212.6 - ran 2.5 miles

213 - ran 2.8 miles

Have to start getting ready for the Spartan Sprint race on 8/8, so I'm going to run a couple times a week.  

My weight has been holding steady, but I look more muscular, so it's hard to tell exactly what's going on since I started this weights/calorie counting program.  

I've been keeping calories around 2400 with 180 grams of protein (overall, about 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fat).  

I feel pretty good, so only time will tell how this will work out for me.  

Screwed my neck up

A new guy showed up at Jiu Jitsu class.  He was pretty strong but had no idea what he was doing.  I was just trying to roll lightly,but somehow he ended up driving his shoulder into my face.  I felt the tip of my nose touch my forehead and blood started gushing a second later.  I thought that was the worst of it, but then I got really light headed and my neck started to hurt.

An hour later my neck was starting to lock up completely.  I woke up this morning very stiff, felt dehydrated.

I'm mainly pissed I may not be able to lift today.  Hopefully my neck will loosen up.

1.6 mile run

Went for a light jog, 1.6 miles in 16:29.  Felt rough, first time I've felt like I was in a calorie deficit.

Shoulder & ab day

Did second week of shoulder and an routine. 10 Side laterals, hammer front lifts, bent over lateral's, front raises to ceiling, 20 push-ups, repeated 5x.

Did all reps with 13 1/2 pounds, have missed matched weight set so odd weights right now.

Then did five sets of declined sit ups, using 10 pound weight for last set. Sets varied from 20 to 40 reps doing some on each side, as well as straight up.

Got Owen in on the action 

My awesome garage weight set

214 - Back and Legs day

Weighed myself for the first time in a while.  Slight weight gain, but about what I thought considering the creatine and lifting. 

I'm still figuring out what my weight lifting routine will look like.  Not sure it's good to do legs and back in the same day, since there is a lot of overlap.  I did back first, then when I got to squats, my lower back was not enjoying the squatting much.  So I think I'm going to separate those two.

But, today I did (with some warm-up sets not counted):
Pull Ups - 3 sets of 5 (had to jump a little, still can't do dead-hang pull ups)
Deadlifts - 3x5 @ 200lbs (that was every weight I had in my garage.  Probably a good weight for me right now so I can work on form.  I could probably max out around 245 right now, but it might be ugly). 
One Arm dumbbell Rows - 3x10 @45lbs
Bent Over barbell row - 3x10 @97lbs (using a combo of weird weights and a cheap bar from yard sales and Goodwill, so some are 8.8 lbs and weird stuff like that)
Upright Rows - 3x10 @63lbs
Back extensions - 5x10

Then I did legs:
Squats - 3x10 @63lbs  (starting really light because I still have major issues with squat form)
Back Lunges - 3x6 on each leg @63lbs
Front Lunges - 3x3 on each leg @52lbs (my knee started to feel weird after the back lunges, so I took it down a bit)
Jump Overs 3x10 over 18.5" box (actually jumped over my archery target)
Stiff Leg Deadlift - 3x10 @ 78lbs

Looking to build quickly on some of these, but starting out safe and focusing on strengthening my lower back without aggravating it.

First shoulder day

We've been in the process of selling our house, so the scale has been packed away.  I haven't weighed myself in a while, it will be interesting to see what the scale says when I finally do step on.  I feel like I'm still around 210.

Did a shoulder routine today:

10 lateral raises

10 hammer raises

10 bent over laterals

10 front raises (to ceiling)

20 push ups

Repeated above for 5 sets

My shoulders are weak, I've never really tried to work them before.  I did this routine with 10lbs in each hand.  The good news is that I think the "newby gains" I'll make in my shoulders will help me in BJJ and other functional strength movements.  Since  starting from so low, even a small improvement should be noticeable.  

New lifting/diet plan

Started taking creatine a couple weeks ago, and lifting 2 or 3 times a week (just using dumbbells in the garage).  Also been using a pre-workout drink (caffeine, creatine, yurba mate, guarana, etc), and whey protein shakes after workouts.  Noticed a big difference when doing that, both in willingness and ability while working out, and in recovery and strength after. 

So I've put together a more structured lifting program (still a pretty vague program, I hope to nail it down more as I go).  I wanted to do a 5x5 Stronglifts program, but I still have major issues with squat form, so I'm just going to do the following:
Sunday - Legs & back
Monday - Light active recovery (walking/jogging)
Tuesday - BJJ
Wednesday - Arms & chest
Thursday - BJJ
Friday - Shoulders and core
Saturday - rest

As I said, still pretty vague because I haven't worked out exactly what I'll be doing on each day (may depend on if I keep working out at home, or go to Mark's house, etc).  I want to track what I'm lifting, so I can be conscious of increasing weights over time.  I also want to program out the number of sets and reps, etc. 

As for diet, I'm going to a high protein, moderate carb, moderate/low fat diet.  Going for 30% protein, 40% carbs, 30% fat, and am limiting simple carbs.  I'm going to start with 180 grams of protein a day, which is 1 gram for every pound of my target weight.  I'm going to keep calories around 2000 a day.  I want to see if I can gain muscle/strength and lose fat for the first month or two (since I haven't been recently lifting or dieting hard, I think I can accomplish both for a little while).  Once I plateau, I'll decide if I want to continue on a bulking phase or a cutting phase. 

Today I did arms/chest.  I didn't have a spotter for the bench, so I didn't push myself too hard on the max weight. 
Benched 160

Curled 95 (with bar, both arms). Max 1 arm is about 40.

210.8 - still doing Whole 30

I'm feeling a bit better than when we started this diet, but not as good as I've felt doing some other diets (probably because I'm eating too much fruit on Whole 30).

I've started working on strength a few times a week (a dumbbell routine in the garage, pushups and rope climbs).  I've definitely noticed an immediate improvement in strength, muscle endurance and recovery time doing the Whole 30, similar to how I felt when I did strict Paleo for a month.

I plan to finish out the Whole 30, then add back in dairy, reduce fruit and other fast carbs and see how that goes.

211.8

Feeling a little sluggish, but I've felt stronger at the same time. Hopefully I'll feel more energetic soon as I adjust to the Whole 30 eating

212.6 - ran Alien 1 mile race yesterday

Starting the "whole 30" diet tomorrow, so the weight should start coming down.  

Ran the Alien Festival inaugural 1 mile "obstacle" run.  That was fun and very McMinnville.

Spartan Beast

Did the Beast yesterday.  The course was pretty crazy.  My time was about 5:55.  I'm hobbling around today, but happy I was able to finish it.  Made the rope climb, missed the spear throw by an inch.

 

Edit:  Here are some photos I got a couple weeks after the race.

 

 

Ran 4 miles and threw some spears

Ran to Mark's house, finally practiced spear throwing.  Feel pretty good about it.  My legs still feel stiff, I'm hoping that goes away soon.

