fitness. There comes a time when the scale does not show your progress. It happens. Don't let it get you down, scales are evil! Take a break from the scale for a while, your progress may be to the point where it will show more in endurance, flexibility and clothing fit than it will on the scale.

[Oniya]

If you're one of those people that needs a number to track progress, I remember Izu talking about tracking your waist measurement (and/or around your arms and legs).

[grdell]

Well, it looks like all the work on the Gravity machine and the long walks are having an effect on my endurance, after all. I got on the elliptical today after not having been on it for almost a week (I know I was bad, but last week was hard), and was able to go at a higher intensity for longer. I worked up a sweat, sure, but my heart rate didn't get too high.

I did more stretching after my workout today than usual - just because I had new music on my MP3 player and I wanted to hear it all. Hey - whatever works, right?

After my shower, I was eyeballing the scale. I know what I said yesterday, but I had a morbid curiosity and stepped on it anyway. 220. Weight fluctuates too much, too rapidly, and for far too many reasons to use it as any kind of reliable gauge of progress in my opinion.

And this blog continues to help. I didn't want to go to the gym at all today, but I really didn't want to go for a walk in this heat and I couldn't just say that I hadn't done anything. So I thought about my choices and realized that if I want to stay true to myself and to all of you, there really isn't any choice. So I went.

And I'm glad I did.

[Ashleebabe]

Muscles weighs more than fat, keep that in mind!

I am in the same ship you are but I am having doctors help. I am sorry your Doc was not too cool about the BMI thing.

I think, just a suggestion, that if you are working muscles, protein shakes help a lot. It curves cravings and give you an extra dose of protein.

KEEP UP THE KICKASS WORK!!!!

[Oniya]

I've actually had protein drinks recommended to me as well, although my problem is the opposite of most people's.

[Captain Maltese]

Protein powder etc is good, but the best is protein-rich food. Like tuna. On the other hand you can mix protein powder into most food, it tastes very little.

[Izu]

Protein drinks and bars are good, but one should be very careful when they take them in and how they take them in, because they can lead to building muscles and slimming down if take correctly, or they can just be an extra meal or two and lead to adding weight. So if anyone goes this way they should make sure to ask a professional how to take them.

[grdell]

Sorry it's a bit late today, but I've been out all day.

Today I tried to push myself even harder than I did yesterday and set a new record on the elliptical machine. Not a good idea. As I said, yesterday my heart rate never got too high. Today it did. I had to slow down my pace a little because, after all, I don't want a heart attack while trying to gain cardio strength. That would just be too ironic. I ended up setting a new personal best anyway, though, so all's well that ends well. And of course, I still have the Gravity machine tomorrow.

[GothicFires]

After my shower, I was eyeballing the scale. I know what I said yesterday, but I had a morbid curiosity and stepped on it anyway. 220. Weight fluctuates too much, too rapidly, and for far too many reasons to use it as any kind of reliable gauge of progress in my opinion.

only weigh your self in the mornings after you pee and poop  and if you don't have a scale that does decimal points then you may not see a change from day to day.

Good job on keeping up with things! My sister is in town for a wedding, that combined with the holiday I will probably gain again this week 

[grdell]

A few new moves on the Gravity machine today, and I've got the soreness to prove it - including a few new crunch moves. I swear, if I don't end up with abs I could crack a walnut with, I don't know what I'll do...

I also spoke with the owner on the way out of the club today. I don't go to a big national chain gym. I prefer the personal attention I get where I go, which has just the one location and I know the owner on a first-name basis. First, I wanted to ask him about shoes, but then we got to talking about my cardio routine, and he showed me how to do interval training the right way so that I can kick the machine's ass before too long. I can't wait to put that into effect next week! 

[grdell]

Sorry about yesterday, but I was in pain... Long story. The good news is the oppressive heat is putting a damper on my appetite, so I'm holding on to my diet... well, to be honest, mostly. But at least it was fat-free frozen yogurt instead of ice cream and therefore vastly fewer calories, so that's not all bad... 

Today we did "surfers" on the Gravity machine, and while I didn't fall off - which I was told can happen - it did wear me the hell out. My trainer told me that I have made incredile progress so far - much better than he anticipated for me by this point - but I reminded him that it's easier to get back muscle that you once had than it is to build it up in the first place, and none of this is new to me.

