I stepped on my Tanita digital scale yesterday morning and saw an old number at the beginning of the 4 number display. It was a ONE! As in 199.5 pounds. I can't recall the last time I was below 200 lbs. It was probably back in the late 90's when I was on my feet all day doing warehouse work. Strangely enough it's been that type of work that's helped me drop another 5 lbs the past two weeks. I'm what you might call a gray collar warehouse manager and with us starting our busiest season of the year this month I've been more blue collar than white collar. Today was my first weight workout in the past two weeks, and I could feel it a bit. It's amazing how quickly you start to fall off if you don't keep up with the weights. It wasn't horrible or anything but I could certainly feel my muscles being challenged a bit more than my last workout a couple of weeks ago.
So the only other goal I had in mind was reaching 180 lbs. This was the weight I achieved way back in the late 80's with Weight Loss Clinic. I'm just going to continue doing what I've been doing and listening to my body and hoping the pounds keep falling off at a steady pace. I can certainly still see and feel fat on my body, mostly in the torso area, particularly around the waist, the pecs and behind the armpits. That reminds me, I need to take another set of progress photos. I'll check back in when I've reached 190 lbs.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
30lbs lost! Another mini milestone reached.
I see it's been 3 weeks since my last blog entry. Well that's about right since I stepped on the scale this morning and saw 204lbs on the digital readout. That means I've dropped 30lbs since I started on the TYT program or about 8lbs per month. I'm still doing the Week 4-6 exercise routine and following the food guidelines fairly strictly. I do have a weekly cheat meal or two and you notice a pound gained after one of those, but it's back to losing again the next day or so as long as you keep exercising and stay within your caloric intake. The whole program is so encouraging because you continue to see results if you stick with it. My next mini milestone will be breaking the 200lb mark. That's another 5lbs and about 3-4 weeks away. I'll check in again then.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Magic Bullet........FTW!
I can't recall (and I'm not back reading now) if I've mentioned the Magic Bullet in this blog before. In case you haven't heard of this little gizmo before, it's a small "personal" size blender/food processor and it's great. My wife had actually bought one of these for herself and my younger son a while before I started on the TYT program, but I'm the one using it the most nowadays. I basically use it to make my "Popeye" smoothies. I nicknamed it a Popeye smoothie because, why else, it contains spinach. I found the basic recipie on the web and modified it slightly. Here's how I make mine.
Take one of the Magic Bullet cups and stuff about 6-8 large spinach leaves into the bottom of it. Then add a half cup of frozen (or fresh) berries and a half cup of ripe, frozen (or unfrozen) bananas. Then add one scoop of your favorite protein powder. I favor the chocolate flavor. Then add one cup of unsweetened almond milk, or whatever type of liquid you prefer. I also use non-fat milk sometimes, but I prefer the almond milk. Put on the MB blade attachment and blend away. I let it go for about 10-15 seconds and then let it sit for about 5 seconds and then go for another 10-15 seconds. By doing this you let any chunks of fruit work their way to the bottom and get a second chance at getting blended properly. I find that if you're using the frozen fruit you will get a much thicker style smoothie, but it makes the MB work a little harder and you sometimes get an air pocket which you will then have to unscrew the lid and work out with a spoon. It's not a big deal though and the taste is AMAZING! I love the cold, refreshing temperature and the thicker texture. And don't fear about the spinach taste. The banana and fruit completely mask the spinach taste so you get the benefit of the spinach nutrients in a sweet tasting drink. Often times I will also set-up two of these for later by just adding the spinach and frozen fruit and letting them thaw in the fridge with the lids on. Then all you need to do is add the powder and milk and you're good to go. I find you do end up with a thinner smoothie this way though.