Ran 6 miles.

Trying to get back in a rhythm.

208.8

Feeling the best I have been since November.  Need to get some longer runs in.

208.8

Got the weight bench cleared off in the garage. Starting to lift again.  It's sad to see how weak I've gotten.  But with only 2 months until the beast, fear is becoming a big motivator  

209.2. - first 3 mile run of 2015

It was painful and slow, but I'll have to keep at it if I do t want to die at the Spartan Race.

208.4

Just about over the mild sickness I had

209.8

After taking a month off of most activity, that first BJJ class has left me pretty sore.  I feel like I might also be battling a cold, so hopefully it doesn't develop into a full on sickness.  I think I can beat it if I skip BJJ tonight and get extra sleep for a few days.

210.2

Just a couple days home and the scale is moving in the right direction.  I haven't even made much if an effort, just getting back to my usual stuff.  Once I get into a rhythm with my new college schedule, I'm going to make another charge at getting below 200 lbs

Got my BJJ blue belt tonight

I wasn't sure I wanted to be promoted as quickly as I have been, but I'm in a good "head space" lately and will use this to spur me in to try harder so the promotion will feel justified.

212.4 after 3 weeks in LA

Finally got back home last night.  It was rough being in LA, but I don't think I did too much damage.  

205.6 - ran 7.3 miles last night

I wanted to push the distance a bit.  It was rough, the last couple miles I was really dragging myself along.  Started out with about a 10 minute mile, ended with 12 minute miles

205

We had a cold snap and some freezing rain, so I haven't been out running this week.  I'm going to try to get out this weekend.

Spartan races

I've registered for the Montana Beast and the Seattle Super.  I'm holding out for a Groupon deal on the Portland Sprint, but I'll complete the trifecta regardless.  I've roped Mark into it, so we'll see how they goes.  

207.2 Ran 5.3 miles

Ran 5.33 miles tonight in 1 hour 2 minutes.  Longest run I've ever done and haven't run much recently, so I was happy just maintaining that slow pace.

275 lbs deadlift

Not sure if that is a PR, but it's the first time in a while that I've gone for a 1 rep max.  I actually wasn't feeling good/strong today, so I was happy to hit that

Grace time - 7:45 @ 115lbs

This is from around Sept 2013, but blog messed up and moved it here

Ran 5k in 30:38

Used a GPS to confirm exact distance.  Feels good to see the time dropping off

Got my 3rd stripe at BJJ tonight

I felt I was due for another stripe, but I was surprised to get two tonight. 

Ran Warrior Dash on Sunday

Great course, constant hills.  Wasn't officially timed, but did the 5k in about 48 minutes

205.6

Started back at Crossfit on Monday after almost a month off.  It's been pretty hot, so it gets extra sweaty in there.  Here is how pretty I look after a workout.

204.4 return from trip to Mom's house

Had Nina on town for a few days, then dropped her off at the airport and went straight to my mom's house near Seattle, so diet went out the window a bit.  Now to get back on track.  The 2k calorie diet didn't seem to be working that well (got initial results, then started to stall and feel worse).  I'm thinking of doing 2500 this time.

201.2

Ran three miles yesterday.  Hopefully things get back on track and I cross under 200 in the next day or two

202.2

I would be mad if it weren't so funny.  Every time I come close to getting under 200 lbs, my weight jumps.  I didn't do anything different yesterday.  I'm going to try adding in some running today and see what happens 

200.6

Strict calorie counting is going great so far.  Hoping to keep this up until I hit 190

203.2

I've been logging every calorie I eat and keeping the total under 2000.  I'm only 3 days in, but it's already had a big effect.  It should be easy to get down to 190 if I keep this up.

209 - Ran Spartan Sprint on Saturday (photo)

I ran the Spartan Sprint at Washougal MX Park on Saturday, it was a great course and definitely a lot harder than the Rugged Maniac courses I've done.  I finished in 1 hour 49 minutes, which put me about 780th place (out of 4611 people).  I'd like to do the Super & Beast length Spartan courses next year. 

But, my weight has ballooned suddenly, which I'm guessing is partly due to swelling, and I wasn't eating that great leading up to the race, so I expect the weight to come back down.

My attempts to cut calories over the last couple weeks failed miserably.  I'm not really sure why.  I ate significantly less, but gained about .2 per day until I hit 206, then jumped to today's 209.  The lesson learned is that I'm going to have to actually count and track calories if I want to keep losing weight, the easy days of just "eating less" are gone, I'm not fat enough for guess-work anymore.

 

 

203.2. - trying to lose 15lbs in a month

I've been floundering a bit since the BJJ tourney, not sure if I wanted to bulk up or lose weight.  So, I've decided to try to drop another 15 lbs.  that would get me down a weight class and make me able to cut a bit of weight to then drop another weight class for competitions.  

Then I will have lost most of the weight I have to lose and can start slowly adding muscle.

201.2

Bjj tourney went terrible, but at least it gave me something to focus on to get my weight down.

202.2

Weight is on track for Saturday

202.8 and 21% body fat

I'm on target for being under 202 by Saturday to make weight for my BJJ tournament, so that is good.  I'll be glad when it's over so I don't have to think about it so much. 

I got my body fat measured in a Bod Pod yesterday.  I was surprised to get a reading of 21%.  I'd like to get it down a little farther, but I think now I need to add some muscle first.  Next week I'm going to work out a higher calorie diet and see how much muscle I can put on in 8 weeks (that is when the Bod Pod will come back to check everybody again)

203.6 (got new scale that has .2 increments)

203.5

I was surprised to see that number this morning.  I've cut back on eating but didn't think I had cut back that much.  I have been feeling drained the last 2 days, so maybe I'll eat a bit more today and try to find a good balance. 

206.5. - starting calorie cut

I started putting on weight and felt much stronger with the higher protein diet, but I need to weigh about 202 by 6/21 for the Subleague tournament, so I'm cutting back to taper down.  After that, I'll probably look into a diet with bulking and cutting phases.  I need to get the rest of the fat off me and I feel like I've been treading water for a while.

Got my first stripe at BJJ class last night

A minor accomplishment, but I was happy about it.  It's one more step in the right direction.

Rugged Maniac time - 48 minutes

I ran the Rugged Maniac again last Saturday.  I did it in about 48 minutes (they don't have a clock up, so I had to ask someone the time at the finish).  They had a few new obstacles that were interesting, including a traverse over a mud pit on rings (hung like Olympic rings).  There were about 10 rings and I made it across with no issue, so that was cool.  I've been uncertain how I would do on some of the monkey bar type obstacles at the Spartan Sprint in August, so this was a good warm up.

