When I started going to the gym, a fitter co-worker talked about his training for the Broad Street Run in Philadelphia. Having run 2 half-marathons while in relatively poor shape, I claimed that anyone can finish the BSR. All it took was some determination and discipline. I dug my heels in, and insisted all it took was putting one foot in front of the other and repeating. I let my mouth write the proverbial check.
Entering the BSR is done via a lottery. You register, and then if you're selected, they take your $40 and you're in. Registration opened 2 weeks ago, so I entered the lottery. Today I learned that I "won." It looks like it's time to deposit the funds over the next 11 weeks so that my ass can cash the check.
I'll be doing the Galloway method. It served me well in the past, and I was about the same weight then as I am now. If anything, I'm starting from a better spot this time (in terms of relative fitness).
Here's my plan:
Monday, February 18, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Wardrobe Archaeology
When my first college roommate, Ed, announced he was moving in with a fraternity brother the next year, he added that he hoped I find someone special. He wasn't being sentimental. He was tired of my laundry on the floor the entire year. Clean. Dirty. Didn't matter. I had some other slovenly habits (sorry, Ed!), but it's the laundry that comes to mind today.
There were some clothes in my college closet that lived there semi-permanently. The clothes that continually lived on the hanger were the ones that never fit. The ones on the floor (under the hangers) were the ones that used to fit. You could dig through them and see the progression. At the bottom of the pile were the first to not button; at the top were the latest casualties of my gluttony. The clothes that still fit were piled up on the floor around my bed.
But there on the hanger was a single pair of pants. A size 36, olive-green, heavily pleated pair of Z-Cavariccis. They had the label on the fly and everything. Those were the pants that didn't fit. Those were the pants that never fit. I moved them from dorm to home, from home to apartment, and so on. I probably should've ditched them before I left for college in 1994, but they were a hot item on the Jersey Shore... maybe not in 1994, but certainly well into the early 90s. I just needed to lose a few pounds to make the largest Zs available fit. So what if they were a couple years out of date.
Back to present day, today was laundry day. I scooped up my clothes from the floor next to the bed, from the floor near the hamper, and gathered all my dirty socks from the four corners of the Earth. I may no longer steal toiletries and deny it (or do I?), but I'm still a laundry slob. I try to be better. Today I hung and folded all of my clean laundry, rather than leave it haphazardly piled in the corner of the room.
As I hung some pants that are starting to get too large, I looked down. On the floor was a pile of clothes that hadn't fit. I wondered if I the Z-Cavs were still down there. The archaeological dig was on. I found a surprising number of pleated pants (they'll come back!), but alas, my unused fist pumping pants weren't there. They had unceremoniously made their way to Goodwill a few years ago and are undoubtedly being worn by a suspender-clad hipster right now.
I did find some forgotten clothes though. I bought the shirt I'm wearing in this just-taken picture a couple years ago. It's "slim cut." I bought it when I needed a shirt & tie for a cruise Steph and I were going on. I couldn't even button it. It was at the bottom of the pile. I'm kind of excited that it fits now. I might actually wear it... once I get around to ironing.
There were some clothes in my college closet that lived there semi-permanently. The clothes that continually lived on the hanger were the ones that never fit. The ones on the floor (under the hangers) were the ones that used to fit. You could dig through them and see the progression. At the bottom of the pile were the first to not button; at the top were the latest casualties of my gluttony. The clothes that still fit were piled up on the floor around my bed.
But there on the hanger was a single pair of pants. A size 36, olive-green, heavily pleated pair of Z-Cavariccis. They had the label on the fly and everything. Those were the pants that didn't fit. Those were the pants that never fit. I moved them from dorm to home, from home to apartment, and so on. I probably should've ditched them before I left for college in 1994, but they were a hot item on the Jersey Shore... maybe not in 1994, but certainly well into the early 90s. I just needed to lose a few pounds to make the largest Zs available fit. So what if they were a couple years out of date.
