Week Six – Gaining Perspective

I have bad news and good news: The bad news is that I gained some weight this week. The good news is I know what I did wrong so I can correct my mistakes…

While attending an Astros game Tuesday night I had a realization. Life is going to throw us curve balls, but what makes us different than professional athletics is how we react. When life throws me a curve ball I instantly turn to excuses. For instance, "there’s a fire at my building", I can’t go to Boot Camp or "I have out of town guests to entertain", I can’t stay on my diet. This mentality is what got me to be so overweight in the first place and I can’t believe it’s taken me six weeks to realize that I need to stop making excuses!

The truth is, if a person really wants something bad enough they have two choices: (a) they will find a way or (b) they will find excuses. For now on, I will work hard in finding a way, after all this is suppose to be the best weigh…

In the spirit of no more excuses, here’s what I did the past week with no excuses explanation:

07/24 Boot Camp for an hour; 1116 calories burned
07/26 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
07/28 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
07/28 Core class with Justin for 15 minutes; 209 calories burned
07/30 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
07/30 Core class with Justin for 15 minutes; 209 calories burned

I know its not going to be easy but I am going to really try to approach life’s curve balls differently because when I lose control - I gain weight; and who knows, maybe next week I can hit one out of the park like Carlos Lee…

Week Five – Back Talking

I lost another 5 pounds this week! Yep, that’s 26 pounds in 5 weeks for those of you keeping score…

Even though I am proud of how much I have lost this week and over the past five weeks, I know I could do better. Looking back, I think this fifth week has been the most challenging.

My week started off great. On Friday, I met some friends at Hermann Park and played a round of golf – well sort of, we stopped half way through the back nine. It’s been a long time since I’ve played and it showed! Although I wasn’t up to par (pun intended) I still had a great time. I even lost a bunch of calories too, 967 to be exact. Perhaps next time I play I will not rent a cart and just walk cause I found out I could have burned an additional 500 calories if I had done so. After all I am doing this Fore fitness (ok I’m done with those, promise!)

It seems I’m not the only one with reasons to celebrate recently. This past week I had my nephew’s birthday, my friend’s birthday, my brother’s birthday and a friend’s wedding. Let me just say, that’s a lot of cake to hold back from.

Although I did well eating wise, I ended up drinking two nights this week instead of my scheduled one. I know it’s easy to fall back into old habits so I really need to watch when and how much I drink, regardless if it’s a special occasion or not…

On Saturday I met some friends for lunch at their place to catch up and to check out their new pool. I told them all about my 28-week plan and they told me about a dietician they see who is really good at explaining nutrition. I’m not too proud to say, I am nutrition illiterate! For instance, I will skip dinner if I know I will be drinking that night or I’ve even skipped meals cause I figured the fewer calories I’m consuming, the better. I guess my mindset is I shouldn’t eat if I’m not hungry but apparently that is the wrong approach to have when it comes to dieting (go figure!) I’ve never been one to turn down assistance so I am scheduling an appointment and hopefully this sustenance-guru can get me straightened out and back to basics!

Speaking of back, I pulled something in my back Monday night during Justin’s abs class after Zumba. We were doing an exercise where we lay on our back with our legs in the air and we push our legs up so our butts come off the floor. I think the exercise is called “Heels to the Heaven”. All I know is I felt like I was in Hell while doing them and later that night I was praying for the pain to go away so I could sleep. I don’t know if I did the exercise wrong or perhaps I shouldn’t be doing back-to-back abs sessions or perhaps they should just rename that exercise the backbreaker – all I know is that exercise was the straw that broke the camel’s my back!

Since I didn’t get much sleep I ended up skipping my Tuesday morning Boot Camp. I couldn’t fathom running back and forth down the street or up and down the stairs when all I did was toss and turn in bed all night.

By Tuesday night my back and my spirit had bounced back and I made up for my missed Boot Camp class by doing an exercise video. Although it’s called the 4-mile super challenge, it’s definitely not as challenging as Boot Camp but I figured it was better than nothing.