203 - Entered a BJJ tournament

Been holding at 203 to 203.5.  A few days ago I decided to start increasing my protein intake because I see to be at a stall and am not getting stronger or losing weight.  Also, I entered a BJJ tournament (Subleague on 6/21) and I don't think I can drop a weight class by then, so I might as well be as strong as I can be by then. 

I thought my weight might quickly start going up, since I am eating a fair bit more, but so far my weight hasn't moved but I feel better.  We'll see how this goes.  I ordered some Mt Capra Deep30 (goat milk based protein powder), and I'm curious to see how I do on that. 

202.5 and landed first triangle choke

I'm pretty beat up today, but BJJ class last night was a good one.  Usually I'm lucky to roll for 4 rounds at the end of class, then people start leaving or they stay paired off.  But last night I got in about 7 rounds in.  The class is mostly white belts, so I'm finally able to hit some moves that I never pull off on people better than me.  I finished a few armbars and the first triangle I think I've ever actually pulled off. 

I'd prefer to just work on positions and control, but it's good to land a sub at least a few times to know you can potentially do it.

203

My weight has been holding around 205, was surprised to see it down to 203 this morning.  Maybe the addition of BJJ into my Crossfit routine will help me drop the last 20 lbs.

Last week I did both and it was definitely a busy and tiring week, but I think I can get into the flow of it pretty quickly.  My first BJJ class was pretty rough on me, since I didn't remember anything and was straining harder than necessary.  The 2nd class was already a big improvement.  I should be able to get through the class with it just being a cardio/light strength type activity, so I can leave the harder workouts for Crossfit.

185 back squat

A bit ugly and slow out of the bottom.

135 full clean

It was a bit ugly, but I did a full clean (with squat) with 135.  This change in my squat form is making a big difference.  I don't think I had properly full cleaned more than 65 before this.

Started at Impact Jiu Jitsu today

Just finished my first class.  Had a good time, nice laid back atmosphere.  And no exercise to start.  A lot of places put you through a workout as "warmup", which is generally a good idea, but since I'm doing Crossfit 3 days a week, I'm glad to not have too much more added in.

115 lbs front squat

I've always had trouble with squats, mostly due to form.  I can't keep my back straight/arched, so adding any weight just pulls on my lower back.  It has been very slowly improving, but is still something I'm trying to sort out.  I think yoga or some other combo of stretching/physical therapy might be needed.

But, by adjusting my squat technique a little, I found I was able to comfortably add weight for the first time in a while.  Basically I just push my hips back a little bit at the bottom of the squat, before I come up out of the squat.  I think this is what Mark Rippetoe teaches.  I found that if I start the drive up with my hips, then follow with my back, I have a much easier time.  When I try to lift everything evenly and keep my back/chest upright, I just can't generate any power. 

I feel fine lifting like that, so I'll probably keep it up but still try to improve flexibility in my hips and lower back to see if I can't do it the "right" way.

275 lbs dead lift

And did all 36 lipping pull ups without a band

Filthy Fifty - benchmark time: 35:08

Used an 18" box, 35 lbs kb.  Couldn't get my knees to my elbows, but got my knees higher than usual.

203 - dropping fruit/fructose/sugars

I've been holding between 205 and 207 for a while now and not feeling as good as I was in January.  I realized one of the main differences is that I was limiting fruit when I started Paleo, but when I got sick, I stayed with Paleo but starting eating a lot more fruit.  I've noticed for many years that I don't do well with a lot of fruit in my diet, but I still crave it more than just about any other food.

So I was already thinking about what I needed to do to get my diet back on track.  I then happened to come across an article by Ben Greenfield on How to Fix Your Gut:
http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2013/07/how-to-fix-your-gut/

I knew that fruit sugar probably had a sugar spike effect on me, which kick starts a high & low cycle that then leads to more craving.  But I had never heard of people having fructose/FODMAP sensitivity.  I had heard of FODMAPs before, but it sounded complicated and I never researched it.

So, I decided to drop fruit completely and am trying to limit all other sugars and foods on the FODMAP list.  After just 24 hours of doing this, I was suddenly down 4 lbs and noticed significant improvement in my digestion (less gas, if you must know). 

So I'm going to keep this up for a few days, then introduce individual low-FODMAP fruits one at a time to see which ones I can eat without issue.  I'm still going to try to keep all fruit intake to a minimum, but I want to find a sustainable level for the long term.

PR - 11 DUs

205 - WOD & Diet update

Weight is holding steady.  I'm feeling good eating paleo, not having to calorie count or put too much thought into it.  I figure if I want to get under 200 I'll have to put in some extra effort, but I'm happy maintaining right now. 

Crossfit is going well, seeing the results day by day.

Today's WOD:  (we are in a de-loading week, so lighter weights for higher reps)

Strength: push press 5x5 adding weight each set

4 RFT
8 shoulder press - 65 lbs
10 front squats - 65 lbs

 Then

3 RFT
12 wall ball sit ups - 18 lbs ball
12 PVC jump overs

Then

2 RFT
25 DUs  - I did all DUs, but I have to do a DU, single, DU,... can't quite chain DUs together yet.
15 diamond pushups - Did them all without going to my knees, but the last 5 got pretty "wormy"

TOTAL TIME:  17:06
I was last place out of the class of about 15, but I was actually proud of that since most everybody used only a bar and did single-unders.  Not knocking them, I just remember when that was me.  I'm glad to be able to push myself through a harder workout these days.

My tips for significant weight loss

On another forum, someone was asking for tips on losing a significant amount of weight.  I guess I was in the mood to do some typing, because I gave a pretty complete answer, which I thought I'd copy over to here in case I'm ever asked for my opinions on the subject again.

----------------------------
I've weighed as much as 345 and am currently at 205, so I know what it's like to try to lose a significant amount of weight.  I was also a fairly active fat guy, but the funny thing is that as you start losing a significant amount of weight, you'll look back on your current weight and say "what was I thinking?". 

I still feel like a fat guy and it takes a while to change that mind set. 

My recommendation for significantly overweight people is to keep exercise light and focus on diet.  Walking is actually perfect.  As far as diet goes, I would start out with a very limited menu, eating mostly the same thing every day (or having one or two options that you alternate between).  The problem with starting a new diet is what they call "decision fatigue".  Your willpower is drained by having to constantly make decisions about what you are eating and how you are exercising.  My keeping to a set program and limiting your food options, you reduce the number of decisions. 
Then, later into the program when it isn't a struggle to keep to the basics, you can start to get a bit more creative, but always fall back to your basic starting program if you find yourself falling off the wagon. 

Get enough sleep.  Actually, get more than you think you need.  Change your priorities so that your diet, light exercise and sleep are your main focus.  That might mean cutting out some TV time or not going out with friends for a while, so that you can get into this routine.  If you are tired, your willpower will break quickly. 

