Weekly Update

Weight: 187.1 lbs

Well, I failed at all of my goals this week.  I didn't work out at all, do yoga, or eat six times a day.  I did meditate a couple of times in the morning, but nothing regular. However, even though I didn't meet any of my goals I did loose 2 lbs. I have also decided to go ahead with the gym membership, as it seems to have the best options for me to train.

I am going to set the same goals this week as last week, so I can get in this habit.  Although I'd like to see lots of results toward my weight loss goals, I am more concerned with getting in healthy habits right now...

Goals:  Drop 2 lbs, Work out 5 days, Yoga/Meditate 6 days, Eat 6 times a day (smaller portions)

7 Months Later...

I have had some successes and some ultimate failure in the last 7 months since I wrote last.  The failure being I've gained all of my weight back, plus some.  According to the Wii Fit (I know not the most accurate, but it's what I have right now) I am at 189.3 and back to "obese" BMI status.  I hate the way I look, and feel like I'm constantly sick with something. Successes I've had...I've completed 2 RAGNAR's (approx 200 mile relay race, 12 runners, over 2 days).  I felt great after this last one (2 days ago) and am itching to keep running and working out.

Here are the challenges I'm facing:  Working full time, spouse works 2 jobs, 2 kids, and it's quickly becoming winter (= COLD and crappy inversion).  Where will I find the time and motivation to workout?

Possible Solutions: Run/workout in the early morning, run/workout in the late evening (after 8 pm), get a gym membership to avoid the cold, suck it up and just dress warmly

Of these options, I would really like to have a gym membership again.  I like having access to the weights and pool to swim. I also like stretching in the sauna, and the health benefits that gives me. Hmm....decisions, decisions. I'll keep you posted on these...

Moving on to Goals: 1. Lose 60 lbs (Weigh 130-135)by my 30th birthday (Sept 2014) , 2. Get in the habit of exercising every day (easy days 1-2 days a week for better recovery), 3. Run a 1/2 marathon in April/May, 4. Get my running time down under 10 min in the next year, 5. Eat mostly fruits and veggies (less processed food), 6. Eat out no more than once a week, 7. Track my progress through blogging, pictures, and measurements, 8. Yoga and meditation at least once a day (probably before bed) to reduce stress, 9. Eat 5-6 times a day in smaller portions, 10. Be happy and love myself. 11. Read 1 fitness/diet/motivation/non-fiction book a month for the mind. (Starting with finishing You: The Owner's Manual)

I know this is a lot of goals, but I think they all kind of go together.  If I'm going to really change my lifestyle to be a healthier one, I need to start from the inside.  I need to keep myself motivated, and not look to others to motivate me.  I need to feel good about myself and my accomplishments, for example I feel amazing after RAGNAR Vegas and want to keep it up. I need to have a goal and stick with it.  I hope the photo documentation will help me keep up my motivation, becuase I can actually see the changes happening in my body.  Although I don't know that anyone will read this, I think sharing my journey will keep me motivated, even if it doesn't motivate anyone else.

I realize these are a couple of weeks old, but I think they're still pretty close to what I am now.
Starting (again) pics: 10.27.13

Starting Measurements: 10.27.13

Weight: 189.3lbs

Chest: 39"

Waist: 40.5"

Hips: 42.625"

Butt: 47"

R Thigh (Top/Mid): 28.25"/26.875"

LThigh (Top/Mid): 28.5"/24.25"

R Calf: 15.625"

L Calf: 15.625"

R Arm: 14"

L Arm: 14.25"

Week 1 Goals (mini goals): Drop 2 lbs, Work out 5 days (T-S), Yoga/Meditate 6 days, Eat 6 times a day (smaller portions)

Post Fast

Weight: 169.3lbs (total loss: 10.2 lbs)
Measurements are all down between .25" and .5", with the exception of my waist which is down 4"!

Back to food today, and I feel ok. Also ran 2 miles. My pace was slower than usual, which could be because I was running in the dark without a good flashlight. I feel good to be out running again though. I was leery to run during my fast because of the headaches I've experienced in the past with no exercise. I also took about an hour walk yesterday. Unfortunately I forgot my phone and so didn't get a distance for it. I felt I was walking a quick pace though and uphill too.

Overall, I feel the at was a success and plan to eat healthier (and smaller) amounts of food now. With running I'll need to keep my calories up a bit, but with more plant based foods in my diet I hope the weight loss will continue.