Now I just need to get rid of the visceral fat and I'd be all set. Speaking of which, I didn't have any wasit inch loss this week, but I'm not surprised, really, given the circumstances of late. But I'm not giving up hope. I have got to keep at it or I'm not going to see any long-term improvement, and that's what matters.

[Oniya]

Another good sub for ice cream/frozen yogurt is frozen bananas. (assuming you like bananas).  Slice, freeze and then run through a blender.

[GothicFires]

I freeze white grapes, sliced strawberries, blue berries and black berries too. They are very yummy during the summer time and i'm much of a fruit person.

[grdell]

The slippery slope. Here I went two days with nothing in terms of working out, but I justify it to myself by saying "yeah, but at least I was still (somewhat) on the diet." I knew this was going to happen. This is how it always starts. A little laziness that I justify and ignore.

NO MORE!

I went to the gym this morning because I had the appointment with the trainer for the Gravity machine. Would I have gone if not for that? Probably not. This has got to stop. I lost nothing this past week - no inches, no pounds.

But I can't think of it as a setback - I need to think of it as an object lesson in just how easily even something so planned and recorded can go awry. I promised that I'd give daily updates, but I haven't even been doing that regularly. Again, I justify it away. "Well, I didn't got to the gym today - but I'll go tomorrow, then I'll post. I'll apologize and that will make it all better."

NO IT DOESN'T.

You know, I even went and saw a therapist at one point because of this. I didn't understand why I wasn't doing the things that I KNEW were good for me. Why couldn't I keep up with going to the gym and not eating so damn much? Why did I give up so easily all the time? She kind of helped, but in many ways, not really.

It's at times like this that I get angry with myself. Not when I fail to go, but when I pick it all back up again and resume. I get angry after the fact that I didn't do what I knew I should have done and had no excuse not to and yet still didn't do.

This blog helps. The fact that I'm paying for these appointments with the trainer helps. The fact that my old suits don't fit anymore helps. Let's see if I can't pick this up again and get back on track after almost two weeks of excuses and justifications and disappointments. I have to think positive again and I need some serious butt-kicking.

I'm going to make this work, dammit.

[Oniya]

As I believe I saw in one of MasterMischief's posts:  To fall down is not failure.  To not get up again - that is to failure.  You're getting back up again, and as long as you keep getting back up again, you'll beat this thing.

Now go out there and kick the Grav-machine's butt! 

[grdell]

Another Monday, another six mile walk. Which is actually quite an achievement, I think. In spite of what I said last week, I almost didn't do anything today. But I'm sticking to my guns and even though I didn't go to the gym this morning, I still got out and did something.

I'm not posting any results today, as I don't actually want to know. But next Monday, definitely. I'm going to be careful what I eat and work out every day and damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead! I think I'll be back to making real progress by next week, and so we shall see together - which is why I'm keeping this blog going even through my dark times of almost giving up. I'm not going to let that happen.

[Lady Aura]

Sorry again for going off like that, I know you didn't mean anything by it. It's just a really sore point for me. 150 pounds is totally unrealistic.

As far as the BMI and "Ideal" weight I should way 125 pounds. Add about 125 to that and you have me, but if you look at my lifestyle, my eating habit and even what I have been though, there will be no way I can get under 190 again unless I really push myself and not eat.

I currently don't eat fast food except that once in a while occasion that it's a treat, Worse thing I drink is coffee or Tea. As far as my eating, I eat granola bars during the day when I am not home and then actual meals at home. I drink water, I exercise every day.

And for 5 weeks of exercising, I can tell you I have in fact gained 5 pounds. I know it is all muscle I gained, but that's after 5 weeks of walking. The doctors tell me I need to exercise more, I need to walk more. I can't i have arthritis in my knees, the little I walk (not counting up and down stairs) has my knees locked by the end of the day.

Main thing is, your body will tell you when it can't do anymore, and it will stop you before you push yourself to extreme pain. Good news among this entire rant? The bit i have walked each day used to take me half an hour (round trip an hour) and now its only a 10 minute walk one way. :) hoping to get her down to five minutes soon.