I was back in the saddle by Wednesday night and finished Jerry’s Zumba and Justin’s abs classes without incident. I even made a point to go to bed early because I was nervous about Boot Camp this morning. Not that I was afraid Melissa would pay me back somehow for missing Tuesday (although I heard I don’t want to be late to class cause her paybacks are hell) I think I was just worried cause it had been a whole week since I last worked out like that. Well I wasn’t going to let fear hold me back so not only did I show up this morning, I was the first one there again…

I know I keep saying this, but I think this Boot Camp was harder than last time! Screw that old adage that ‘it gets easier over time’ – as far as Boot Camp, it keeps getting harder for me.

Since it was raining we didn’t have to run outside but after a few minutes of drills, I wished we were. Calisthenics are really hard for me – maybe it’s because I don’t have much upper body strength or maybe because we are doing exercises I haven’t done since seventh grade. Since Melissa knew I hurt my back Monday she was really watching me today. Several times she caught me with bad form and had me straighten up my back. One thing I like is that when I can’t do an exercise perfectly she modifies it somehow so that I can it in a way that is a little easier but still very beneficial.

Throughout class not only is Melissa really encouraging but we all try to support each other as well. It’s always nice to get a pat on the back, even if your back is sore! Here’s how I did this week:

07/17 Boot Camp for an hour; 1116 calories burned
07/18 Golfing for 2 hours; 967 calories burned
07/19 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
07/21 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
07/21 Core class with Justin for 15 minutes; 209 calories burned
07/22 4 Mile Super Challenge Video; 558 calories burned
07/23 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
07/23 Core class with Justin for 15 minutes; 209 calories burned

Everyone keeps encouraging to “stick with it” and I can honestly say I am trying my hardest to be as consistent as possible regardless of what obstacles (and sometimes objects) are thrown at me. Its kind of funny to think about but the more consistent I become the more changes I see - - and there’s no way I would ever turn back now!

Week Four – Pièce de Résistance

In the past month I have lost 21 pounds, worked out a little over 25 hours and have burned almost 21,000 calories! Although it hasn’t been easy, I have easily doubled my expectations as far as how much weight I had hoped to lose for my first month.

When I started this 28-week program four weeks ago I had hoped to be at minus ten pounds my first month, so obviously losing 21 pounds is more than I could have hoped for. Surprisingly, doing so well this first month only makes me want to work even harder for next month. One task I think will really help me this next month is to really work on resisting temptations as far as eating and drinking.

Speaking of resisting, I am now doing a resistance training Boot Camp two days a week. The classes are held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 5am. On the way to the gym Tuesday morning I had a funny epiphany when I passed a nightclub with their lights still on and it hit me how nuts it is that I was up, driving through midtown at 4am on my way to go workout, not on my way home.

Those who know me know I’m more of the guy who would go to bed at 4am even if I had to work the next morning, not the guy who would get up at 4am to go workout...

For me, the hardest part about getting up so early is going to bed early. Let me just say, there’s something very humbling about going to bed when the sun has not completely set, but trust me I was thankful for my night’s rest about five minutes into my first Boot Camp.

My first class was definitely a lot more challenging than I thought it was going to be. Although there was no drill sergeant with a whistle, the class was definitely serious business. What really made my first class challenging is I did not know what to expect. For instance when we were told to run to the end of the street and back, I assumed after we completed that we would move on to something else – to my surprise that was not the case. Had I known we would be running back and forth ten times, I definitely would have done my first lap a lot slower! Basically my first class consisted of a short cardio warm up, running up and down stairs three times, jogging outside followed by squats and lunges and then we moved inside for circuit weight training on the machines. In between each of the five weight stations we had to do more stairs – let me just say, stairs are not my friend!

Monday and Wednesday after Zumba I’ve started taking an abs class taught by a new personal trainer at the gym named Justin. I’ve talked with him a couple times and am thinking about using him for some one-on-one sessions.

This morning was my second attempt at Boot Camp and sadly, getting out of bed this morning was definitely the easiest part of my morning. Boot Camp kicked by butt today! We started with cardio again, then stairs, then outside for some more running, then back in for weights, however this time not only did we have to do more stairs in between sets, we also had to do twenty pushups too. My first class I learned stairs are not my friend and today I am officially marking push-ups off my allies list as well!