Juice Fast Day 4

Yesterday: 174.5 lbs (total loss of: 4.8 lbs)
Today: 172.5 lbs (total loss of: 6.8 lbs)

Yesterday was a good day. Biggest down side was my energy dropped off about 3. I did have a minor headache off and on.

Today was great. I had a few more food cravings than I've had the other days, but I just had some juice or water and bye bye craving. Today marks the down hill of this fast. Only 3 more days to go. I'm excited it's been going so well. In the past I have suffered terrible headaches and hunger. This time around I've had a few mild headaches, but with water, juice, or sleep they have gone away. No headaches today I'm happy to report.

Juice Fast Day 2

Weight: 176.2 lbs (loss of 3.3 lbs)

I was shocked this morning when I weighed myself and found I had lost 3.3 lbs in one day!  I know most of this is water weight, but it's still exciting to see such a rapid loss.

Today was a great day.  I had tons of energy this morning, but I think I pushed it a little to much and was pretty drained this afternoon.  I took about an hour nap, and woke up feeling very refreshed.  I tried recipes from www.rebootwithjoe.com.  If you haven't seen the movie Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead with Joe Cross, I recommend it.  It's hard to believe the great change a juice fast can have on your life.  I'm testing the theory now.  I have done several juice fasts before, but only 2 days here or 3 days there, never for a full week as I'm doing now. The last few I have done I used Odwalla brand juice instead of making my own.  I find making my own much more satisfying, and have enjoyed this so far.

For the negatives, I have had a minor headache off and on today, but some juice or some water have quickly dispelled it.  I also noticed I haven't had the dreaded bowel movement (bm from here on out) that I've read about. I decided this morning to add a salt water cleanse to my fast.  To do the cleanse you add 2 tsp of salt (preferably sea salt or other natural salt) to 4 cups of water, heat on the stove to a warm temperature, then drink the salt water in about 5 min.  Because the water is close to body temperature when it goes in little to none of it is absorbed letting it flush out the intestines.  With the addition of the salt water cleanse I spent my morning in the bathroom.  I did the cleanse before my first juice of the day, and felt energized by it.  I have noticed my thirst (for water) has increased throughout the day, and this could be from the cleanse.  It could also be my body's way of saying, "Hey trying to clean out toxins here, a little water would be helpful."  Time will tell.

I am also proud to report that although I have made 2 meals today for the family, I have not had cravings for food!  YAY!  I'm sure, however, by Saturday's BBQ that may not be the case.  That is my last day, so I know it will probably be the hardest in resisting food.  I'll keep you posted.

Juice Fast Day 1

I have decided to start a 7 day fast today. I am hoping to cleanse my body and retrain my cravings to be healthier foods. I already crave more fruits and veggies now that I'm exercising more, but still crave sweets and such. I'm hoping to curb this craving. Today for my last juice, I had a full fruit juice which was kind of like dessert for me. I loved it. (2 apples and 1 orange).

My beginning stats are as follows:
Weight: 179.5 lbs
Chest: 38.75"
Waist: 36.75"
Hips: 42.75"
Butt: 45.5"
Thighs: 28" (top) 25" (mid)
Arms: 15"

Today I have felt very good. I had a slight headache this afternoon, but think that is due to lack of water. I realized about 2pm I hadn't had any water since early this morning. Once I got some water in me the headache dissipated.

Update on Me

Not much to report this week...

Weight: 178 lb. (no change)

I decided to only do measurements every 2 weeks, so that will be done this weekend and updated.

I have had tons of cravings this week for chocolate and sweets. I have indulged these cravings, but have tried to keep the amounts small and only one time per day.  We'll see how much it has effected me when I weigh in on Saturday.

Still planning on doing a juice fast at the end of March, and am working on upping my training for RAGNAR.  I finally have an assigned runner position, and the first of my legs is the hardest.  It's a 7.7 mile run with a hill approximately the last .7 miles.  My goal by race time is to be running at least 10 miles, get down to a 10 min/mile pace, and to be able to run 2 miles of hills.  I will also be training specifically for that first leg by running several 7 mile runs followed by 1-2 miles of hills, with the hopes of being able to keep my pace up the hills even after running so much distance. I'll keep you posted on my training as well.