There are many ways to start a weight loss program, but I've always been a fan of just jumping in with both feet.  Figure out your diet and just starting immediately.  Drop all the fast food.  Acknowledge that the first week is going to suck and just decide to at least go hardcore for a week.  You are going to be hungry at times.  You are going to want to quit.  At the end of that week, you should feel good enough to keep going. 

Look into what a good daily calorie total for you is.  I would recommend something fairly aggressive, like 1800 per day.  Then plan out each meal and get an exact count for everything you eat.  Don't cheat, not even a little. 

You have to look at this as life and death.  If you knew a  heroin addict and they were trying to get clean, you wouldn't tell them it's ok to shoot up sometimes as long as you get back with the program tomorrow.  With obesity, it's the same thing.  It's not the calories that matter when you cheat on your diet, it's the psychological spiral and physical roller coaster (the bad food makes you feel worse, which then makes it harder to find the willpower to get back on the program). 

But, when it really comes down to it, it's a mental thing.  You have to find something inside you that you can latch onto and keep going.  For years I would get on a program like the one I described above, lose 30 or 40 lbs, then slowly put it back on.  It wasn't until my son was born 2 years ago that I was able to really look at myself and my life, and make a long term commitment.  Once I did that, it actually wasn't hard to lose 100+ lbs.  Something just changed in me and it was just a matter of putting in the time to get the work done. 

But obviously that's a difficult thing that is going to be different for everybody.  I wish you the best of luck.  It's a different world once you get to your goal weight.

Finally over flu

Went back to Crossfit yesterday for the first time in 2 weeks.  I was afraid I would cough my way through it, but once I got warmed up, I felt fine. 

200

I guess 200 was my next goal, but I won't feel like I've made it until I'm under 200

200.5

Hoping to go back to CrossFit tomorrow.  Right now I still can't take a deep breath without coughing, so we'll see. 

201.5

Finally over the flu, but still have some lingering chest congestion.  Not sure if this weight drop will hold or if it's just a temporary side effect of being sick.

203.5

Being sick is working for me

Got sick

I started feeling a bit sick on Tuesday and it probably didn't help that I'd just done the Murph.  Yesterday and today have been bad, mostly because Jenny and Owen are also sick and I was up until 5am with Owen last night.  So I think one good night of sleep will finish off this cold.

205.5

Sore and tired still from yesterday's WOD, but hopefully I recover enough for tomorrow's WOD.

"Murph" time - 66:09

Probably the hardest 66 minutes of physical activity in my life, but it felt great to finish.

I did all of the pull ups with a blue/medium band, which I was pretty happy about.  I figured I would have to go to a heavier band or maybe even jumping pull ups, but I was able to gut it out. 

The push-ups got ugly.  I didn't go to my knees, but they did get shallower and shallower as time went on.  I kept pretty good form on all of the squats.  I did stand on the edge of the mats to get a heel lift towards the 2nd half of the squats.

First linked kipping pull ups

I did my first linked/unbroken kipping pull ups.  I did 6.  This was the first WOD where I did all the pull ups without a band and I did all the DUs (I can't link those together yet, I have to go double/single/double).

skill: push ups by metronome (3 seconds down, hold 1 second, fast up, then hold 1 second at top)

strength: bench press

WOD:
10 min AMRAP ladder
(starting with 1 rep of each, then adding a rep each round)
wall ball
pull ups
KB swings
-------
10 Double Unders after each set

then 100 abmat situps to finish.

I did 6+1 rounds.

207

Had a pretty heavy leg workout yesterday, which often makes my weight go up or at least hold steady, so I was surprised at the weight loss.  I guess eating Paleo does show that wheat/dairy/etc makes me retain some weight.

Not only did I feel better working our yesterday, but I wasn't as sore as I expected today.  I was feeling energetic, so I went for a run.  Did 3 miles in about 33 minutes, which I was happy with since my legs felt dead from the start.

I need to work on the mental side of running, because I can run much faster when I focus, but I zone out and revert back to a shuffling jog.

208.5

Felt pretty good today.  I think I don't do well with too many nuts in my diet, so that first day was pretty almond heavy and that was probably the cause of my difficult transition. 

Today's WOD
skill: rope climb and then...
plank/Burpee/rope climb fartlek race

strength: OH Squat

WOD:
Bear Complex

We had to do 7 reps for 8 rounds.  Once you started the first rep, you couldn't put the bar down until you finished the 7th, and you had to add weight each round until you couldn't finish a round.  I did 7 rounds and got to a max weight of 85 lbs, but that took so long that I didn't attempt an 8th round.  It was a good high rep/low weight workout, which is what I feel I benefit most from at this point.

209 - January Paleo challenge

I ate mostly Paleo yesterday.  Didn't really feel great, but there is always an adjustment period.

210 - A lot has happened since October

I didn't realize it had been so long since I had posted here.  I had some physical issues (which I am mostly over now), had the holidays and had a new baby, so it's been a busy and distracting time.  When my daughter was born on 12/3/13, I didn't make it to Crossfit for the next 2 weeks, but I've managed to go once or twice a week since then. 

I think I was dehydrated before, so when my weight hit 202, that was kind of a false number.  I started having issues and one of the big things that has improved that is drinking more water, but my weight shot up about 5 lbs in just a couple days once I started drinking more.  I also loosened up my diet at that same time, so some of that could be inflammation or other unnecessary water weight.  But we'll see what happens when I clean the diet up and keep the water intake high, maybe some of that will drop back off quickly.  I've actually been quite happy with my weight holding at 209 to 210, considering my diet has not been great.  But it also hasn't been terrible, which is good.  One of the keys to keeping myself in shape for the long haul is improving my habits so that even when I'm "off the wagon", I'm not totally wrecking myself.

My plan is to lose 10.5 lbs in January, so I should be at 199.5.  That's a big milestone, and I got close at 202, but wasn't quite able to get over that bump.

Today's WOD:
Skill: Perfect Push Up  (did 12: 5 then 5 then 2.  We were short on time, so only had about a minute to do this)
Strength: Floor Press
10-8-5-3-1-1-1  (got up to 165)

WOD:
5 min AMRAP:
10 Push Press (65/95)
10 Box Jump
- (did 3+10 @ 95 lbs & a 20" box)

 3 min rest

3 min AMRAP:
7 Pull Ups
10 KB Swings
(did 2+15 using green (2nd heaviest) band and maybe 45lbs kettlebell)

 2 min rest

2 min max reps Back Squat (65/95)
(did 20 with 65lbs.  Still have major issues with squat form)

And here is the new baby girl

100 thrusters and about 60 burpees in 20:30

Zombie Apocalypse Run - Official time

I ran in the Zombie Apocalypse race on Saturday.  It was pretty fun and I learned a few things.  I need to be a little more confident and start farther up in the pack (at least for "fun runs", where half the people don't try very hard).  I spent much of the race just navigating around crowds of walkers. 

