Derailed

2.5 weeks of staying the course...and then a crash.

Normally there would have been a post on Monday listing my results and thoughts. Over the last 4 days, I have fallen off the diet/exercise wagon. I haven't completely fallen off, but here's a short list of major diet violations (not counting Thanksgiving dinner which was my cheat meal):

1. Friday night: frozen yogurt
   
2. Saturday night: dinner- meatloaf, mashed potatoes, onion rings, and dessert
3. Monday night: Slice of pizza very late at night

My exercise habits over the last week, or lack thereof, is even worse. I do have the excuse that I hurt my back playing football on Friday (something I'll post about separately). I was not able to play basketball Monday due to my injury and I'll have to skip tomorrow because of an important work meeting. But I have not had a cardio session on the elliptical in a week.

The problem with many people who undertake weight-loss efforts is that they quit within a short period of time. You find yourself making excuses for a lapse here, a lapse there. And then you continue to lapse until you're back in your old diet/exercise habits. This is often followed by a combination of guilt and the thought "well I'll get back on the diet/exercise wagon...soon..."

I cannot and will not let this setback compel me into quitting. Life is short and I want to improve my health and appearance. So far today I have eaten clean and I will eat a clean dinner. I will continue to eat clean and commence exercising by no later than Friday. My balky back should be healed or close enough by then to allow me to do cardio and hopefully basketball.

Week 2 weigh-in, results

Starting weight: 230 lbs
Previous weight: 226 lbs
Current weight: 223 lbs

I was surprised to be down 3 lbs when I weighed myself in today. I have not lifted in a week and a half due to a hectic schedule that's prevented me from starting my evenings until it's too late. Also, I went to Atlantic City this past weekend and had a cheat meal on Saturday night.

On the plus side, I kept up with my cardio schedule Monday-Thursday. Even while in Atlantic City, I took a brisk walk outside for at least an hour on Saturday. I ate clean Monday through Friday afternoon. I ate dinner Friday night at PF Changs but managed to stick with lettuce wraps and a salad. I did have a dessert of dark chocolate, however. I felt ok about it since it's not as unhealthy as the other options and dark chocolate does possess some health benefits. The portion wasn't overwhelming either unlike the rest of their ginormous desserts.

Saturday I only ate two meals. My first meal consisted of bbq pulled turkey, beans, and cole slaw. Not bad. But the calories I saved were more than spent at dinner at The Palm. I indulged in prime rib, mashed potatoes, broccoli, salad, bread, and ahi tuna. I did manage to resist having too much of the bread and mashed potatoes (compared to what I used to do) and ate plenty of broccoli/salad. But I gave in and had dessert too- a flourless chocolate cake with berries and vanilla ice cream. I've eaten two cheat meals over two weeks so I don't feel bad.

After returning home Sunday, I went back to eating clean and I've eaten clean today. I do need to step my game up if I want to reach my goals. There has been noticeable progress, however. I have not had any major foot pain from my plantar faciitis or the bone spur in the back of my right heel. Also, my girlfriend has noticed that I've gotten a little smaller in my gut. So I am making progress.

14 more weeks until I'm 30.

Rave: Kashi Go-Lean Crunch with blueberries

I just noticed that I haven't written anything positive on my blog yet. Losing weight isn't all doom and gloom unless you make it out to be.

Although I find dieting to be easier than exercising, there are many people who don't feel this way. Some of us tend to gravitate to unhealthy options, especially at certain meals. Growing up, I used to eat unhealthy sugary cereals. I don't care for oatmeal, which probably isn't good since it's one of the healthier things you can eat (healthier versions, that is). Sometimes I'd eat Cherrios but that was as healthy as it got for me.

I think I discovered Kashi's Go-Lean cereal several years ago through my sister, although I really don't remember. There's two versions: Go-Lean and Go-Lean Crunch. Both have higher protein than normal cereals, which is good. Kashi's Go-Lean is a little on the bland side, but ok. Kashi's Go-Lean Crunch is naturally sweetened and much healthier than any processed sugary cereal. I like to top it off with fresh blueberries to add even more flavor and nutritional value to it.

Oh, and I don't have milk in my cereal. Many people find it strange, but I think it's strange that people would make their cereal soggy. However, I do drink skim chocolate milk in a separate glass as I eat my cereal. Chocolate milk is something for me to rave about on another post.

