Four months ago I ended 60 days of juicing and felt fantastic. I vowed not to go back to the 280s. Three months ago I took a trip with my wife to Memphis. I had a sip of my first Coke in 90 days and I hated it. While there, I had a Dr Pepper, it was ok. When we returned from Memphis I still wasn't drinking any soda regularly (the two or so in Memphis was it), but I was eating out more. Not bad, I went from not eating out at all to eating out 3 meals a week and went from 260 to 265 or so, but stayed steady at that weight. About a month ago, I had gone up to 272-276. Most of this was bad diet and just crap in my intestines. I still feel like someone at 260 which is a great thing. My weight went from 272 average to 279 in the last three weeks when I went from not drinking any soda to drinking Dr Pepper exclusively. When I get stressed out this is what happens. I know it, but I didn't prevent it. I did well to avoid it for 3 months.
Because of my "downward spiral" I decided to look back at the last 3 years of workouts and breaks between. Almost all of my workouts go 60 days then 90-120 days off. I don't know why that is. I know that each time I get stressed I quit working out and quit eating right. In this case, I stopped working out and eating healthy for the first month I just didn't workout. The second month I didn't workout and I didn't eat better. The reason for the first month was just the exhaustion of 60days of workouts and juice. The 2nd month was just depression and lack of interest in continuing, but motivated by not wanting to get bigger again. The 3rd month I just maintained and was still depressed. This last month was a ton of stress.
After looking at my workouts I've realized how it is that after 60 days I don't want to workout anymore. After reviewing the workouts they start manageable then get ambitious. When the workouts start off they're 30 minutes or less and easy enough to take time away from my day without feeling like I'm not going to be too stressed about not being at work. I don't take lunches b/c I'm afraid that I'll not complete something and someone will be upset when in reality I need to take more breaks to get more done. The paradoxical effect of working more with less breaks gets less done.
What I've learned is that I need to plan my workouts so they're not early in the morning, but best about 7am for walking or biking. My best weight workouts are at lunch time. Any other times I don't make the time. I have way too much going on of my own design and I don't make time for myself. If you read other blog entries you'll read this about me a lot. I get stressed out and focus on other stuff that is what I really need to be taking a break from. So the real goal *should* be to put together a sustainable workout and meal plan; one that I won't be giving up in 60 days, but will continue over the next year to accomplish my other goals.
So, with this round of workouts the goal is to drop the weight and size like before but as a terciary goal. My primary goal is still going to be to do a pullup and I have a plan again. My 2ndary goal is going to be to not stop working out after 60 days.
Here are some images from My Fitness Pal showing trends over the last 6 months.