As far as my time, it turns out that the lead runner took a wrong turn and everybody followed him, so we ended up running about 3.5 miles.  That accounts for at least a few minutes of added time over my previous 5k runs.  Overall, I'm pretty happy with that.  The course was on dirt, gravel, corn field, etc, and had a few small hills, so it was a good little test of how I would do on unknown terrain. 

Photo Update

My hairstyle doesn't change much.

203

My weight keeps bouncing around, which is odd, but I'm expecting it to level out once I start back on my regular routine on Monday

206 -- It's been a rough month

After getting down to 203.5 (mostly due to not eating much for a few days), I went back up to 209, and have been fluctuating a lot.  When I went back to Crossfit for the first time in 2 weeks, my weight shot up, which I'm guessing is swelling from the heavy leg work.  Then the weight drops if I take a few days off. 

Either way, the weight isn't really an issue.  The last month (actually 2 months) have been difficult due to some sickness and other "health issues" that I will not go into detail on, but I think I've finally made the necessary dietary changes to resolve the problems. 

So, I'm doing a Zombie 5k this Saturday, then I'll be back to Crossfit on Monday.

5k time: 27:40

Just ran a 5k (the full route from the last Discovery Meadows 5k).  I think that is my fastest time by far, so I guess it's true that you can build endurance and running speed with Crossfit alone.  I haven't run at all in many months.  We ran 1 mile at Crossfit one time in the last 6 months or so.

First toes to bar

Got my toes to the bar for the first time.  I can't chain them together yet, but I'll get there.

155 push press

203.5

After 10 days on the road in LA, I weighed in at home and was down to 203.5.  Pretty surprising.  My eating was pretty clean and light while we were down there, and I didn't eat much on the drive back, so we'll see how much I put back on in the coming days.

209 +WOD info

Sept benchmark WOD

Bench press to 1RM 

AMRAP

5 min if each set:

2 Turkish getups & 30 DUs (60 singles)

15 push press & 15 box jumps

20 KB swings & 10 burpees

I benched 175 

On the WOD I did:

3+1

2+1

3+11

End of Paleo challenge - 210 lbs

I didn't lose much weight (down 2 lbs this month), but it looks like I put on a fair amount of muscle.  I'll try to get officially measured on Tuesday, but our home measurement shows 3/4 inch increase in arm and 1.5 inch increase in my chest.

I could see the difference too, but I'd still like to see the scale keep moving down.  I also am not used to eating so much meat, so I'm going to try juicing most of my meals the next couple days to sort of "reset" myself.  I'll keep some aspects of the Paleo diet, but I don't think it is worth trying to maintain as a permanent way of eating.

As far as the benchmark WOD goes, I added 30 lbs to my total lifts and shaved about 90 seconds off my time, so that's pretty good for just 1 month.

WOD and 115 front squat

Today's WOD:

Skill: Air Squat to the beat! (Basically 3 minutes of continuous air squats)

Strength: Front Squat 5-3-1 (ending at 95% of your 1 rep max)

WOD: 12 min AMRAP
15x Thrusters (65/95)
15x Pull Ups
For the front squat, I got up to 115, which is probably the most I've ever front squatted, but my 1 rep max would probably be around 135 (considering we had done air squats and lunges for warm up, then 3 minutes of air squats about a minute before, my legs were feeling tired, but very well warmed up).

For thrusters I used 65 lbs. 

My final score was 3+15

208.5

After this Paleo challenge is done, I think I'm going to do a fast.  I'm eating so much more meat than I'm used to, which has some benefits, but I feel like I need to give my guts a rest.

Approx 10 min mile + WOD

WOD was:

Skill: Pistol Practice

Strength: Push Press 5-3-1

WOD: 21 min AMRAP

9x Push Press (65/95/135)

9x T2B

9x Ring Dips

• At 3 minutes: Run 1 mile

• At 17 minutes: Run 400m

I did 4+9

Did the mile in about 10 minutes

Kipping pull-up

Did my first real kipping pull-up yesterday.  No bands and no jumping.  I hit the underside of my chin pretty hard on the bar, so I know I got high enough. I've been close for a couple weeks, so it didn't feel like a big deal, but it's nice to see concrete proof of progress.  

209

Had food poisoning yesterday, so this drop in weight might just be dehydration

210

Over the last 9 days I went up to 212 and then back down.  I do feel stronger, so I think the Paleo diet had been good for that, but it's not making the weight fall off.  It also seems like I've felt worse more often (both physically and mentally), but it's hard to gauge that since I've always had good and bad weeks.  

Eating strictly Paleo definitely isn't helping with that though.  I'm going to finish out the month, but I'm certainly not sold on this being an ideal way to live.

 

Paleo + raw milk

I didn't notice any benefits from a week of strict Paleo, and actually felt worse most of the time.  And I didn't lose any weight.  So I added raw milk back in and felt great today.  Hard to know how much of that is psychological or coincidental, but who cares.  

Apparently some people argue that raw milk is Paleo, so I guess I'll be one of those people.

210

I felt bad the first day of the Paleo diet, but I think I was trying to eat too much protein.  I went grocery shopping and have some better options now.  I'm still not 100% sold on Paleo, but I'm feeling normal now.  I have been constantly hungry since I started, even though I feel like I'm getting around the same calories, so maybe it has upped my metabolism.  I'm going to stay on it strictly for a few more days, then maybe add back in raw milk (since I'm already paying for it anyway and it arguably allowed in Paleo diets)

Body comp Crossfit challenge

1 rep max on:

Back squat

Shoulder Press

Deadlift

Then WOD:
3 Rounds for Time of...
400m run
40 air squats
30 ab mat situps
20 pushups
10 ring rows

My final results...

Current body measurements & Paleo Challenge

Started the Paleo Challenge today and got measured.

Waist: 34
Largest part of hip: 46
Chest (under pecs): 39 1/2
Largest part of arm (right): 11 1/2
Largest part of thigh (right): 24 1/2
Weight: 216 (fully clothed at 7:40pm)

211

I'm not sure what all is effecting my weight loss, but the scale does seem to be moving down more easily since I started drinking "bulletproof coffee" every  morning for the last week.  That's coffee with grass-fed butter and coconut oil in it (I'm just making my own recipe, but I do plan to look up the real Bulletproof Coffee recipe at some point).  I've also been eating more grass-fed beef this last week, which I thought might slow me down digestively, but I've had no issues. I am keeping it to reasonable portions though.

I'm going to start this 1 month Paleo Challenge tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes.  At this point it mainly just means I have to drop dairy, as I only eat grains/bread a couple times a week as it is.  But maybe dropping this last few bits of grain will have an effect. 