Rant: 'Tis the season

'Tis the season to get fat. Thanksgiving and religious holidays will hinder anyone's attempts to diet. Winter is a time of comfort food. Even the animals fatten up before they go hibernate.

Almost all my cheat meals for the rest of the year are planned out. Three holidays that will end up being cheat meals for me will be Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and New Year's. My office's holiday party will be another cheat meal too. Hell, even Christmas will be a cheat meal as it's commonly referred to as "Chinese food and movie day" in my family.

I used my cheat meal of this week last night while tailgating during the Eagles-Redskins game. I say during because we got there late and never even went into the damn stadium. But that's a whole other story. I ate chips and guacamole, cookies, and turkey burgers. I even drank a little Diet Coke, although that was due to lack of options and the fact I was thirsty.

Do I feel bad about this? Nope. I'm going to eat clean over the next 9 days until Thanksgiving. But I won't gorge myself on Thanksgiving. I'm planning on working out that morning and trying to limit carbs while still enjoying the holiday food.

Week 1 weigh-in, results

I think I'll post this each Monday with thoughts about how I did. As for my results:

Starting weight: 230 lbs
Current weight: 226 lbs

Despite losing 4 lbs, I'm not too pleased about how I did for the week. The one thing I did fairly well was my diet. I ate clean all week, which is good. I didn't take a legitimate cheat meal but I had some chips with my rotisserie chicken last night. The one diet issue I need to work on is being consistent every day with the timing of when and how much I eat. I missed my 5th meal a couple times. I had my 6th meal several times closer to 7 pm and last night ate it even later.

Where I was really not consistent was with my exercise routine. I only lifted weights once, which is absolutely terrible. I wasn't focused or driven enough to make it to the gym. I did have obstacles that bogged me down especially on Wednesday. Thursday, I started getting sick with sinus infection symptoms and there was no way I could lift. Friday, I did play basketball for 1.5 hours after waking up which was good. But I didn't work out Saturday and that was simply my own fault.

So there has been some success but plenty of room for improvement. I've started Week 2 off well by doing my early AM cardio and I have basketball coming up in about 3.5 hours. Tomorrow will be a challenge for me. I am going to the Eagles-Redskins game tonight and that will keep me up late. I did prepare for this by taking off a couple hours early tomorrow morning so I can get a decent amount of sleep. My goal is to be asleep by 2 am and working out at my office by 10 am. Then I'll lift after work. Perhaps I'll sleep better if the Redskins win tonight. One can only hope.

Although it has only been one week, I do notice some small changes. I have a little more energy. I notice this especially after my early morning cardio. I generally feel a little better too. There's less aches and pains, particularly in my ankles and feet. I think my body had to go through some withdrawal from eating so much crappy food. I'm not feeling huge sugar/insulin highs followed by lows after I eat.

Only 15 more weeks until I'm 30. Oy.

My diet plan

I don't even like calling this my "diet plan." When I think of the term diet, I think of fads, eliminating carbs, and eating less. While going through this process, the change to my diet doesn't involve any of these things. Eating clean and consuming less calories is something I need to do not just for the next 4 months but as an overall lifestyle change.

Eating clean doesn't have to equal suffering. I still eat food I enjoy but in a much smarter manner. Will I miss eating sweets, unhealthy food, and going out to eat? Of course. But I don't eliminate that 100%. Part of my diet includes one cheat meal per week. Over the course of that meal, I can eat anything I want to. I try to target my cheat meal at lunch so that I can burn the extra calories throughout the day. But if for example I take my girlfriend out to dinner and it's my cheat meal, I'm not going to feel guilty if I indulge. Cheat meals are good for my metabolism and for my general sanity.

My diet plan involves eating 6 meals and drinking a gallon of water every day. I also eat a few slices of deli turkey after my evening workout. Here's a breakdown of what I consume each meal:

1. After my AM workout- Protein smoothie. I make my own smoothies using various frozen fruit, whey protein, no sugar-added cranberry juice and Dannon carb control yogurt. Prepackaged smoothies are usually filled with sugar, although the Naked protein-zone smoothie isn't as bad as others. Places like Robeks, Smoothie King, etc load their smoothies with sugar. Fat free sorbet and guava juice does not equal healthy. Occasionally, I will eat a banana before my AM workout if I need something in my system right away.
   