YTOM: Chapter 4

Motion Control: Your Bones, Joints, and Muscles

Skeletal System = Framework of your body.  It protects the internal organs and gives your body it's general shape.  Together with your muscles and joints it creates all of the movements our body has.  Although exercise is important to our bodies, to much exercise can breakdown our bones, joints and muscles.

The Anatomy
Bones, joints, and muscles are all very different physically, but without each other they could not function.
Bones:  4 main jobs - suit of armor for vital organs, store minerals (calcium & magnesium), lever arms needed for movement, produces blood cells and stem cells.  It's the only part of the body that completely regenerates, and is the second hardest substance in your body.  Even though they are the second hardest material, they're not solid, but more like honeycomb.

Bone problems: Osteoporosis - bones have thinned and weakened to the point where they can break easily, mostly affects people over 65.

Joints:  Link 1 bone to another, made up of ligaments and cartilage, and are well lubed to keep movement smooth.  Several different types, for different types of movement (knee, shoulder & hip)

Joint problems: Osteoarthritis - joint irritation due to loss of cartilage

Muscles:  650 in the body which give us the strength to do everything.  Muscles attach to ligaments and cause movement by contracting and relaxing, which pulls on the levers arms (bones) and moves the joints.

Muscle Problems: Back Pain - lower back muscles support a lot of your body weight and can be strained if they're not as strong as they should be.  This can be prevented by doing core (abdomen and pelvis)  exercises.

The Action Plan
1. Do the right amount - and all 3 kinds - of physical activity: because we all have different physiology we all need different amounts of the 3 kinds of exercise which are: resistance training (weights), stamina training (cardio), flexibility training (yoga/stretching).
2. Eat for Strength: calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin C
3. Think of an Alternative:  don't discount alternative medicinal methods such as bromelain and acupuncture
4. Make Minor Changes:  stand up straight/better posture, wear well-cushioned shoes, go skim (milk), and stop smoking

I feel the advice in this chapter for bettering your health is much more applicable.  The main part of the action plan is focused around exercising smarter (not harder) and eating better.  It also gives great information about the 3 types or exercise you need to get the most from your health.  This chapter also talks about easing into any changes you're going to make to your lifestyle.  I think this is a smart way to increase your chances of sticking with an exercise & diet plan.

YTOM: Chapter 3

Do You Mind: Your Brain and Nervous System

The brain is considered your anatomical fuse box because it controls everything your body does.  Unlike most people believe a decrease in brain function isn't the way it has to be.  The way we treat our body and brain has a lot to do with how our intellect ages as well.

The Anatomy
Brain:  The brain is split into 2 main functions: reptilian (movement & raw emotion) and executive (intellectual). 25% of the oxygen and sugar your body uses for nutrition is consumed by the brain.
    Skull:  protection of the brain
    Brain Stem: connected to spinal cord, responsible for involuntary functions (breathing, digestion...)
    Cerebellum: muscle coordination, reflexes, and balance
    Cerebrum: most of the brain function, human thought
    Left Hemisphere: concrete thought (speech, writing, language, & calculation)
    Right Hemisphere:  imaginative thought (spatial ability, music, & intuition)
    Frontal Lobes:  planning, personality, behavior, & emotion
    Parietal Lobe:  touching and moving limbs, speech and understanding speech where parietal and occipital lobes meet
    Occipital Lobes:  vision
    Temporal Lobes:  process sound and short-term memory
    Neurons: 100 billion, transmit information
    Neurotransmitters:  chemical messengers in the brain
    Thalamus:  "train station," makes actions smooth
    Limbic System:  series of pathways that help us recognize sensation and consider its meaning
Many of the parts of the brain overlap, and work together to create all of the functions our bodies perform.  The way we learn things when we're young has a huge effect on what neuron pathways become strong and which won't.

There are several things that can go wrong in our brains.  Artery-related diseases (strokes), memory-related disorders (Alzheimer's), chemical-associated disorders (addiction or depression), personality-related disorders (eccentricity or emotional disorders).