But Grdell, you are doing awesome, keep it up and you will get there.

[Oniya]

And for 5 weeks of exercising, I can tell you I have in fact gained 5 pounds. I know it is all muscle I gained, but that's after 5 weeks of walking. The doctors tell me I need to exercise more, I need to walk more. I can't i have arthritis in my knees, the little I walk (not counting up and down stairs) has my knees locked by the end of the day.

Lady A - have you looked into exercises that don't involve weight-bearing?  (I'm guessing that they want 'walking' because it helps keep the joints moving, and the synovial fluid distributed)  If you have access to a pool, you can probably do flexibility exercises without the added burden of your own weight.   If not, there's things like 'bicycling' (where you lie on your back and 'pedal' in the air).

Since my roommate has ankle issues (severe sprain with probable nerve damage, and a malpractice suit in the works), I've been looking into such things.

[grdell]

IN THE PAIN!

Long walk yesterday. Gravity machine today followed by a trip to the launrdomat.

I am most certainly burning calories like nobody's business and am in the pain to prove it. I am now hungry and waiting for lunch to finish so that I may lay on the couch for like eight hours and not move. Between fatigue and the heat... well...

And don't worry - I am drinking PLENTY of ice-cold water. For multiple reasons.

[grdell]

All right, so I went to the gym today for cardio. Looks like I'm well on my way to getting back on track, right?

Well, yesterday I was a little sick and feeling very tired. Too tired, in fact, to cook properly, so I ended up getting takeout. But still, it could have been worse. And the occasional indulgence outside of the established cheat day isn't going to bring down my entire effort - unless I let it. And I think I've made the point that I'm not going to.

Today I have a follow-up appointment with my idiot doctor where I get to tell him my progress. I'll let you know what he says.

[Oniya]

Make sure you tell him the non-quantifiable things - like this bit:

Well, it looks like all the work on the Gravity machine and the long walks are having an effect on my endurance, after all. I got on the elliptical today after not having been on it for almost a week (I know I was bad, but last week was hard), and was able to go at a higher intensity for longer. I worked up a sweat, sure, but my heart rate didn't get too high.

[grdell]

He was impressed by my progress, but not enough. My BP has only gone down by 10 / 6 and he wanted more than that. He did say that I was making good progress and that if I could keep it up that I would most likely be off the medication once I got down to a "healthy weight." I'm not going to reach his goal weight, but if I can reach his goal BP - and I WILL - then that's good enough for me.

[grdell]

I am making a conscious decision to not do anything today. I need to recover from a couple of very minor workout-related injuries. I will still follow the diet, perhaps even a little more stringently today, but I won't do anything physical.

I would be lying if I said that the fact that I have an interview today had nothing to do with that decision. This is a really good opportunity, and I don't want to show up walking funny.

I don't think of this as any kind of "reward" for the somewhat positive doctor's appointment yesterday - merely as a necessary break to let my legs heal up a little more and avoid potential distraction from getting a job. Both of which are important. One day off isn't going to kill me.

[grdell]

It's a good thing I took yesterday off - I needed it. Today he worked me hard. I called him a "sadistic bastard" more than once. But I'm doing more crunches than ever before, so something good's coming of it.

Today was the hottest day of the week so far in a long string of very hot days, and since my apartment does not have AC, I spent the hottest part of the day at the movie theater. Which means two movies, which means a meal in between, which means I cheated on my diet again. It's too damn hot to care, though. As long as I don't have to cook it, and I can sit down in the AC to eat it, I'm happy to have anything. I'll be glad when this heat wave breaks Sunday and I can resume normal thought.

[grdell]

Good workout this morning on the Gravity machine. The trainer said I'm even more flexible than he is - he calls me "Gumby."

However, I've been in a dark mood for the last two weeks, and not caring enough. I've been overeating again and not going to the gym regularly. I checked my waist measurement today and have actually taken a step backward and gained an inch back. Back up to 46 inches from 45. This has GOT to stop and be reversed again. I'm headed out to the store now where I will get more lettuce and rather conspicuously NOT get any frozen yogurt.

I promised I'd record everything - my failures as well as my triumphs - and I'm doing so. I'll not lie to you - it's hard. It's really hard. But damn it, I'm going to do my best anyway.