I buy the bags of Kirkland brand frozen berries (blue, rasp, marion) from Costco. I also buy over ripe bananas on the cheap from our local grocer. Some stores set them aside for like $1 for a huge bunch(es). When I get them home I peel them, slice them into 1/2 inch chunks, lay them out on a baking sheet and freeze them for a few hours before bagging them into a large Ziplock bag. This is a trick I read on the web and it works great. The bananas barely stick together this way, whereas just slicing them and bagging them right away makes a big frozen mess. I also buy fresh bunches of spinach and wash and trim the stems when I get home. I then place all the leaves into a 7 cup Rubbermaid container that comes with one of their wonderful 28 or 40 piece sets. This takes a little bit of effort but is much, much cheaper than buying the pre-washed spinach. I find the spinach keeps very well in the container, even up to two weeks, which you should have made enough smoothies to have finished it by then. I highly recommend a set like the Rubbermaid I linked to as I use at least 3-4 of the different containers everyday for my lunch. I will put a salad in one, canned chicken or tuna (or whatever leftover meat from dinner) into another, dressing into one of the smallest ones, and cut up apples and whole grapes into another two. Throw a banana into the mix and you're good to go.
Take one of the Magic Bullet cups and stuff about 6-8 large spinach leaves into the bottom of it. Then add a half cup of frozen (or fresh) berries and a half cup of ripe, frozen (or unfrozen) bananas. Then add one scoop of your favorite protein powder. I favor the chocolate flavor. Then add one cup of unsweetened almond milk, or whatever type of liquid you prefer. I also use non-fat milk sometimes, but I prefer the almond milk. Put on the MB blade attachment and blend away. I let it go for about 10-15 seconds and then let it sit for about 5 seconds and then go for another 10-15 seconds. By doing this you let any chunks of fruit work their way to the bottom and get a second chance at getting blended properly. I find that if you're using the frozen fruit you will get a much thicker style smoothie, but it makes the MB work a little harder and you sometimes get an air pocket which you will then have to unscrew the lid and work out with a spoon. It's not a big deal though and the taste is AMAZING! I love the cold, refreshing temperature and the thicker texture. And don't fear about the spinach taste. The banana and fruit completely mask the spinach taste so you get the benefit of the spinach nutrients in a sweet tasting drink. Often times I will also set-up two of these for later by just adding the spinach and frozen fruit and letting them thaw in the fridge with the lids on. Then all you need to do is add the powder and milk and you're good to go. I find you do end up with a thinner smoothie this way though.
I buy the bags of Kirkland brand frozen berries (blue, rasp, marion) from Costco. I also buy over ripe bananas on the cheap from our local grocer. Some stores set them aside for like $1 for a huge bunch(es). When I get them home I peel them, slice them into 1/2 inch chunks, lay them out on a baking sheet and freeze them for a few hours before bagging them into a large Ziplock bag. This is a trick I read on the web and it works great. The bananas barely stick together this way, whereas just slicing them and bagging them right away makes a big frozen mess. I also buy fresh bunches of spinach and wash and trim the stems when I get home. I then place all the leaves into a 7 cup Rubbermaid container that comes with one of their wonderful 28 or 40 piece sets. This takes a little bit of effort but is much, much cheaper than buying the pre-washed spinach. I find the spinach keeps very well in the container, even up to two weeks, which you should have made enough smoothies to have finished it by then. I highly recommend a set like the Rubbermaid I linked to as I use at least 3-4 of the different containers everyday for my lunch. I will put a salad in one, canned chicken or tuna (or whatever leftover meat from dinner) into another, dressing into one of the smallest ones, and cut up apples and whole grapes into another two. Throw a banana into the mix and you're good to go.
210 and beyond!
I reached 210 lbs last Friday. That was the next target on my list. I then had a couple of small cheat meals over the weekend that saw my weight bounce back to 211, which is okay as long as you get back with the program the next day. I'm at 208.5 as of this morning, so all is on track. My next target is 200 lbs. and I "should" be there around the third week of October if all goes according to the way it has so far.
I'm still doing the week 3-6 routine using 12 lb dumbbells. I have upped the number of crunch reps from 30 to 40 and I only do the bicycle style sit-ups now. I found the traditional crunches started hurting my back even though I wasn't putting my hands behind my neck and pulling on it. I still split the squat presses and squat lifts into 2 sets of 15 repetitions each. It's fine as long as you only take a 15-30 second break between sets like you should do for all the exercises. Push ups are still the most challenging part of the workout for me but I am able to do 30 with pretty good form. I have my hands on the second step, feet together and arms about double shoulder width apart. I try to keep my butt level. You can feel your ab muscles twitch if you're doing this properly.
So it's 25 lbs down with at least 15 more to go..........
