More stats

Just for the record...

My clothing size is between 26 and 28 (depending on style). Although my size 28 work slacks are already loose.

First "before" pics

I'm back from out of town. I didn't get to do any formal workouts, but I did get plenty of exercise last night on the dance floor! My food was pretty much under control, except for indulging in two cocktails last night and one pierogi with breakfast this morning.

I am heading to the gym for a cardio workout (on the treadmill I think). But before I go I need to post some pictures. I know how inspired I get reading other people's weight loss stories...but it really makes an impact when there are pictures. And since I was brave enough to tell you that I have 59" hips, I figured posting the visual evidence is no big deal.

So here are what I'll call my "before" pictures. They were taken at a bowling tournament last month. I weighed between 315 and 320:
My all-time high weight was 330 about ten years ago.

More photos to come...I promise!

Hurts so good

I didn't make it to the gym last night. I was cleaning my apartment because it really, really needed it. Tonight I had my third personal training session at the gym.

We worked mostly on my upper body...using lots of machines that I found myself grunting at to make 20 reps. It was like I was not going to let those machines beat me! (As if they care.) My trainer is very encouraging, and he watches my heart rate closely (I wear a heart rate monitor during every workout). I was sore after Tuesday's workout, but not too bad. And I know I'll be sore tomorrow.

But I am very much liking the feeling of getting stronger and more flexible.

There's this cool thing at the gym we refer to as the cage. It's almost just like it sounds, but the purpose of it is to support you as you stretch. There is nothing that feels so good than to gently stretch those muscles after a workout. Well, I suppose a deep tissue massage would feel good, but I haven't had one of those (yet).

There is something different about this latest attempt of mine to get fit. I did a round of personal training at another gym about six years ago, and I didn't enjoy it at all. Maybe it's different this time because I'm also watching what I eat (more on that later). Or maybe it is because I'm not afraid I'm going to die because my trainer is taking good care of me. Or maybe I am just at a place and time that is right for this.

Whatever it is, it feels great!

I'm going out of town for the weekend...and I'm taking my exercise gear. I'll report back Sunday night.

This might be a record

I'm pretty sure I have never in my lifetime worked out four days in a row. And I'm scheduled to do two more nights before my weekend out of town.

The really weird thing is, I am ENJOYING it!

Stats - June 19, 2008

During my first visit with the gym's personal trainer last week, he took my baseline measurements so we can track my progress each month.

I know this might sound like a cop-out, but his scale was wrong. Seriously. I was surprised that the number was about six pounds lower than I expected, having weighed myself at home in the morning. They have those doctor's balance-beam scales, but you have to make sure they are in balance before you step on them, and I didn't notice if it was. So I weighed myself on the scale in the locker room and that seemed more accurate. So I'm going to use that number as my official starting weight.

So here goes. My official beginning stats:

Weight: 306
Body Fat: 49.6%
Body Mass Index: 44.3%
Upper Arm: 15"
Thigh: 24-1/4"
Waist: 53"
Hips: 59"
Chest: 54"

The numbers game

Many dieters are emotionally attached to their scales. It is their scale that tells them how they should feel about themselves that week, or that day, or (in very extreme cases) that hour. We who have battled our weight most of our lives still don't get how some days we can be "good" with our food and the scale says we have gained. Then some days after being "bad" the scale says we have actually lost weight.

Body weight is affected by multiple factors...fat gain/loss, muscle mass, water retention, hormones...there is a heck of a lot of stuff going on in our bodies every day that we don't (and wouldn't want to) see! When trying to lose weight, to me it's the trend that counts.

At work we measure all sorts of things to be sure we are delivering our product or service to the customer as quickly and accurately as possible. We plan strategy around these numbers. But we don't change our strategy every day based on what happened the day before. We watch the trends, because we know that multiple factors (most being temporary) affect the numbers.

For example, if your team's productivity target is 10 widgets per person per day, the actual productivity might be 12 one day and 9 the next. You stick to your strategy until the trend starts going down and staying down. Then you look at the cause and adjust accordingly to address the cause and bring productivity back up.

Losing weight is hard enough in itself. Over the years (decades), I have made it a mental and emotional nightmare in several ways, including letting the scale be my guide. This time, while I will continue to weigh myself every day, it will only become part of my "permanent record" here once a week. And the other measurements that they take at the gym will be posted once a month.

Welcome

Hi there, and welcome to my new blog! This one is all about my efforts to lose weight, get fit and live a healthy life.

Whenever I've made a serious attempt to lose weight, I've tried to keep a journal. As much as I like to write, I've never been very successful journaling for long. It's kinda boring, and I sometimes write things that I wouldn't want anyone to find and read someday. But I've always enjoyed reading other people's weight loss stories, especially when there are pictures. So why not just put it all out there for the world to read anyway?

Obligatory Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, I don't play one on TV, and I am certainly no expert on exercise or nutrition. The purpose of this blog is not to give advice. To be honest, the primary reason I am doing this is to make it public, so other people know what I'm doing. Knowing that you are out there reading this will motivate me to keep going. I hope you'll give me support and encouragement.

I am developing a list of 50 things I want to do (or be) by the time I am 50 (in two years, two months and eight days). The first thing on that list will be "I will be fit and healthy".

I'm on my way!