255 deadlift pr

400 m run 1:17

Might have been short, temp course due to construction

212.5

I've been trying to put on some muscle and have increased my protein intake for the last couple weeks, which probably explains the slowdown in weight loss.  But I'm thinking of doing the Paleo challenge at Crossfit (which runs for all of Aug) to see what effect that has

213.5

Just finished a super sweaty WOD at Crossfit.  Did 25 burpees without having to take a break, so that was cool.

214

Feeling good.  

215 and I climbed a rope

I didn't make it to the top, but I found out I can climb a rope yesterday.  I was having a bad day and almost quit at Crossfit, but I thought I'd give the rope a try and was surprised to find I made it half way up without trying too hard.  Next time I'll go in fresh and make it to the top.  

216

I had a bad week, but I'm getting back on the wagon.  I was trying to eat reasonably well, but I stopped counting and tracking everything.  But I started tracking everything again yesterday, so the numbers should start moving down again.

216.5

So far I'm doing ok at Crossfit on only 1500 calories, but I'm being careful not to push myself too hard

PRs and General Fitness

I've always been bad about tracking fitness progress, so I'm going to try to list out some basics and hopefully if I remember to do this again in a few months, I'll have something to compare it to. 

1 Rep Max lifts:
Squat - ?  My squat form still sucks.  I have to take a extra-wide stance to keep my heels from lifting, but that stance robs me of all my power.  I think the problem all stems from my stiff hips, which I'm going to try to aggressively "open", and I'll probably have to put in some work on my back.  Until I can get the basic form right, I'm not going to attempt any significant weight.

Deadlift - 255

Bench - ?  Maybe I'll try to find out what my current max bench is this week.  I would guess it's around 185.  The last few times I've benched, I've felt much weaker than I was expecting.

Clean & Jerk:  ?  A few months ago I determined my max, but I've totally forgotten.  I'll have to try to establish this as well.

Snatch:  ?  I've been working with 65 lbs, but the main issue is my left shoulder still feels very unstable and has popped out a couple times when I've pushed the weight up, so it will probably take a while for me to build that shoulder up.  Much like the squat, I don't expect to be pushing myself on this one for a while.

Push Press:  I think I maxed out at 145 last time we did this.  It might have been 155, but  I'll take the lower of the two for now.

Pull Ups: Almost 1!  I have to get a little jumping start, but I can pull myself the rest of the way up and slowly lower myself down. 

Chin Ups:  I can hang at about the half way up point and hold for a few seconds, but I've got a bit more work to do on this.

Not a very impressive collection of stats, but I have to start somewhere.  I've been stronger in the past, but I've never been this fit overall (I was 100lbs heavier at my strongest, so I could deadlift, bench and clean more, but I couldn't come close to a pull up or do many push-ups).

Deadlift max - 255

I've deadlifted more in the past, but I'm trying to start tracking it better.  I was still sore yesterday and didn't feel right doing the lift, but I did 3 reps with 255, so I'll start with that as my max and track from there.

400m run time - 1:57

I think that's what it was.  I need to track these things better, but yesterday we ran 800 meters as a warm up, then ran 400 meters and timed it.  I'm very slow.  I probably could have shaved some off that, but it would have required a gut-busting effort, and this run was at the beginning of the workout, so I guess it just didn't feel like it.  Either way, I should be able to run a lot faster without killing myself.

218.5

I'm back to calorie counting.  I took about a month off from focusing on diet (but still kept to decent eating habits).  I lost 2 lbs in the last month, so I was still moving in the right direction, but I want to get down to 200 lbs before I let progress slow down that much.

When I started back at Crossfit, I knew it would be more of a challenge to keep losing weight.  The more strenuous workouts require eating more and increase cravings/appetite.  I probably need to increase my eating by about 500 calories a day to keep from falling apart, but I'm craving about 5000 more calories a day.  Ok, not really, but it feels like that sometimes. 

When I was focusing on losing weight, it was easy to just eat as little as I felt my body needed to keep functioning well.  But when adding the stress of weight lifting, it's harder to me to go by "feel" and I think strict calorie counting is my best option.

I'm still going to try to keep calories pretty low, probably a lot lower than most people would recommend, but I find I do well with that.  So I'm going to start with around 1,600 per day.  If that feels like I'm starving, I'll try bumping it to 1,800.  Or maybe I'll try fluctuating by adding a few hundred extra calories on Crossfit days and lowering it on rest days.

Annie time 8:18 - Crossfit

8:18 for Annie - single unders

Then we did a 1 mile run, total time 18:27 

Update

Weight is staying the same (between 219.5 and 220.5) but I'm doing Crossfit 3 days a week and not eating as carefully.  I want to start eating a little stricter again and get a light cardio workout in on non-Crossfit days.

219.5

I finally got below 220.  Leading up to the Rugged Maniac race, I took a few rest days, so my weight held steady at around 220.5 to 221.  Then I was a little looser with my diet in the days after (my mom was also visiting and we ate out every day), but I still maintained the same weight range.

I started Crossfit on 6/4/13, and I was concerned that it would be hard to lose weight while working out that hard, so it's good to see some movement in the right direction. 

My goes is to drop 2 lbs a week to get down to 200 lbs by September.

Restarted Crossfit

I stopped doing Crossfit about 3 months ago, when I started on my focused effort to lose weight quickly.  My plan worked out pretty much exactly how I wanted (which is kind of weird, since that never happens), so I'm starting back at Crossfit and going to try to keep the weight loss going, but probably at a slower pace.

Ran 5k obstacle course - Rugged Maniac



I ran a 5k mud race and it was pretty fun.  I did it in about 55 minutes (they didn't have a clock, so after I finished I had to ask someone the time).  My goal was to finish in under an hour, so I was happy with that, but obviously it was a pretty slow run.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5k obstacle race next weekend

I just did my last training run before my race next weekend. I shaved 4 minutes off my first trail run time 3 weeks ago. I'm going to do low impact stuff for the next 2 days, then 2 days of rest so I peak on race day.
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220.5

I did it! I've been trying to get to 220 since 2008 (that's when I set that as a goal, but obviously I've needed to get down to 220 for about 10 years).

The best part is that I did it without really trying. I've managed to finally get myself eating and living in a way that has be losing weight even when I'm not feeling up to doing "program".

I've been feeling a bit sluggish the last few days and haven't run or done much else, and yesterday we had a BBQ party. I had my first beer in 3 months and ate lightly (but without really thinking about it), so it is great to be down 1.5 lbs even after an "off" day like that.
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222

I took a rest day yesterday, including no hourly lunges/push-ups, and didn't stand as much during the day. It felt like the right thing to do, and the scale seems to agree with me.
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223

Went on a road trip this weekend, spent a lot of time driving. Weight is still slowly coming down, so that's good, but I need to get back to a routine to make sure I hit 220 by the end of the month and to make sure I can get through the Rugged Warrior race in decent shape.
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224

I'm back to eating my normal diet, which includes about 1 piece of bread a day.  So not much gluten, but based on my dropping 2 lbs shortly after adding gluten back in, I feel confident that gluten isn't causing me too many problems.  I should have stayed gluten-free at least a few weeks longer to really make this experiment worth it, but oh well.  I've never felt like gluten was negatively effecting me, so I didn't have much drive to stick with it. 