2. Around 10:00- Go-lean Crunch cereal topped with blueberries, chocolate milk, and either Smart Bacon or Morningstar vegetarian sausage. I keep a kosher style diet and do not eat pork. No, turkey bacon DOES have pork in it (I get asked this all the time). Soy bacon and sausage is lower in fat, lower in cholesterol, and tastes amazing (the sausage especially).
3. Around 11:00- Yogurt and a banana. This is just a light snack. Occasionally I'll mix in another fruit. Kiwi is a particular favorite as it's delicious and filled with fiber. I eat the skin which is surprisingly good.
4. After my midday workout- Empire skinless turkey sandwich on Men's Bread with lettuce and sun-dried tomato spread, carrots and hummus, and a Kashi protein bar. The Men's Bread can be found at Wegmans and Whole Foods. To be honest, it's not great tasting as it's filled with whole grains, flax seed, and other nutrients you won't find in other bread (There's even a woman's version of it too). Sometimes I will microwave and add soy-bacon to make it a club sandwich. I do vary my sandwiches to tuna fish or turkey pastrami so I don't get bored. Many deli meats have sugars added to them for flavor and I avoid those. I also make turkey chili or a chicken sausage bean stew for lunches every few weeks too.
   
5. Around 4:00 to 4:30- Health Valley soup (I get the ones with no salt added) and an apple with peanut butter. Sometimes I will treat myself to something sweet such as sugar-free Jello or one of the 100 calorie packs (like Chips Ahoy, Oreos, etc). This is the last time I consume carbs for the day.
6. Around 6:00 to 6:30- I eat a protein based meal. This can be skinless rotisserie chicken, turkey burgers, fish, etc. I don't have it with any sides.

Results - 11/8/10

I feel like posting my diet and exercise results is both helpful and boring. Writing things down is good as it gives me a sense of accomplishment. However, if I post about it every day, I'll literally be repeating myself most of the time. Perhaps I'll post every 3 days about my results? I also think Monday will be a good day for me to weigh myself each week. I haven't made up my mind on any of this so we'll see.

I do want to post about my first day trying to get back in the swing of things. The diet part was easy and it always has been for me in the past. The major adjustments are consistently eating clean, cutting out carbs after 4:30, and eating nothing late in the evening beyond a light snack of a few deli turkey slices as needed. I also break up my meals from 3 or 4 to 6 per day.

Yesterday I ate 6 clean meals and actually did not have any turkey later in the evening. I was never hungry at any point. I can feel a small difference in my blood sugar levels too.

I don't find going to the gym difficult or intimidating and I don't lack motivation to exercise. My toughest obstacle will be how my body responds. Getting back in shape is a long, painful process. I will be sore from lifting and exhausted from cardio. Being overweight has caused a lot of things to hurt- notably my lower back, knees, ankles, and feet. Exercise aggravates those aches and pains but it's really the weight that's doing it. As I lose weight, I hope that this will get better and allow me to push even harder.

Yesterday I worked out 3 times. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine early in the morning, played basketball for 45 minutes midday, and I lifted in the evening (targeting chest/triceps). I didn't overexert myself in any activity due to necessity more than trying to be conservative.

Rant: So much for that

The moment after I published my last post, I got slammed at work and I didn't get to my midday workout nor was able to eat meals #4 or #5. Plus, I haven't had any water to drink. Not good. I did manage to snack a little from food from meal #4 but that was it.

However, I'm done with work for the day and I figure I can salvage the rest of the evening in terms of diet and exercise to make it productive. Since I need the extra calories to restore my energy, I'm going to combine meals #4 and #5, although I'll reduce the portion size from each. I'm eating now as I type. After I digest, I'll go to the gym after I eat and put in a lifting/cardio session. I'll lift first because I won't get as much out of lifting if I do the cardio first. When I get home, I'll have meal #6 but I'll keep it light and protein only.

As annoyed as I am that I didn't have my routine today, I guess it's an opportunity to learn how to adapt when life gets in the way. I'm almost done eating as I end this post.

Rant: I need to move

I decided to stay up last night and watch the entire Steelers-Bengals MNF game since I had vested interests in several close fantasy football matchups. When trying to lose weight, sleep is just as important as diet and exercise. Without enough rest, my efforts won't be successful. My goal is to sleep 7 hours a night, minimum. The game ended a little after 11:45 and I decided that I could get up around 7, be out the door by 7:30-7:45 and be at the gym in my office by no later than 8:15-8:30, factoring in the possibility of traffic. This schedule would allow me enough time to do my 30 minute early AM cardio session, quickly shower, and start my day at work.