I really tried to workout as much as possible this past week; I guess you can say I was resisting a rest! (sorry, couldn’t resist) Here’s what I did:

07/11 4 Mile Super Challenge Video; 558 calories burned
07/12 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
07/13 Yard work for an hour and 30 minutes; 1152 calories burned
07/14 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
07/14 Core class with Justin for 15 minutes; 209 calories burned
07/15 Boot Camp for an hour; 1116 calories burned
07/16 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
07/16 Core class with Justin for 15 minutes; 209 calories burned

Oh one new development this week: I got my first weight loss compliment! Sure my family and friends have been encouraging and supportive but there’s something about getting complimented from people who are not related to you…

After Zumba Wednesday night one of the instructors said I was “shrinking” and that “they’ve all noticed”. It really made my night cause I was extremely sore from boot camp and contemplated not going but even though I could barely raise my arms – I did it anyways. Truth be told, after the first 5 minutes or so, I forgot all about my soreness. It’s really funny how the smallest smile, thumbs up or nod of the head in a “you're-doing-good-kind-of-way” from my instructors can really give me the push I need to pull through.

Not only am I trying to always pull through I am really trying to follow through. Like they say, "Nothing in life worth having comes without some kind of fight.” I think this quote rings true in my life. Nothing worth having is easy. The problem is my natural tendency is to take the easy road. I don't know why but I always try to take the path of least resistance.

The problem with the path of least resistance is that it leads nowhere. It’s for people who want the fruits of labor without having to do the labor itself. People who want the rewards with out the challenges, the victory without the fight, the good times without the sacrifice.

I am proud to say I have veered away from that Path on this journey; not only am I putting in the efforts, I am reaping the rewards!

Week Three - I Deserve To Lose

I never thought I would be happy to only lose one pound, but after the week (or more accurately) the weekend I had, I’m ecstatic!

For some reason this past holiday weekend I let my diet go on holiday as well. I knew going into the Fourth that I would be eating and drinking things I shouldn’t, however I did not plan on doing that on the fifth and sixth as well. I don’t know what got in me, well figuratively cause I know what I put in my mouth: breakfast tacos, hot dogs, beer, chocolate, barbeque, free dumb fries - I think you get the idea, I was out of control…

Thankfully Monday I was back on track and on the wagon. In an attempt to undo my weekend gluttony, I was very critical about what I ate and tried to exercise as much as I could – even if it meant back-to-back sessions.

Although I didn’t do the Pilates in the Park on Tuesday night like I hoped, I am happy to report that I did do my first Zumba in the Park last night. I wasn’t planning on doing Zumba in the Park but after I got to my normal Zumba class almost 30 minutes late (freeway shut down – long story) I figured I better exercise some more. On a side note: I am really proud of myself for showing up to my first Zumba class. I was extremely frustrated from being stuck in traffic for almost 45 minutes that I really wanted to just say fuck it and go home, but I didn’t. Three weeks ago I would have, but not now. The funny thing is I didn’t even realize what a huge coo it was for me until I went up to Jerry after class to apologize for coming in late and he said, “at least you showed up – a lot of people wouldn’t have even come”.

Anyways, after my little personal breakthrough I decided to check out the Discovery Green class. It starts at 7pm so although I was a few minutes late I still was able to get in a great workout.

Even though they are both Zumba classes, there were lots of differences between the two, well besides the obvious ones of indoor versus outdoor, 75 degrees versus 95 degrees, etc. The instructor at the park class concentrates on the upper body a lot more than Jerry, which is good because I need to work on my arms and chest however I could barely raise my arms this morning in the shower!

After my double Zumba classes I was exhausted but I went ahead and went to the park. I don’t know if it was being outside at Zumba or the idea of gaining weight that convinced me but I ended up doing three miles at the park. I’ve been trying to walk at the park as much as possible this past week. Partially cause I needed to burn extra calories this week to offset my binge and also because I want to start preparing for the Susan G Komen breast cancer walk later this year.

Losing Zumba classes Friday and Saturday because of Independence Day really made it hard to reach my goal of 5,000+ calories. Here’s how I did this week:

07/03 Swimming for 30 minutes; 558 calories burned
07/07 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
07/07 Walked park for an hour; 488 calories burned
07/09 Zumba class for 30 minutes; 419 calories burned
07/09 Zumba in the park for 45 minutes; 629 calories burned
07/09 Walked park for an hour; 488 calories burned

Although I lost control for a couple days this week, I still lost, and that’s the most important thing – well that and showing up! So even though I only lost a pound, it turned out to be a win-win situation and like they say: you win some, you lose some. Lets just hope I lose more than a pound next week….

