When I began this Quest For Fatlessness a year ago, I weighed 260 pounds. That first day I exercised for 20 minutes--a rather mild-mannered bike ride. Today I weighed
--which is actually a bit on the heavy side . . . but not by all that much. And today I exercised for two hours. I also got caught up on Con Man and CNN and MSNBC, so it wasn't all work. Or all play, depending on how you see these things.
So I've come along a bit.
Speaking of today's exercise session . . . well, first, I'll make it official:
Year 2, Week One: Tuesday, 2/20/2018
Exercise: Warm-ups (the full Monty today), Schwinn 62 minutes (15:05 / -339 calories / 66rpms; 15:04 / -339 calories/ 66rpms; 15:04 / -342 calories / 66rpms; 17:05 / -391 calories / 66rpms), and HWs.
There. Now, as I was saying . . . I was a little late getting it done last night, but I knew that if I didn't hit it early today that I would run out of time, as I had to take Jacqueline to the YMCA to meet her friend and was planning on going to a concert tonight. So, with a sigh, I got to it a little after 10:30 this morning. And I kept at it pretty steadily, but still had a hard time finishing up and getting a shower in before it was time to leave at 1:00 pm. But the good news is that I did it, I did it all, and I did it even though I really didn't feel like doing it. That's a pretty good way to start Year 2.
I haven't been keeping track of the incoming calories for awhile now, and although I keep telling myself that I "should" get back to it, I don't know that that is going to happen. On the one hand, I know that I owe my 90 pound (from my heaviest point) weight loss to counting those calories. And I know that it's easy to slip back into extra pounds if you don't watch those calories. But I am exercising so much, burning so many calories . . . and feeling really hungry when I'm hungry . . . that I just can't bring myself to do it. Maybe that will change. I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't, though. But I will try to be more aware of when I am eating extra shit "just because I can," because There Be Dragons. Fat Dragons.
Happy New Year.
Year 2, Week One: Wednesday, 2/21/2018
Exercise: 5 mile Mall Walk with Pat.
Mo Bettah Exercise: warm-ups (compete), 62 Schwinn (12:02 / 271 / 66; 18:04 / 423 / 67; 15:05 / 355 / 67; 17:05 / 391 / 66), LWs, fifty sit-ups.
Year 2, Week One: Thursday, 2/22/2018
Exercise: Warm-ups (with all push-ups and planks and ab stretches), 30 twists with 15 lb dumbbells, Schwinn 15:04 / 322 / 64; 15:05 / 325 / 64; 15:05 / 310 / 63. And that was it. I was absolutely drained.
Actually made a conscious, premeditated decision not to do any weights today. The arm muscles are feeling a bit stretched thin, and I believe that they really need a recovery day. Probably would have been beneficial to lay off of the push-ups today as well . . . maybe the planks and ab stretches, too . . . but I really wanted to get them in. Although I do have to admit that all three of them put more strain on me that is the usual wont. I guess that's why the conventional wisdom is that you life weights every other day. But that really does not work for me. So I'll see if I can do it this way, with just sporadic days off for recovery when I think that's what my body is telling me. (In the immortal words of the philosopher O. Newton-John, "Listen to your body talk, your body talk."
Year 2, Week One: Friday, 2/23/2018
Exercise: 4 mile Mall Walk.
I really thought that I should skip the weights and biking today . . . not to mention that asskicking "warm-up" routine . . . and was feeling pretty okay with that decision. My muscles were feeling strained, I hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before, it was getting late and time to eat dinner . . . . And then I changed my mind. Started (again) with the thought, "I'll just do a little bit of it. As much as I can without hurting myself too much." And then I was able to do my warm-ups, my 62 Schwinn minutes (with a quite respectable 15:04 / 343 / 66; 15:05 / 326 / 65; 15:05 / 334 / 65; 17:04 / 381 / 66 . . . 1384 total "calories burned") and all of the HWs. And, as usual, I felt a hell of a lot better after I finished than before I started. I also sweated like a motherfucker. My post exercise weight was 191.4 pounds. Not great, but not so awful.
