Measurements

I decided that I wanted to find out where I was at compared to last year and the year before.

Below you'll see the table from last year - that also includes the year before and I combined measurements from today and the blobpost below
http://elvisapocalypse.blogspot.com/2013/06/6june13-day-31-3rd-time.html

	13May12	7Jun12	6Jun13	30Apr14
weight	270	272	270	284
navel	49	48.5	46.75	50
waist	46.5	48	43.5
hips	54	52.5	52	53
neck	18	17.5	16.5	16.5

I need to complete the other measurements later today.  As you can see, I've got about 14 pounds to go just to get to where I was at nearly 10.5 months ago.

For nearly a year I maintained my weight though I lost some size.  Let's also go back and look at where I came from, so we don't dwell on where I need to go.

Last fall I hit a major setback with 16 weeks of inability to run due to shinsplints and severe pain.  I was also working 60 hours a week and drinking more than 6 cans of Coke a day.  I hit all-time high weights of  over 295 (one reading was at 298).  So I have lost 10-ish pounds and my eating is managed; meaning that I am not under severe stress and eating so I can keep up.  I'm a stress cleaner/stress eater.  I start dropping workouts and adding Coke to my diet when I get stressed.  Last Sept/Oct I even added cookies (I don't usually eat any candy or cookies).  My weight gain has come from two primary sources: 1) Coke 2) lessening inactivity.  If I decreased my Coke intake while decreasing activity then I wouldn't gain.  My diet is pretty reasonable, I don't go overboard and I eat mostly natural foods (occasionally I eat processed foods).

The biggest thing I need to remember is that when I get stressed it's time to increase workouts instead of cutting them out.  I absolutely know that working out helps me mentally and stress-wise - when I get stressed it's hard for me to just do it.

I'm going to attempt the non-stop workouts.  I will workout each day, even if for 5 minutes a day (not less than 5 mins).  Right now, I have scheduled times that I workout - and I spend about 5 mins or less every hour just doing some calisthenics (situps, aussie pullups, planks, squats/lunges, chair dips, etc) and then attempt to get in one run up 2 flights of stairs to get 8oz of water.

Here are my goals:

1. One regular pullup (following the scooby plan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRznU6pzez0)
2. Plank for one minute
3. 20 aussie pullups (wo stopping)
4. 30 min skate (or slideboard) without stopping b/c of foot pain (plantar fascitis)
5. 280 pounds (then 270, 260, etc)

There are other minor goals that I'll easily be able to meet.  These goals are bigger ones that I can focus on without feeling overwhelmed.

New Fit Tracking App

I logged in to my FitDay app today to find that they wanted $10.99 a year for me to update my weight daily.  I've been with them for almost 12 years - and said good bye.  There are plenty of other (some better) apps out there - I was using FitDay as I had been sticking with it for so long.

Some friends suggested I hit up myfitnesspal and try their app.  So far, I love it.  I integrated my runtastic and runkeeper apps and even have two friends already there.

If you use myfitnesspal - hit me up username: standtrooper -- I'll send you a message asking where I know you from.

So Say We All!

Progress - and moving forward

I've had these blades for like 4 weeks maybe (sometime the week of the 24th of Mar).  I built a slideboard like the next week.  I've used the slideboard a few times (mostly b/c of weather).  I've managed to get in a skate about 2x a week (mostly due to location).  I'm trying to find a location that I can skate at that won't interfere with traffic.  I found a great little place not far from here, but the track is narrow so going around people can be difficult.  The other place nearby has too many hills.  I could get to the bottom and skate about a half mile in either direction, but that's it... that seems like enough, but again the trails are narrow.  On weekends there's a college nearby that has an empty parking lot.

In any case, I've been adjusting my workouts and have come up with an optimal solution for now.  I don't eat breakfast.  I opt, instead, for a vitamin cocktail and 24 oz of water.  I then continue to drink about 70oz of water through the rest of the day until dinner.  After that I'll have another 24oz or so of water.  I'm trying to keep my total intake to around a gallon of water.   I get in a snack of carrots at some point.  Then for lunch I have some form of lean meat (swai or chicken) and some veggies of some sort.  Then for dinner I'll eat whatever we're having (which isn't ever unhealthy).  90+% of the time I eat healthy.  I'm a healthy person except for the weight.  Any tests doctors do always come back normal.  My problem is moving and Coke.  I have a sedentary job that I do for many hours at a time and I drink Coke; not as much as I used to - maybe 3-4 a day - but I used to drink liters (plural) a day so dropping from 2+ liters a day to 1 liter a day is pretty good - my next step is again to cut out Coke completely and switch to semi-sweetened tea (< 1c sugar per gallon).  That doesn't seem like much of a change, right?  there's about 1c of sugar in a gallon of Coke.  The difference is that I drink less tea than Coke - so that gallon of tea lasts 2-3 or more days.  Instead of 1c of sugar each day, I've cut that to between 1/2 and 1/3 the amount.  The longer I drink tea, I eventually cut down the sugar to about 1/2c per gallon or so.  In any case, let's get back to what this is about.

My struggle has always been motivation to do for myself.  I spend a lot of time doing for others that I put myself last - this, I realize, is just an excuse to not do for myself.  I'm not sure why, but I have to change that thought process.  In January I posted about a Cognitive Shift - that held true until March or so, then picked back up shortly after.  I've been motivated to make changes - those changes are not to give myself excuses for not doing for me.  That means eliminating the "but I'm going to do xyz" or throw my wife under the bus "I'm going to spend time with my wife tonight".  My wife and I can spend time in the same room and consider that close time - I'd move the slideboard upstairs except for the sliding it does across the carpet and the fact that the floor is wooden (I could lay down towels) - once I figure out how to keep it from sliding I'll probably move it.  All of that aside, let's get to cutting out excuses.   I've never thought of them as excuses, but they are.  I can't do this b/c I need to do this.  That's an excuse - why can't I do both?  I do it all of the time with other stuff.  I want to watch an episode of Arrow AND read a book on electronic circuits - done.  I want to watch an episode of Enlisted AND work on my Cherokee studies - done.  I want to workout and watch TV with my wife - woah what the heck that's just not doable?  It doesn't make sense when I put it like that.

