Fitness Log 5 September

Fitness Log 5-September

Sorry for the lack of updates recently.  I have not fallen off the fitness wagon, I have just been crazy busy.  The week of 22 August I was on travel for work and could not blog.  The following week, 29 August, and the Milestone A update, I was single dading it while my wife was on travel, and was so busy getting things and kids ready for school, and having last minute summer fun, that I couldn't get to it.  I still kept exercising though and the results are in the table below.

Not only did I hit Milestone A, I beat it into the ground.  Weight wise I was right on track, with a slight hitch the week before, damn you free office pizza.  But the waist measurement, I was an inch ahead, heck I was at, and am still at Milestone B for waist size.  I am thrilled about that.  Hitting Milestone B for weight might be a bit harder to achieve.  

I am getting stronger everyday, adding weight to my lifts weekly if not multiple times a week, which means muscle growth.  Muscle is denser than fat, so losing weight will require stepping up the Cardio something fierce.  I had intended to start doing that last week, but my youngest doesn't start kindergarten until this week, meaning I have to watch him all day.  My plan was to start biking for my cardio, can't bike hard with a 5 year old.  Oh well.

In other weightloss/fitness news.  My gym's opening is delayed until 1st quarter 2017.  The reason, their landlord won't let them do their construction at the same time as the other tenant.  So the current shop needs to complete their construction first.  This is frustrating, but since I repaired and reinforced my workout bench shouldn't be a huge issue.  They have also opened up their preview center at the mall for members to use and demo the equipment.  I will be making use of that facility soon, once the wife gets back, at least two to three times a week.

Many people have commented that they are seeing the results of my working out, even if the scale isn't.  My face and body are noticably thinner, but I am finding extra skin hanging out, and that takes a while to go away.

I am very happy with how my weight loss and overall fitness are progressing, but still have a long way to go.  And because it was requested, here are the first fitness log pictures I took and the latest to compare it with.

Yes there is still a belly, but it's tighter, and not as flabby.  I don't see the results as much, others do, so there;s that, and I can't argue the numbers.  Let's Go.

Also I will post more reviews and writing updates soon.  I am also looking at doing another design day.  I just have to decide on the subject of it.

Fitness Log 15-August-2016

Weight Loss Milestone Chart, 15 August Update

Week 3 of the fitness plan.  We have some actual data points on the weight and waist size charts.

A quick glance shows that I am closing on the Milestone A weight objective, I've already passed the threshold.  The waist line Milestone A, I have surpassed Milestone A and am closing on Milestone B.

Onto this week's numbers:

Height: 6'
Weight: 244lbs (Past Milestone A threshold, 60% of objective, figuring on a start weight of 250 lbs)
Waist Size: 42.5" (.5" loss)
Belly Size:  44" (1 inch lost)
Neck Size: 18.5" (no change)
Bicep Size: 16.5" (no change)
Thigh Size: 27" (.5" loss)
Calf Size: 18.25" (.25" gain)
Chest Size: 45" (1" loss)

I am noticing a change in my face now when I look in the mirror, it is slimmer.  I am also lifting more weight or pushing more reps/sets everyday, so I am getting stronger and fitter.  In that way the weight numbers are not as upsetting, but I am still on track for Milestone A objective in two weeks.

The problem that comes is this:  My gym's opening has been delayed, possibly to October due to issues with another tenant in the building.  On the plus side they will open up the preview center in the mall for members to use free of charge.  We'll act as demo for the equipment.  They are also looking into placing a temporary preview center in front of the gym location in portables.  Neither of these is an ideal solution, but improve, adapt and overcome.

Exercise alone will not result in weight loss and to that end, this is what my diet became over the weekend and what I plan to try and keep to.

Breakfast:  1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil (solid) plus supplements (see below)
Lunch:  Small, high protein lunch, minimal carbs plus supplement.  This weekend the boys and I made real fruit smoothies for lunch, high fiber with protein powder.  I paid for that later that day.
Dinner:  Smaller portion, high protein, with salad.

Curiously enough, I'm not getting that hungry.  I get more psychological hunger as my brain reminds me that it's time to eat.  My stomach really isn't rumbling, except when I have too much fiber.  Based on the low carb intake I could be forcing my body into ketosis, so it is burning fat much more regularly, this a good thing.

I'm still dialing in my supplements, but for now, here we are:

Helix Nutrition RB-TON3R (x2/day, breakfast and lunch)
1000 mg Metabolic Matrix
  - EPA
  - DHA
  - CLA
  - Alpha-Linolenic Acid
  - Oleic Acid
  - Vitamin E

Cellucor Super HD (x2/day breakfast and lunch)

10mg Niacin

3mg Vitamin B6

250mcg Vitaming B12

250mg Thermosculpting blend

  - Green Tea leaf extra

  - Simpro Protein Hydrolysates of Blue Whiting

  - Dandelion Root Extract

250mg Sensory Impact Blend

  - many ingredients, hard to read, will fill later.

160mg Caffeine Anhydrous (this part left me jacked on friday)

100mg Vitamin D3

Overall, I am feeling great and think I have a real chance of getting this weight off.  I will be cutting in additional supplements as needed and have taken Tumeric here and there when I felt a possible swell coming on.

Fitness Log 8-August-2016

Weight Loss Milestone Chart

Week 2 of the fitness plan.  Above I posted my milestone chart with objectives and thresholds for the two major measurements, weight and waist size.  My wife pointed out to me this morning at weigh and measure in that I was measuring my waist wrong.  I measured it at my pant line, she said to do it and my belly button since that is where most of the fat is.  She says she's also noticed a change in my physique just over the last week.  I am well into this now, no turning back.

Had a slight set back this week though, got sick over the weekend, just overly fatigued, could barely move so I skipped the sunday workout.  I also had some carbs on thursday (homemade oatmeal, raisin and macadema nut cookies, hey I'm not made of stone.)  Friday (free pizza in the break room, again, stone man I am not.)  Sunday a pita sandwich at the airshow and pho for dinner.

Onto the numbers:



I am engineer, as well as a writer, let's go over my current numbers, which I will update weekly:

Height: 6'
Weight: 246lbs (at Milestone A threshold, 40% of objective, figuring on a start weight of 250 lbs)
Waist Size: 43" (pant line)
Belly Size:  45"
Neck Size: 18.5" 
Bicep Size: 18"
Thigh Size: 27.5" 
Calf Size: 18" 
Chest Size: 46"

I need to review and make sure that I am taking measures at consistent places.  The increase in neck, bicep and thigh especially are surprising.  On the other hand, I have increased the amount of weight I am lifting, so that I am getting stronger again.  The biggest problem with that is that my cheap weight bench might not be able to carry much more, and I don't have that many weights left.  Guess I need to run to goodwill and grab some more weighs and home depot to get some bar stock to reinforce the bench.

Can you see a difference yet?