Year 2, Week One: Saturday, 2/24/2018
I felt brave enough to do a Wake-Up Weight this morning: 192.2 lbs. Not great, not terrible.
Exercise: Nada. Nichts. Just too weary, man.
Year 2, Week One: Sunday, 2/25/2018
Exercise: 62 Schwinn, LWs.
Year 2, Week One: Monday, 2/26/2018
Exercise: 62 Schwinn, HWs.
I wasn't feeling all that great about exercising today . . . just the usual laziness, but I was still hitting it . . . and Joe's CLS worker came by as I was getting ready for the last 15 minute set of Schwinn-ing so I stopped to talk to him. He told me that he could see the effects of my exercise, and as he hadn't seen me in a month that meant even more (since it implied that I'd continued to show improvement in the last month). Funny how just a little bit of encouragement at the right time can really fuel the fire, isn't it?
Year 2, Week Two: Tuesday, 2/27/2018
Exercise: 62 Schwinn, LWs. I also did a pedometer check in, which showed that my actual "step" count was 9,225 . . . which is what a walk of a little over 5 miles would get me . . . and my actual calories burn was 510.6 . . . which I know is low, since is doesn't count any calories burned for all of my push-ups (total of 85), planks (4 1/2 minutes), ab stretches (total of 95), or any of the weights (totals of 50 curls, military presses, rowing, toe-touches, and twists with 15 lb dumbbells). Which I know is a significant amount of burn. At least another 100 or so calories. But anyway.... I also did a post exercise weigh-in: 189 lbs. Not too shabby. Not where I want to be, but heading in the right direction, at least.
Thus endeth week one of year two.
Year 2, Week Two: Wednesday, 2/28/2018
Well . . . I thought that I had seen the last of the back pain from leg lifts and / or sit-ups, but after exercising yesterday I was hurting a bit, and it got worse and worse. I ended up sleeping on a heating pad, which didn't actually seem to do any good at all. And this morning I am really feeling it. I'm hoping that some stretching and a lighter touch on exercise today will help to relieve it a bit.
Exercise: Speaking of a struggle . . . I decided to do a walk, and since it's still kind of cold and rainy, I went to the mall. Did a good 5 miles, but probably only 75% or so speed. It was painful. I think I felt a little better when I was done, but it's a close call. My back really hurts. Fuuuuuuck. Going to rest a bit, then see about doing some stretching, maybe some push-ups, maybe some bike riding.
And? Well, I made it through all of the warm ups, which surprised me. And 30 minutes of Schwinn. Actually felt a little bit better, but I'm still in a lot of pain, so I decided to call it quits for the night.
Tomorrow is another day.
Year 2, Week Two: Thursday, 3/1/2018
Big, big pain today. Couldn't even think about doing any exercise. Mostly just hoping that this isn't the way my body is going to feel for the next fifteen to twenty years. (More or less.)
Year 2, Week Two: Friday, 3/2/2018
Better. Did just a little exercise--stretching, one set of push-ups, ten minutes on the bike. Thought it might help.
Year 2, Week Two: Saturday, 3/3/2018
But it didn't. Actually hurt more yesterday than Thursday. But stubborn to the end, I went ahead and did a full 62 Schwinn minutes and LWs . . . leaving out the sit-ups. And . . . felt a little better, but still some serious pain.
Year 2, Week Two: Sunday, 3/4/2018
Woke up at 3:30 . . . but not from pain, at least. Which is not to say that there wasn't pain, because there was.
But I did the whole warm-ups, 62 Schwinn minutes, and HWs . . . leaving out only the leg lifts. I did a slight expansion on the ab stretches, kicking it up to 25/25/25/25 for a total of 101, and will probably add some more sets in later on. I'd like to get at least another 50 reps in . . . to make up for the 50 leg lifts (or, on alternate days, sit-ups). Still not feeling great, but was able to do everything without straining the back. Although I expect I'll pay for it a bit later tonight or tomorrow morning.
Year 2, Week Two: Monday, 3/5/2018
Feeling a little rough, but did all of the warm-ups, 62 Schwinn minutes at a pretty good clip, and all of the LWs except sit-ups.