I am going to try to only eat sprouted grains though. 

Back on gluten in moderation

I accidentally ate some wheat yesterday. I hadn't noticed any benefit from avoiding gluten, and felt fine eating it, so I'm giving up on that. Maybe I'll invest in a blood test one day to find out.
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Had a bad week

Have stayed at the same weight pretty much all week. Jenny's mom has been visiting since last Tuesday, but she goes home today. Even though I feel like I keep mostly to the same routine, every time we have a visitor, I stop losing weight.

It's not any one thing, it's just the combination of all the little changes that throws me off.

I need to get focused again, so I'm glad this visit is coming to an end. It's not her fault, but the end result is the same.
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Ran in "barefoot" shoes for first time

Ran 3.37 miles in my Meril Trailgloves, which are about the thinnest shoes out there, and no heel lift.  It felt alright, but my calves/ankles got a bit sore towards the end and after the run, the balls of my feet were sore.  But overall, I think it was a good first try.  I actually didn't plan on it, I just forgot to switch shoes and once I was outside I just decided to go for it.

227 - Rugged Maniac and standing desk

I entered myself in the Rugged Maniac 5k obstacle course in Portland on June 1st.  This will be my first test and I want to try to do a race event once every few months.

I should be under 220 by then, which will be awesome.  I'm feeling great and the recent changes to my diet and exercise have made a huge different.

I have switched to a standing desk (just making a tall Ikea desk work) for the last two days and I really like it.  I need to modify it a little to make it work for the long term, but I like that I'm adding in some "exercise" of sorts while working.  I've also been doing something active for a few minute every hour (have an alarm set on my phone to remind me every hour).  Usually I'll do lunges and some push-ups, sometimes jog in place, etc.  That seems to keep my energy level and metabolism up all day.

Feeling the carbs!

I added a half cup of musli for breakfast for the last 3 days. The first day I shaved 10 minutes off my 11 mile cycling route and today I shaved 6 minutes off my fastest 5k. When you deplete your reserves, you really notice the increased carbs.

I've also been taking an essential amino acid supplement a few times a day, so that's probably helping too.
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228.5 - (increasing carbs)

I did my first trail run at Joe Dancer last night. 3 miles. Then I climbed on the jungle gym to practice the cargo net climb.

I had musli for breakfast and the added carbs seems to have greatly improved my energy levels.  I shaved about 10 minutes off my cycling and felt great the whole time.  First time I haven't had to stop on the hills since I started this diet.  I'm going to keep that in as my breakfast every day.

229.5

Finally in the 220s. Feels great to be making steady progress. In another month I should be in the mid-teens.
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230

The scale wasn't going to make it that easy on me. Hopefully I'll be in the 220s tomorrow.
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Run/Bike monthly total

April
Ran 24.93 Miles in 4h 31m 19s  (10 of the miles and 2 of the hours are approximated as I wasn't tracking exact time and distance for the first 2 weeks of April)

Biked  31.08 Miles - 3h 00m 10s

230.5

I felt bad yesterday, like I was having a slight reaction to something I ate. I have a feeling it was the gluten-free bread. The one other time I've tried going gluten-free, I had similar issues. I don't think it's the lack of gluten so much as the weird gluten substitute products. So I'm going to keep trying to be gluten free, I'm just going to eat regular gluten free foods and not any pretend breads.

I made myself go running last night even though it sucked. In the end, it was the right thing to do as I felt better having done it, but the first mile was a struggle.
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231.5

I did yard work most of the day on Saturday and Sunday, but skipped my normal cycling/running.  So I'm glad to see my weight come down with just a generally active weekend.

My supplements came today, so I'm starting on some amino acid complex, B complex and a couple other things.

Trying to go Gluten free

A lot of the potential indicators for gluten sensitivity seem to apply to me, so I'm going to try being gluten free for 6 months (apparently that's how long gluten can still negatively effect you even after you've stopped eating it).  If that goes well, maybe it will be a permanent thing.  For the last few years, my eating habits have not really revolved around gluten as much as many people's diets do, so basically all I need to drop right now is bread (or get a gluten free bread). 

I'm hoping this makes a big difference, but I'm also conflicted, because I've hated the anti-gluten movement.  A lot of people seem to be doing it like a health fad, as if gluten were universally bad and everyone should avoid it.  Maybe they are more right than I thought, but I'm still not going to tell people I'm off gluten.  I don't want to be one of "those" people.

233

I think I'm back on the right track.  Maybe the weight loss will be slower now, but I feel a lot better.  I realized I'm getting almost no sodium, so I added in some salt the last 3 days and have noticed a big improvement.  Hopefully I don't start retaining water, but maybe I was too dehydrated before.

Photo update

 

 

The 2008 photo is hard to look at.  A part of me wants to say the photo is just bad and I wasn't that fat, but I doubt that is the case.  But I also think the most recent photo makes me look crazy, so who knows.  I still have a ways to go, but I started out in the "Morbidly Obese" category (even though my blood tests and activity levels showed me as being in excellent condition for a fatty), then got down to just "Obese" and recently have been happy to see that I'm now in the highest part of the "Overweight" category.

234

I'm not exactly sure why my weight loss is slowing down, but I'm guessing it is due to the increased activity (ironically).  As soon as I started running and cycling more, I started losing less.  Maybe I'm eating more without realizing it, but I think it's a temporary water retention/inflamation issue.  I was considering easing off of the exercise and focusing more on the diet, but I'm feeling stronger and better than I have in a while, so I'd like to keep both going if possible.  I'm going to give this a few more days and if I still hold at 234, I'll have to reconsider.

234.5

I'm hoping I'm still retaining some water or something.  I'm working harder for a slower result, which could just be unavoidable as my weight lowers.  But I'm hoping my weight will catch up with where I think it should be.

235

I'm hoping to drop another pound shortly, I still feel a little puffy.

Ran - but logging runs elsewhere now

I've started on a more structured exercise plan and will be logging runs and cycling there. 

I'm trying to start a basic traithlon workout (haven't figured out the swimming yet, but want to alternate running and cycling for now).  I'm going to start with two light runs a week, then a longer run on the weekend, as well as a lighter cycling day and a longer cycling day.  Then in June I'm going to go back to Crossfit 2 days a week and try to keep in one light run, one longer run and one longer bike ride.

By July I want to go to Crossfit 3 days a week and keep in one long run and one long bike ride.  We'll see how that goes and adjust accordingly. 

