Take care of yourself

go man go

 

Regardless, you're doing awesome!

 

Thanks. You're doing better.

 

I went back to the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center in June.

In 2016, I dropped from about 258 in March down to 206. And, then I went on a LOT of work travel, multiple weeks at a time, and got stupid. I literally thought in 2016, wow, that was easy! It involved a ketosis diet, and that was the main cause of the weight loss. I was doing physical therapy and had a personal trainer at the gym once a week. But the diet was the main thing. If you only eat 1100 to 1200 calories a day, believe me, you WILL lose weight.

The Hopkins system is neat, and you don’t feel hungry. And I don’t feel deprived either.

So, with all the work travel, by March of this year, I had ballooned to 268. I did a little dieting on my own and then hit the JHWMC hard in mid-June.

I’m now below 220. I think around 218. A 50 pound loss.

Two things:

I’m not done yet.

1) Next near term goal is getting below 210. Then below 200 for the first time since, hell, oh, maybe 1999 when I took on a weekend job after my divorce to make ends meet. It was a physical job too. Like being paid to go to the gym. Anyway, I already feel a LOT better having lost 50 pounds.

2) And I realize now that the HARD part is not losing the weight, but making the necessary lifestyle and eating habit changes to KEEP the weight off. That’s going to be the real challenge this time around. 2017 was a bit of “diet fatigue” as my doctor called it, combined with stupidity and taking my eye off the long term goals.

Anyway, down 50, and my belt is now four notches tighter.

20 or so to go, and then the real challenge: maintenance.

I hope everyone hear is doing well and had a great summer.

Godspeed everyone. Every day is a blessing.

Regards,
VB

 

Another 7 days in the book: 116.7 miles.

After 32 weeks: 1,241 miles.

Weight: 242 pounds. So I did 116 miles to lose 1 fucking pound this week.

 

That’s awesome!

I’m readjusting after being in the US, having foot surgery and gaining 15 pounds in those three months. Now I have unlimited tasty food that someone else cooks but a slate of fitness classes available as well. Trying to find a balance and it’s hard to get back into the swing. This post is very different than the others but the opportunities are there. We had a 5k this morning and it hurt. It was also 90 degrees at 8 am!

 

Weight confirmed at 217.8 on a calibrated scale.

Also realized my scale is reading 2 lbs more. I hauled in to Baltimore for a side by side check.

 

I’m a few months shy of 50. I was a cross country/T&F runner in college. At 5-8, I found my best racing weight to be right at 132. I never stopped running after college, but of course the intensity and duration dropped. Occasionally I’d “go into serious training” and drop from an everyday 145 to 138, run my goal race, then relax again. The last goal race was a 5K in 2011, which I ran in 16:40 at the age of 42. Two weeks later I injured a calf, and ever since then it has literally been one injury after another. Two years ago this month, I went to see a doc about a hamstring/glute problem and was absolutely shocked to see 173 on the scale, with a BP of 143/88. High BP runs in the family, but I was sure — just convinced! — that I, being the “fit” one, would not be afflicted.

Immediately I cut out all added salt, no eating after 7 p.m., and extremely limited sugars. All I drank was water. Typical diet was a boiled egg with 2 cups of water in the morning, salad with chicken and low-cal dressing at lunch, and sensible (meat and two) supper. Did PT and worked my way back into running shape. In six months, my BP was back to normal and my weight was 135.

I’ve kept at it since then, but as you get older, it ain’t easy. The high-end speed never came back, but I can still go out and average 7:30 pace for hours.

Don’t let the weight sneak up on you, folks, because it WILL if you give it a chance.

 

Another 7 days in the book: 129 miles

After 33 weeks: 1,370 miles (438 of which have come in the last 28 days)

Weight: Fluctuating between 240-242

 

New assignment, new routine. I gained 15 pounds while on home leave and in training and holy smokes, the food in Baghdad is plentiful and have added about five more in the three weeks I've been here.

Trying to get back into a routine; there are so many options here that I'm diversifying. Got talked into a salsa class but have no balance, so now I'm trying step class and tae kwon do to help with the salsa. And abs class just because I need it, bad. This cuts into the running time.

Arm strength is almost nil due to two shoulder surgeries and the left foot is still recovering from home leave surgery. Getting out of bed is painful, but I'm at it again. Gotta get the scale working my way again.

Tomorrow will be the second 5k since I've arrived; it was hot the first time and tonight a dust storm has settled in, so no idea what will happen with that.

Mostly, I just need to get back into some kind of routine. And not give into the temptation of daily bacon and regular access to Magnum bars.

 

Another 7 days in the book: 34 miles with some lifting.

I gave the Expresso bike a rest and took up the Stairmaster (11.9 miles), which is a good cardio workout.

After 34 weeks: 1,404 miles.

Weight: Fluctuating between 241-245. Thought I was going to break 240 but guess it wasn't meant to be this week.

 

Good work, everyone.

Eat a little less, move a little more.

Go!