Back to present day, today was laundry day. I scooped up my clothes from the floor next to the bed, from the floor near the hamper, and gathered all my dirty socks from the four corners of the Earth. I may no longer steal toiletries and deny it (or do I?), but I'm still a laundry slob. I try to be better. Today I hung and folded all of my clean laundry, rather than leave it haphazardly piled in the corner of the room.
As I hung some pants that are starting to get too large, I looked down. On the floor was a pile of clothes that hadn't fit. I wondered if I the Z-Cavs were still down there. The archaeological dig was on. I found a surprising number of pleated pants (they'll come back!), but alas, my unused fist pumping pants weren't there. They had unceremoniously made their way to Goodwill a few years ago and are undoubtedly being worn by a suspender-clad hipster right now.
I did find some forgotten clothes though. I bought the shirt I'm wearing in this just-taken picture a couple years ago. It's "slim cut." I bought it when I needed a shirt & tie for a cruise Steph and I were going on. I couldn't even button it. It was at the bottom of the pile. I'm kind of excited that it fits now. I might actually wear it... once I get around to ironing.
 |
| When I bought this, I cursed the man who invented the 2XL "slim cut" |
Monday, January 21, 2013
Good morning - back on track
Well, it wasn't the best week of eating I've ever had, but still managed to lose 4 pounds since last Monday. I ate enough to only lose 1 pound, but the scale tipped in my favor this morning. Finally, a new lowest low. I continue to be well above my target rate for the entire span, but the lowest low was just the morale boost I needed.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
When I don't post
When I don't post, it's not good news. It means I've been slacking. The ugly truth is that the trifecta of my birthday, Christmas, and New Year's Eve/Day threw me off track. I never gave up completely, but I certainly wasn't giving it my all. The good news is that I kept exercising throughout my slacking period; I just didn't diet.
The end result is that I managed to gain 9 pounds since my lowest low on 12/19, peaking on 1/5. Since 1/5 I've really stuck to dieting and exercise. As of today, I'm only 1 pound heavier than I was on 12/19. As always, weight doesn't tell the whole story...
Today was a double-witching day. It's the completion of the 4th month of my diet & exercise program, and a body fat measurement day (done on 6-week intervals). In the last 6 weeks I've dropped my body fat percentage to 30% (down from 31%), gained 2 pounds of lean mass, and lost 3 pounds of fat. Ideally, I'd gain 2-3 pounds of lean mass in that period and lose 14-15 pounds of fat.
Still, I'm calling this a win. It was unrealistic for me to think I could lose weight through the holidays. I'm getting fit to extend and enjoy my life - not to live and eat in a world of constant self-denial. I'm hoping that the worst of it is behind me now and I can go through the next 6 weeks dropping fat and gaining muscle at a healthy rate.
When I manage to get in front of a webcam tonight, I'll post a new head shot comparison. I expect it'll look about the same as the last time.
The end result is that I managed to gain 9 pounds since my lowest low on 12/19, peaking on 1/5. Since 1/5 I've really stuck to dieting and exercise. As of today, I'm only 1 pound heavier than I was on 12/19. As always, weight doesn't tell the whole story...
Today was a double-witching day. It's the completion of the 4th month of my diet & exercise program, and a body fat measurement day (done on 6-week intervals). In the last 6 weeks I've dropped my body fat percentage to 30% (down from 31%), gained 2 pounds of lean mass, and lost 3 pounds of fat. Ideally, I'd gain 2-3 pounds of lean mass in that period and lose 14-15 pounds of fat.
Still, I'm calling this a win. It was unrealistic for me to think I could lose weight through the holidays. I'm getting fit to extend and enjoy my life - not to live and eat in a world of constant self-denial. I'm hoping that the worst of it is behind me now and I can go through the next 6 weeks dropping fat and gaining muscle at a healthy rate.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Poop and Circumstance
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