Feeling Good

So I've been keeping with my exercise routine (mostly; last weekend was really busy, but I did manage to pick it back up afterwards). I've also been eating healthier meals, and lowering portions when I don't eat as healthy (or sometimes do both). Not a ton, but I feel productive with it.

Also started taking a multivitamin in the mornings along with my allergy pill. I'm not someone who thinks they help a lot, if at all, but I've done it in the past and haven't felt as run down, so I'm hoping it will maybe do something.

More pictures and another weigh in soon, I think.

Slipped

Yesterday I missed my third round of P90X; my wife and I went to dinner to celebrate, and I simply didn't feel up to doing ab work with a stomach full of pasta. Tonight is a wash as well, as I will be playing poker with some coworkers until the wee hours. My goal is to do them tomorrow, then get back on my 'every other day' schedule. We will see how it goes.

Day 36: P90X... Am I Insane?

Sorry for the long delay between posts. Life is pretty much the same; I cut quantities when I think of it, which is usually 1-2 meals a day. I've been making weak efforts at eating healthier, among them eating Subway more (really, as much as I can stand, which is 2-3 times a week). I am reminded of the John Pinette skit on Subway, and for those who haven't heard it they jyst is this: eat Subway enough and you will probably pray for death. I agree, after a while it just starts to taste like mushy cardboard, whatever you get.

Otherwise I have been prioritizing making an Android game on my lunch over things like hiking, etc. It does keep me from binging on my mid-day meal, though.

One change I had been meaning to make was adding some kind of ab routine to my life. You can see from the pics that is a central issue for me; my general philosophy is if I can make a dent in my beachball stomach, it might even out into other areas. If I'm going to focus on one area, that's going to be it.

To that end, I found a P90X ab workout, and tried it on Sunday night. I like how they constantly encourage you to take breaks, but by halfway through I was more of the mindset of 'I'm going to do 5 of these and sit here and die while you finish the other 20 reps'. Even 2 days later I still hurt, so I guess it's waking up something in my tummy.

The plan tonight is to try and get through most, or at least more, of the workout. Maybe 10 reps of each, or something. I need to work up to it since I have basically ZERO ab strength.

The goal is 3 days a week, about 15 minutes a day. We will see how long it lasts, but if I can't find 15 minutes at the end of the day then maybe I should stay fat, lol.

Day 11: A week of monotany

So I've just been living normally for the last week; Starbucks on lunch with usually a quick Subway / McDonalds / thai food pickup on the way back to the office. Coffee most mornings, with either half a bagel or a low fat muffin, typical Dunkin fare. Dinner is a lot of grilling, though we made a few soups with various success. My wife and I make an excellent baked potato soup, we tried a portobella mushroom soup that was interesting but a little too rich, and not nearly filling enough. Given my wife's new-found ability to make amazing croutons, I think a steak Caesar salad is in our future.

Still haven't weighed in since Day 1, but I have gotten comments that I look like I've lost a little weight. I sort of disagree, but I can hope. I will try and step on the scale tomorrow morning, or maybe late tonight.

Day 3: Basketball and Cupcakes

Basketball was fun; I felt like I was going to die, but that's not uncommon for the first game of the year. If tradition holds we will play a few more times before the snow falls in a few months. We are transitioning to a new office with a basketball court out front, but not until the Fall. That may up our playing frequency.

Subway again for lunch, sub the tuna for turkey and ham, all the fixings the same. After running a bunch of errands dinner became a Wendy's single burger, no fries, and a medium cherry coke. In the past it would have been a double (or triple!), I don't fool myself into thinking Wendy's is somehow a healthy dinner but at least the portions are less than what I normally eat.

My wife and I made celebratory chocolate cupcakes last night to bring in to work today. We found out we were having a little girl, so they were secretly filled with pink buttercream. I had one last night, and another this morning... after a McDonald's breakfast, my usual.

Not the best day for food, but hopefully the exercise helped offset it. I expect lunch to be another Starbucks-then-Subway day, but we will see what happens.

I will try to weigh in for tomorrow. I don't want to obsess over it, but I want to keep track. Plus it gives me extra motivation to get on the Wii Fit for 15-20 minutes. The yoga really does help my back, since I'm essentially carrying around an anvil in my gut.

Day 2

Finished yesterday a bit better than it started. A few co-workers go to Starbucks during lunch to get some personal coding done, and I joined them today. Grabbed a grande mocha there, then a Subway on the way back to the office.

6" tuna on wheat, provalone and toasted, spinach (infinitely better tasting and better for you than iceberg lettuce), tomato, onions, olives, a small bit of light mayo to rehydrate after the toasting, and some good old salt and pepper. Delicious stuff right there.

Resisting the chocolate cake sitting in our office right now that someone brought in. After reading the nutrition I did give in to a 1/2" sliver of angel food cake during an afternoon meeting yesterday (estimate: 40 calories, 8 carbs).

Dinner was steak on the grill, no fixings, no sides, just 8oz of beef excellence. My pregnant wife who can no longer tolerate steak (last time it was chicken) did a burger and dog. Since picking up our new gas grill, I have been outside 3-4 days a week on it. Definitely getting the most out of it.

Breakfast this morning was Dunkin Donuts: half of a multi-grain bagel with cream chesse, and a medium french vanilla iced coffee, cream and two splenda.

All and all, I don't think it's too terrible: I've always liked multi-grain and wheat over white, it has more flavor, and I know it's better for me. I only drink soda occasionally (coffee is a different story, 1-2 a day is typical). A bigger problem for me is portioning, which is something new - eating half the bagel, or only getting a 6" sub, are good steps for me.

Basketball plans for lunch today with some of the guys here, that should get me some much needed exercise.

Day 1

This is my attempt to change my life, maybe not in a drastic way, but hopefully something significant. I have been far too overweight for far too long, and while I have managed to avoid major health issues so far, I know it is only a matter of time before my current lifestyle catches up to me.

This is not me redefining everything about myself; there are certain things I'm just not willing to do, and I feel that if I am going to succeed, it's going to be while maintaining roughly the same 'me' as I have always been. A great example: one of my larger friends had a life-changing moment when he broke a toilet. He lost 200lbs over the next year and change, through an insane gym regiment and a fixation on eating what basically amounted to grilled chicken and steamed veggies for every meal. That's not me. I don't have the motivation or the time to change my life in that way.

My 'sympathy belly'

Let me tell you a little more about my life. I am a programmer in my late 20s. In general, my day involves getting up, rushing through the morning chores, driving to work, sitting in a chair for 8+ hours, driving home, then dinner and TV with the wife until bed. Wash rinse repeat x5, then the weekend, also full of chores. Most meals have a large 'now' factor, so fast food / take out is a major issue. My one semi-significant form of exercise is golf, something I try to do once a weekend unless things get in the way. I also occasionally squeeze in a trip to the range before or after work. To add to the 'sedentary' problem, I do a lot of coding in my spare time as well; making video games and other simple apps, most of which never see the light of day. I play my fair share of video games, too.

I have hovered around 260lbs for 5-6 years now.

One of the points of this for me will be full disclosure. Even knowing I was going to be writing this, I had McDonalds for breakfast: BEC biscuit, hashbrown, medium iced coffee cream and sugar. It's exactly the reason I am here. Guilt doesn't work; I am not a fan of my body, but negativity doesn't motivate me. Even the knowledge that my weight may kill me if I give it another decade doesn't always help.

I want to document my journey, the highs, the lows, and everything in between. And hopefully along the way I can find the changes that add up to a newer, healthier me.