Year 2, Week Three: Tuesday, 3/6/2018
I was really thinking that it'd be advisable to take a day off today. Didn't sleep a lot or well last night, still had a little back pain, but enough lessened to think that a day of rest might get me back to normal. But then I started thinking about all of those calories latching onto my gut, and the steps that wouldn't be recorded on my pedometer, and I decided to do just the Schwinn. Not even any warm-ups, because even that shit puts some strain on my back. So I started off slow-ish to make up for not stretching, and that went pretty well: 20:04 / 392 / 62. Not setting any fires, but not so bad. Rested a little bit and had another go. An you know, I had been thinking that since I was not doing my warm-ups or weights today, that maybe I should just pile through and do a straight 62 minutes, which I haven't done for some time now. But I was already feeling a little worn as I neared to 20 minute mark, and I started thinking about how much my ass would hurt if I stayed on the bike for the whole time, so I stopped at 20. And it was mos def the right move. The second set went even better than the first: 20:04 / 425 / 64. Not a world record (or even a personal best), but a significant improvement on the first round. So on to round three: 22:04 / 471 / 64. So pretty much held steady there. Good show! And instead of zero steps whilst cooking on a heating pad reclined upon the sofa, I just hit 9,115 steps for the day, and I know that I had less than 1,000 when I started. Woo-hoo.
I think it was also a wise move not to do the warm-ups and weights, though it irks me a little to do so. Right now my back feels pretty close to full strength . . . like a good 94%. Here's hoping it stays there or moves it on up.
Year 2, Week Three: Wednesday, 3/7/2018
Trying to get back to the routine today, so did all of the warm-ups, 62 Schwinn minutes (326 / 65; 342 / 66; 351 / 67; 354 / 63--that last was probably lower than it would've been because I had to stop for a few minutes at 14:00, so that threw off the rpms and the calories burned a bit . . . still, not too bad overall at 1373 "calories burned"). Also did a pedometer check, and the biking accounted for 8,674, and including the warm-up movements a total of 9,726 steps. Pretty good.
Felt pretty okay today, too. Just a smidge of back pain when I did some of the exercises . . . especially toe touches . . . but nothing too bad. Hopefully that will continue to be true through tonight and tomorrow morning.
I got brave and stepped on the scale after I finished exercising.
Not great, but not too fuckin' bad, either, I'd say.
Year 2, Week Three: Thursday, 3/8/2018
5 mile Mall Walk with Pat.
Year 2, Week Three: Friday, 3/9/2018
1 mile walk, but did a full 62 Schwinn and LWs. Didn't quite finish the warm-up stuff, but that was a lack of time more than anything else. And later on, when I had the time to finish up, I needed to do some drinking more than some push-ups. Maybe mañana.
Year 2, Week Three: Saturday, 3/10/2018
Did. Whole shebang: 62 + HWs
Year 2, Week Three: Sunday, 3/11/2018
62 Schwinn + LWs
Year 2, Week Three: Monday, 3/12/2018
20 Schwinn + lat raises, 25//20 Push Ups 25/25 Ab . . . and then I pooped out. Don't know why, but I just didn't have it in me.
And I was still feeling out of it on Year 2, Week Four: Tuesday, 3/13/2018, but of course I didn't want to miss another day (since Monday was pretty much a wash), so I decided to just do stretching and Schwinn, no push-ups or planks or ab stretches. And I felt pretty good after my first 15 minutes on the bike (at a respectable 326 / 64). And I thought, well, maybe I'll just do ONE set of push up and planks and ab stretches. So I did. Did another 15 Schwinn minutes, and thought what the hell and did another set of p-u/p/as. Another 15 Schwinn. Another set of p-u/p/as. The final 17 Schwinn minutes. Which is where I am right now, wondering whether I feel like doing another 20 push-ups. Hmmm. I think I'll give it a shot.
Did.
And of course while I was there I went ahead and did the plank. And since I'd gotten that far, I figured what the hell and did the last 26 ab stretches. Now I'm wondering if I might could do a set of LWs. Just one set, mind you. The 20s. Maybe.
Did.