Week Two – Hard Core

I cannot believe in just two weeks I’ve lost a little over 17 pounds!

Two weeks ago if someone said the word ‘core’ to me I would have instantly thought about an apple core, my close group of friends or perhaps Weight Watcher’s core plan.

Well as of this week, core equals abs. For the first time in my life, my stomach has been sore from exercising. And I’m not talking for a little tender, I mean hurting all day long sore. Last Friday I thought I might have food poisoning until my friend straightened me out.

She’s not the only one straightening me out; my Zumba instructor is constantly on us (well me in particular) about good form. At first I was really embarrassed by him coming over to me saying straighten up your back, reach straight up next time, etc. I guess it was just my fat-kid-in-gym-class mentality. But now, I really appreciate him making sure I am doing it right – and not only that, I am very conscious about making sure I am doing them correctly now too. I guess you can say I’m learning new core values.

After Zumba we do a 15-minute core class consisting of standard crunches, knee crunches, oblique crunches, hip lifts, planks and a whole bunch of other stuff that I don’t know their proper names. Well the past couple classes I have been really concentrating on my form – I figured it’s ok to do fewer reps as long as I am doing them correctly. After all, I’ve always been a believer in quality over quantity.

Well earlier this week we did a brief yoga-esque routine with lots of stretching after our core exercises that was really relaxing. When I told a friend about it she said it sounds a lot like Pilates. I’ve decided since they are canceling my Tuesday night Zumba class I will try Pilates in the Park next week, you know now that I’m all hard-core with my core.

Another reason I want to add a Pilate’s class is because I am loosing calories in more ways than one. The thing about loosing 13 pounds last week is that I am burning fewer calories doing the same activities this week, not that I am complaining! For instance, an hour-long Zumba class last week burned about 887 calories, and at my new weight I burn 852. Not a huge difference, but remember I need to burn over a quarter-of-a-million calories! Thankfully I was able to burn over 5,000 calories this week; 5,770 to be exact! I pray that an hour of Pilates will be equivalent to an hour of Zumba. Here’s what I did this week:

06/26 Treadmill for 40 minutes; 394 calories burned
06/27 Zumba class for an hour; 852 calories burned
06/27 Tennis for an hour; 992 calories burned
06/28 Zumba class for an hour; 852 calories burned
06/30 Zumba class for an hour; 852 calories burned
07/01 Zumba class for an hour; 852 calories burned
07/02 Yard work for an hour and 15 minutes; 976 calories burned

Burning calories is not the only reason I am loosing weight, although I must say it helps me stay on track. I am still very conscious of what I consume. There’s just no way I am going to eat crappy after I just worked out for an hour.

It’s pretty obvious that my core problem with food is that I over eat. One thing I am noticing these past two weeks is exactly how much I use to put away. It was so ridiculous. A couple weeks ago if I were grabbing a quick lunch at McDonalds I would not only order a value meal but an extra six-piece nuggets or a dessert to go along with it and somehow I would rationalize it as being ok cause the nuggets don’t have sugars and I did order a diet coke...

It wasn’t just when I went to fast food places that I would over-order and over-eat; I would do it at regular restaurants too. My biggest weakness is hands down appetizers. Whether it was chips and queso, fried cheese, bread baskets, waffle fries with blue-cheese dressing, yeah I don’t even like blue cheese but I would order them – damn you Barnaby’s! Seriously, appetizers, starters, hor’dourves, amuse bouche – whatever you call them, I would order them – and the funny thing is, I still can. However, I stop there. There’s no reason I need to have an appetizer, entrée and dessert every meal. Last Saturday I went out with friends to a new wine bar and I knew I would be consuming extra calories with champagne so I decided to just order the crab cake appetizer and I was completely fine. Granted I wish I didn’t have those couple extra drinks later in the night but hey, no one’s perfect.

One thing I am really proud of is I knew I would be drinking Saturday night so I did some research on what to drink beforehand: primarily, which has fewer calories, champagne or vodka tonic? It turns out champagne by a double long shot; champagne has about 85 calories and a vodka tonic has about 170.

All I can say is cheers to being hard-core when it comes to dieting and exercising (self control).