I'm still doing the week 3-6 routine using 12 lb dumbbells. I have upped the number of crunch reps from 30 to 40 and I only do the bicycle style sit-ups now. I found the traditional crunches started hurting my back even though I wasn't putting my hands behind my neck and pulling on it. I still split the squat presses and squat lifts into 2 sets of 15 repetitions each. It's fine as long as you only take a 15-30 second break between sets like you should do for all the exercises. Push ups are still the most challenging part of the workout for me but I am able to do 30 with pretty good form. I have my hands on the second step, feet together and arms about double shoulder width apart. I try to keep my butt level. You can feel your ab muscles twitch if you're doing this properly.
So it's 25 lbs down with at least 15 more to go..........
Thursday, August 25, 2011
20 down.......20 to go!
I stepped on the scale yesterday morning and it touched 214 lbs. That means I have lost 20 lbs since starting out on this lifestyle change and I'm halfway to my goal of losing 40 lbs overall. I have to say it hasn't been a struggle whatsoever to this point. I am rarely tempted to cheat and have been able to stay with the program. I kinda look forward to the workouts now, whereas in days gone by I would have found almost any excuse not to workout. I am still using the basic Week 3-6 routine. I figure if it's still working then why change things. I can always add in the optional exercises if I hit a plateau in the coming weeks.
I popped into Value Village on the weekend to look for some "tweener" sized cargo shorts. It's nice having to buy clothes because I'm getting smaller, rather than larger. I found a couple of nice pairs for $8 each. It's a great way to go if you know you are in between sizes. I'll probably go back for some jeans in a month or two.
I popped into Value Village on the weekend to look for some "tweener" sized cargo shorts. It's nice having to buy clothes because I'm getting smaller, rather than larger. I found a couple of nice pairs for $8 each. It's a great way to go if you know you are in between sizes. I'll probably go back for some jeans in a month or two.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
First Goal: Achieved!
Well, I stepped on the scale yesterday morning and I was pleased to see that I had hit my first target weight of 219lbs. Why 219lbs you say? Well, that was my weight when I started working at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory almost six year ago. I remember making a point of weighing myself when I got the job so I had a reference point to gauge any weight gain by. As it turned out I gained 15lbs over 67 months. A combination of more desk work and a mostly sedentary lifestyle contributed to this sad statistic. Thanks to Christine and the TYT program I've been able to turn the weight clock back on those 67 months. And there's no going back to my old ways now! My next target is 210lbs. That was my weight back when I was 24 years old and engaged to my wife to be. I made a decision at that time to drop some weight and managed to lose 30lbs with the help of Weight Loss Clinic. I've already shared how that turned out in the long run. So, I've got another 9lbs to drop and then my next target will be an even 200lbs. We'll just have to see where things go from there.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Six weeks in
Well, since the TYT book's subtitle is "6 Weeks to a Leaner Younger-Looking You" I guess we should assess things after following the program for six weeks. Actually, today marks six weeks and three days to be exact, but what's a few days here or there when I know I'm going to be following this program for a while yet. In terms of being a leaner "me" there is no doubt, I am. All my clothes fit better and I'm sure I've dropped close to 3-4 inches off my waist. I'm almost two pant sizes smaller in six weeks! My entire body has strengthened, especially my arms and shoulders. But my legs have also benefited and I am walking with a more confident stride and my slight limp (due to my right hip) is becoming less and less noticeable. There is definitely some shape-shifting going on and some fat weight being traded for muscle. In terms of pure weight loss I'm now at 220lbs, which is about 10lbs less since I "officially" started the program, but it is 14lbs less since I "unofficially" started eating healthier, which was about 10 weeks ago. I guess that's pretty good, but the weight loss has definitely slowed down the past 2 weeks. Whereas I was losing almost a .5lb every 2 days or so, it's now more like a .5lb every week. And while I've missed the odd workout here and there, I haven't done much cheating at all. In fact there is little that tempts me anymore. I have no problem with cravings or saying no to sweets when they are offered to me. I keep telling myself that there's no going back to the way I was. So would I have liked to have lost a bit more weight by now? Sure, who wouldn't. But I'm not discouraged and I'm going to keep with the program for at least another six weeks and see what the results are. I can always add the few optional exercises of the week 3-6 routine if I want to ramp it up some more. I was hoping to hold off on that for a while longer yet though. I'll keep you posted.
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