And it was a little bit rough. So I thought about leaving it there. On the other hand . . . the 20 set is the hardest one. So I thought I'd rest up for a minute or two and see how I felt then. Like maybe just go ahead and finish it off, y'know? Mmm.
Did.
So that ended well. I feel better now than before I started, too, which is a good thing. All this exercise shit is hard to endure if you don't get some positive feedback from it.
Year 2, Week Four: Thursday, 3/15/2018
Yeah, I blew off yesterday. Didn't get much sleep Tuesday night and just couldn't get myself to do it. And today I just did a little bit
--stretching, 2 sets of push-ups / planks / ab stretches, and 30 minutes of Schwinn.
Not feeling very into it today, I'm sorry to say.
Year 2, Week Four: Sunday, 3/18/2018
Don't really want to talk about it, but I will. First off, I didn't miss both of the days that I've skipped here. But I did miss one . . . and didn't go whole hog on the other. So yeah, I pretty much skipped both of them. Now I'm trying to get back to business. And I'd really like to just gloss over the whole Grinding To A Halt Thing, but I started this who Public Display of My Fast Struggle primarily because I saw it as a way to keep myself honest, and I'm not going to stop doing that now.
This goes back a-ways, of course. That's clear now . . . though it wasn't Then. First the I'm Tired Of Keeping Track of My Calories, which quickly led to eating more than I'd been previously. That didn't have horrific effects, though, because I was exercising so much. But in the last week or so I've been struggling with keeping up with the exercise part as well. I have missed a few days. Not horrific, but I know where that one ends. So I am going to try to take this bull by the horns and wrestle it to the ground. Starting now.
So today I went for a three mile walk in the park with Pat. I haven't been walking very often lately. Partly because Pat's, need were hurting here and I didn't much like walking alone. It was hard, even though three miles is less than I / we was / were doing not that long ago.
When I got home I rested up for a few minutes, then I did my stretching exercises . . . the whole shebang. I did allow myself a little rest time between sets, though, and with that it wasn't too awful.
20 wings / 25 push-ups / 1:12 plank / 25 ab stretches
leg stretches (30"x6) / 20 push-ups / 1:02 plank / 25 ab stretches
calf stretches (30"x6) / 20 push-ups / 1:02 plank / 25 ab stretches
20 toe touches / 20 push-ups / 1:02 plank / 26 ab stretches
And now I'm going to attempt to do the full 62 Schwinn . . . integrated with the full LW regimen. Wish me luck, I'm gone need it, chile.
First round: 15:04 / 340 / 66rpms . . . not bad. And followed with the 20 reps of curls, presses, toe raises, rowing, and twists with 15 pound dumbbell/s.
Second round: 15:04 / 344 / 66rpms . . . and even a little less not bad. Felt good, too. That second round is always better than the first one. Maybe the best of the four, actually, as The Tired starts nipping in on the third round. ANYway . . . followed with . . . well, was going to follow with the rest of the LWs, but the dryer buzzed, so I did that instead. Next time.
Third round: 15:05 / 365 / 68rpms . . . and I take back every back thing I ever said about third round. This felt good . . . and I picked up another 21 rpms over the second round. Kind of tired now, though. Still . . . had enough pizzazz to get through the 15 / 10/ 5 rounds of LWs, so did that.
Fourth round: 17:04 / 393 / 67rpms. Did it . . . and with some pretty impressive numbers, too.
It felt good to be back on the full schedule. But one thing I know: it's more important to have a pretty good week than it is to have a very good day. The Fat Struggle is won by weeks, not days.
Mmm-hmm.
Year 2, Week Four: Monday, 3/19/2018
Tough one today. I got halfway through and had a visitor, and it was about two hours before I could get back to exercising. I thought about just ditching it, but convinced myself to give it a shot, and ended up finishing the whole 62 Schwinn + HWs . . . which is particularly noteworthy in that it's been a few days since I did the HW routine, but I got through it without a lot of trouble.
Also did a post exercise weight and came up with 194 pounds. Which ain't great. But ain't terrible, either.
Year 2, Week Five: Tuesday, 3/20/2018
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