I left at 7:45 and ran into traffic armageddon. Not just standard crawling traffic. Arma-fucking-geddon. An accident (which I was later told by a co-worker was not a substantial wreck) on westbound I-66 near the Sycamore St. exit had caused such a backup that it took me 20 minutes to get out of my neighborhood! The exit ramp onto I-66 was at a standstill so I took a back way to my office (the same co-worker said it took her an HOUR to get onto the ramp- she lives less than a mile away!). Of course, I ran into traffic taking the back way too. What is normally a 20-30 minute drive to work took about 1 hour and 20 minutes. This is approximately the third or fourth time in the last month that it's taken me well over an hour to get to work. Yes, Captain Obvious would tell me that I should leave earlier and I factored in 15-20 minutes for extra traffic. But this is absurd.

Anyways, my early AM cardio session didn't happen since I arrived just after 9 in my sweats and had to change into work clothes. I'm about to do cardio momentarily and have meal #4 after. Plus I'll lift after work tonight. More about yesterday's results and my diet strategy later.

Exercise Plan - Schedule

When I lost 40 lbs over 3 months in the summer of 2007, it was easier for two major reasons: I had more free time to myself and my job as a server had me on my feet and moving constantly. I worked out generally twice a day or sometimes once, depending on my work schedule.

If I work out twice in a day, I do cardio in the morning and lift in the evenings. This strategy is based on what I've read in the past as well as previous success. Also, I prefer lifting later in the day when I'm well nourished (as compared to early in the morning) and more energized.

For my attempt to lose weight this time, I will have to do work it around having a 9 to 5 desk job. This means my free time will be before work, lunch (1 hour), and after work. Obviously I don't have to work out during each of these times. However, I feel like it makes sense for me to do so. Here's why:

1. I've always believed that doing cardio when I first wake up is incredibly helpful at both burning carbs/fat and simply energizing me for the beginning of the day.
2. During lunch, I play pickup basketball 3 times a week (Mon/Wed/Fri) and to give that up would be torturous for me as I am a competitive person (understatement) and love playing. Also, wouldn't I be better served getting off my ass and getting my heart rate up in the middle of the day?
3. My evenings are open as of right now.

I realize that working out 3 times a day will likely be exhausting. I'm going to have to experiment with this and see how my body (and mind) responds. I might only work out 3 times on Mon/Wed/Fri and simply leave the office earlier on Tues/Thurs if I'm not taking a "lunch" to go work out (I almost never use lunchtime to go out unless it's for an errand). But I think I can pull it off.

Weekends I will keep simple: Saturday I will work out either once or twice depending on what's going on in life. Sunday will be my day of rest.

And so it begins...

I'm not someone who likes blogging or reading blogs. I feel like many blogs are read by few people and are quite frankly wastes of time, boring, or the author simply gives up after awhile.

So why am I blogging and what is the purpose of this? Let's start with the title, 30 minus 50. Starting today, I have embarked on a quest to lose 50 pounds (lbs) by my 30th birthday on March 5th. Hence the title 30 minus 50.

One question that my girlfriend had asked me when I initially told her my goal: Why did I decide on 50 lbs as opposed to another amount? First, my measurements: I am a male just under 5'10 and currently weigh the most I've ever weighed, which is 230 lbs. Second, I feel losing 50 lbs by my 30th birthday is a lofty but attainable (and not unhealthy) goal. I would need to lose an average of 15 lbs a month or 3.75 lbs per week. In my opinion, losing 3.75 lbs per week is a reasonable amount and I figure based on my diet and work out plan, I will likely exceed that in the first few weeks. Lastly, I lost 40 lbs in my last major effort to lose weight back over 3 months in the summer of 2007 starting at 215 lbs and got down to 175. I think I can lose 50 lbs in approximately 4 months based on my history.

So why am I actually blogging about my endeavor? Quite frankly, I'm blogging for myself. I'm not particularly interested in developing an audience and I may not even share this beyond a few close friends. We'll see. I think if I document this on an almost daily basis it will further commit me to accomplishing my goal. I'm not sure if I'm going to do another fitness journal on Fitday.com like I did back in 2007 but I'm considering it.

I have a lot to blog about regarding my personal weight-loss history, exercise strategies, diet, etc. I'm going to try my best to keep my blog entries short as I find myself getting bored when I have to read long blog entries or columns. I'll hit on these topics and more over the coming days.