Right now that would be too much for proper recovery between activities, but I'm hoping my weight will be down significantly by then, so the Crossfit workouts will not hit me as hard as they used to.  I will also adjust my diet accordingly so I'm not in such a calorie deficit (as well as using supplements to try to not fall apart while doing all this with a calorie deficit).

I've been listening to the Ben Greenfield Fitness podcast, which is the best podcast I've found so far.  I searched for triathlon podcasts just to see what was out there and I downloaded a few different ones, but this is the only one I liked.  Funny enough, the 5 or 6 shows I've listened to haven't really discussed triathlon much, but I like the detail oriented discussions of supplements and fitness topics.

So, from that I've decided to try to use a few supplements to help me out.  I still don't believe in "fat loss" pills (at least not at this point when I still have a significant amount of weight to lose the old fashioned way).  But I want to try using some essential amino acids to help with muscle recovery while on such a calorie deficit, as well as vitimin C and any anti-inflamatories I can find.  I've been eating Brazil nuts and almonds, but I'm going to work in a fish oil or other fatty acid.

Don't have that part totally figured out yet, maybe I'll get a book or pay for a trainer to put it all together at some point.  I'm not there yet, there is still plenty I can do on my own.

236 - Biked 8 miles

I knew I had been doing the work, but the scale had been holding at 239.  I was starting to think I was at a plateau and needing to rework things when the scale finally decided to cooperate this morning.  I'm not sure why it would hold and then drop so suddenly, but I'm not complaining.

Ran 3 miles

It still sucks, but not as bad.  And I felt like I could have done another mile, so maybe I need to figure out a 4 miles course and start running that. 

239

Feel like I'm hitting a plateau.  Haven't been stuck at this weight very long, but I have really been trying to blow through it with no response on the scale.  I'm going to keep at it and hope I can get the numbers moving dow again quickly.

239.5

The 230s!  I think I've finally made the mental switch needed to keep going with this, instead of it being a temporary diet to try to reach a specific goal.  I've had many days where it feels like the progress is too slow and  feel very discouraged, but I've kept going through it.  Obviously an exterior view of my recent statistics makes it look absurd that I would feel like the progress is too slow, but that's the trick with how things feel vs. how they are.  This blog really helps with that, when I can look at the progress made over the last couple months, then any bad week can be put in perspective.

240.5 - ran 3 miles

I need to run more.  I got up early this morning, but Owen did too.

Update (post was original written in the morning, then I managed to get a run in that evening):
Ran 3 miles after work.  It sucked.  I had just eaten dinner and started to cramp about half way through, but I haven't quit while running yet, so I made myself gut it out.  One of the things I need to develop is the ability to push myself farther and not quit.  I've made a lot of progress, but I'm still afraid that if I bail on even one run, it will be harder to keep myself from quiting in the future. 

241 - ran 3 miles

It's interesting having a blog that's been going this long and being able to go back and look at things over the long run.  When you're not doing well, it just adds to the feeling of failure, but when you are kicking butt (like I am right now), it's great to be able to track the results and compare them to previous efforts.  It also helps keep things in perspective, as it can be easy to get discouraged after just a few days of no progress (on the scale).

I lost 21 lbs in the first month (Feb 26 to March 26).  I've been a little slower this month, but if I can drop 13 lbs in the next 15 days, I'll be back on track.  It's a steep goal, but not unreachable.

I got up extra early this morning to try to get back on my morning exercise routing.  That was a key factor in my first month success, but then the time change seemed to make baby Owen wake up earlier, so it was difficult to be consistent.  Now my wife is pregnant again, so she's been a little more tired than usual, so it's even harder to sneak away.  But if I can get up early enough (like 6:30am), then I should be able to have the first hour of the morning to myself.

This morning didn't work out exactly as planned, but I did get a run in before breakfast, so that's the important part.  It seems to kick my metabolism into high gear all day when I exercise early.

242.5

I've been feeling really tired for the last week.  Not sure if my body is finally had enough of the super low calorie intake, or if something else is causing it.  Over the weekend I ate a bit more than usual to see if that would help, but it didn't.  I think I just need to power through. 

Ran 3 miles again

Running is finally getting easier.  I still hate it, but today was the first time I wasn't thinking about hating it the entire time.

243.5

I've gotten my diet consistent enough that I know I'm losing even when the scale doesn't show it for a couple days.  I've got to keep this pace going until at least the 220s, then we'll see if I need to readjust or if I can keep on the same path.

244.5 - Ran 3 miles

Haven't run in a week or so. The break didn't help my weight, but it does seem to have helped my running. I was running about a 12 minute mile and I just did 3 miles in 28:06 (9:22 per mile). Still pretty slow, but a big improvement.

245

I held at 248 for 5 days while my mom was visiting (and we were eating out daily). I felt I was keeping my portion sizes in control and it was just the sodium keeping my weight up, which appears to have been the case since I lost 3 lbs in 2 days when we stopped eating out.

Glad to be back on track.

(P.S. - I initially posted this with the title 255 and said "I held at 258".  I don't think I've fully grasped that I'm in the 240s now.  It's been 10+ years since I was last at this weight, so it hasn't sunk in yet.)

246.5

Have been a little off my game this week. My mom came to visit on Thursday and has taken us out to eat everyday since (and twice on Thursday and Saturday), so even though I tried to eat light, the scale told me it wasn't going so well. I think part of it was water weight due to the higher sodium in all the restaurant food.

So yesterday I just had a latte when we went out to breakfast and we ate dinner at home, so I feel like I'm getting back on track.
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248

Had a rough night, up until 2am with a baby that had no plans for sleep. I woke up tired, with a puffy face and sore throat, so I wasn't sure if the scale would be forgiving. Luckily it was.

I also ran 3 miles yesterday, so I'm sure that helped.
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249

I did it! This is my lowest weight in 10 years. A couple years ago I got down to 250.5, but couldn't break through that plateau.

Today is also my 32nd birthday, and all I wanted was to hit 249, so I'm a happy camper right now.

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250.5

I think this is the exact weight I got to about 2 years ago (which is the lowest I've been in about 10 years).  Then life got more complicated and my weight slowly went back up. 

The good news is that last time I hit this weight, it was at the end of a long effort to lose weight.  This time I feel like I'm just at the beginning of this effort, and 220 feels like more of a realistic goal than it has in a long time.  I also feel that fatherhood has made me more patient and better at long term planning, so I don't think my weight will fluctuate as much in the future.  If I can just get down to 220 or below, I'm confident I can hold that weight without it being a daily struggle.

Ran 3 miles again

It's not really getting easier, but it's good to know that once I start, I can keep going until I'm done. Even on days I don't want to run at all.

I finally downloaded some Spanish podcasts and got headphones, so that helped.
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