So what have I changed?  We'll get to that in a moment... let's cover some of my inspiration.

I've always been a huge proponent of my best friends advice to use my body weight whenever possible.  Ok Jason Statham isn't my best friend, but he does inspire me.

Arthur Boorman also inspires me.  You, sir, are my hero.  How many times have you felt like you wanted to give up?  How many times have you felt worthless?  How many times have you looked in the mirror and thought I'd workout today but I can do it tomorrow?  Arthur Boorman, I salute you.

This video is in the huffpo link, but I want you to see it and not just click the link.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/04/arthur-boorman-veteran-walks-again-yoga_n_1478847.html 

Here's a link to a longer video of this amazing story www.youtube.com/embed/bIXOo8D9Qsc

In 10 months Arthur went from 297 to 157 - that's 140 pounds!  That's not all.  Not only did he lose nearly half his size, BUT he could walk again without canes!  How inspirational is that?

Stephen Amell inspires me.  I like watching a show where the star does their own stunts.  I'm sure he doesn't do them ALL, but when I can see his face as he's leaping up a rack with a bar - that's impressive.

This is for my wife, but I can watch it all day.


Is that all Stephen Amell is?  No, absolutely not.  I am so impressed with how he handles his fans.  There are a few actors and actresses out there that I feel like are part of my family.  When something happens to them, it also happens to me.  Stephen Amell, Corbin Bernsen, and Gil Gerard are but three.  They share their inner life with you - they don't hold back - and they are awesome to their fans; absolutely superb.  Stephen seems like he's the kind of guy that could be my next door neighbor and we'd be besties (don't tell Jason Statham, I don't want them to fight, unless it's on camera with their shirts off so my wife will go see that movie too).  Seriously though, Stephen Amell is awesome with his fans.

For other inspiration, not related to working out, I love John Barrowman, Nathan Fillion, Jason Bateman, Jenna Elfman, Tony Horton, Wil Wheaton, Ellen, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and Lou Diamond Phillips.  There are many others that I could include, but I'm going to cut this list off there.  They are all superb with their fans and all (including Stephen Amell and Jason Statham) seem like really great (down-to-Earth) people.  Those are the people you would know that inspire me.  There are many friends of mine that inspire me daily.

So now that I've revealed most of my bromances (and giggle my Jenna Elfman and Ellen crush - Hi Jenna, I <3 you); let's get to what I'm changing.

I've cut out nearly all "normal" cardio.  I will not be running, occasionally walking, but always skating (or hockey) or on the slideboard.  I enjoy these activities and while it seems like you don't get a big workout out of skating (blading) - it's not much different than walking when you're casually skating - and when you're going longer distances and times you definitely get a runner like workout - and I should mention it's fun.  Not to disparage anyone who likes running, but I do not.

Next, I've changed my workout.  I hate you Tony Horton (not really, I think you're probably a very nice guy).  P90X3 is on my list of todos, but not at the moment.  I find that the thought of doing something for 30 minutes straight is rough.  Not the actual exercise, but I am still working on shifting my thoughts to looking forward to it again - once that happens p90X3 will be back on the table.  So what am I doing instead?  Calisthenics.  When I have 5 mins here or there or am waiting on a call, I can jump up and do a bunch of pullups (ok right now I can't do any pullups), pushups, situps, jumping jacks, squats, lunges, whatever.  I work < 10' from everything I need to workout.  Back to Jason Statham style workouts using my own body weight.  I can do bench dips on a chair, or incline pushups, or do pulluplikethings on my pullup bar.  I have weights if I want to use them with squats or lunges.  Why not?  Here's a site that inspires me.  http://www.calisthenic-movement.com/english-version/

So now to my current goal - one pullup.  "What's that you say?  You can't do one pullup?"  No, I cannot.  I weigh 285+ pounds, I cannot pullup that weight.  I can do pushups (where Im pushing about 200 pounds).  I can do bar pulls where I'm at an angle and pull myself to the bar.  I can do bench dips.  I cannot do a pullup.  As a matter of fact, I can't even lift myself off of the ground on a pullup bar.  What I currently do is jump up above the bar and slowly lower myself down.  That's as close to a pullup as I can do.

Be nice to people.  Find what works for you.  Find your motivation.  Do it, even if it's not a lot.  Remember, I can't do one single pullup right now.  Finally, be an inspiration to someone else.  If they're struggling, help them up.

Blading

I've had the skates for about 2 or 3 weeks now. I've bladed probably 5 times, maybe 6.  That seems like a low number to me.  I've exercised on the slideboard at least 4x weekly since finishing it.

I've found one park for skating that has relatively flat surfaces and in the .46 mi trail everyone can see me and I can see everyone.

I would like to blade in a bigger area (church parking lot, or abandoned subdivision) - ill make some calls tomorrow to see what I can make happen.

Mostly I need to shift my thought processes back to just stopping work on time for a midday workout.  The hardest part is being stressed out and knowing you'll be better after the workout but being stressed enough that you feel like taking a break will mean you won't finish the work on time.  The truth is, if you took the time to get away you'd probably finish everything faster as your head would be clear.