The Action Plan
1. Keep All Lanes Open:  take 2 baby asprin a day if you're over 40 to help keep your arteries from being inflamed and your blood from clotting
2. Exercise Your Brain:  Avoid living on autopilot by having the same routine every day, "test at your threshold" (do things that challenge your abilities - crosswords, Sudoku...-something you can't finish is even better than something you can)
3. Some Food for Thought:  Generally what's bad for your heart is also bad for your brain.  Avoid saturated fats, and increase omega-3 fatty acids.
4. Reduce Stress:  Reduce stress with friendships, exercise, meditation, and group affiliation. Everyday stresses are ok, but it's the big stresses in life that really age us.
5. Go Natural:  Leading vitamins and supplements that help elevate brain function: Folate, B6, B12, Coenzyme Q10, Alpha Lipoic Acid, L-Carnitine, Resveratrol (flavenoid), SAMe (amino acid)
6. Think Hawaii:  Use your imagination to help increase your cognitive function and keeps your brain active
7. See the Pros:  If you feel you have a personality disorder, there's no cure-all so see a professional for help.
8. Don Your Helmet:  Even minor trauma (a ding where you can't remember what happened clearly) can cause long-term memory problems.

Again, overall I like all the information given in the chapter.  I feel like I know more about how the brain functions and ways to help keep it healthy.  However, again they mention taking asprin, which I'd rather avoid.  I also think they should have spent a little time talking about the spinal cord and nerves throughout the body instead of only talking about the brain.

YTOM: Chapter 2

The Beat Goes On: Your Heart and Arteries

According to this chapter your heart is similar to the water main in your house.  It controls the water (blood) flow, so you have clean water to drink and wash away germs.  The blood in your body has a similar job to the water in your house, it provides nutrients and cleans out the germs and waste. In reference to our health, nothing is scarier than a stopped heart, because "If our heart stops working, so do we."

The Anatomy
Heart:  4 chambers (right and left atria - top 1/2, right and left ventricles - bottom 1/2), uses a top down pulse to push the blood into the aorta (main artery).  As the pulse relaxes the heart refills with blood, including the coronary arteries that feed the heart nutrients.
Valves:  "doorkeepers," their job is to keep the blood from flowing backward (for example from the ventricles back to the atria, or from the aorta back to the ventricles).  When the heart pulses the valves open, and when it relaxes they close, giving us the sound of a heartbeat.
Arteries:  3 layers intima, media, & adventitia.  The intima is the innermost layer.  It is nice and slippery for the blood to flow through.  The second layer, the media, is the support structure of the artery. This layer is muscular and contracts or relaxes to allow more or less blood flow.  The third layer is the adventitia and is like a casing, and holds the artery together. When the layers are nicked it leads to cholesterol clogs, which leads to clots by the platelets in the blood.  Clots can lead to inflammation and spasms, which further constrict the artery.
Electrical System:  Keeps the heart going because it has a constant blood supply.  If parts of the heart have died due to lack of blood the muscles start fighting each other, which is called fibrillation (all of the muscles moving in different rhythms instead of together). In order to get the muscles moving together again the system needs an electric shock.  This can be provided by an Automatic Internal Cardiac Defibrillator (AICD) which shocks the system for you, to achieve the regular rhythm.

The main disease discussed in this chapter is coronary artery disease, which is the leading cause of death in all developed countries. Coronary artery disease is caused by damaged arteries and ultimately slows you down by affecting how well all of your other organs function.

The Action Plan
1. Pump Your Heart: exercise to burn between 3,500 and 6,500 calories a week (general physical activities) and get in 60 minutes of stamina training (elevated heart rate for an extended period of time).  This can be broken into 3-20 minute workouts a week.
2. Know Your Numbers:  Blood Pressure (optimal 115/76), Blood Test (includes Cholesterol, Homocysteine, C-Reactive Protein, & Blood Sugar), and Physical Tests (Maximum Heart Rate and Recovery Time)
3. Get Mental & Develop Lifelong Friends:  Friends help you to fight negative emotions such as anger, hostility and depression.  They can also help you to de-stress.
4. Eat Your Heart Out: Food is a powerful too to keeping your body healthy.  YTOM recommends the following to keep your heart healthy: 1 handful of nuts a day, olive oil to raise your HDL (good cholesterol), 3 portions of fish a week (especially fatty fish like salmon, cod and bass), 331 milligrams of flavonoids a day, and limiting your saturated fats, trans fats, simple sugars, and white processed foods.
5. Don't Ignore the Relatives: Know your family history of heart disease and illness, so you know what you may have to combat.
6. Go on Da Pills:  1/2 a regular asprin a day, a multivitamin (containing: magnesium, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin E and potassium), folate (B vitamin)
7. Schedule Sleep:  7-8 solid hours per night for men and 6-7 solid hours for women has been shown as optimal. You need at least 2 hours in a row before your sleep becomes truly restorative.

So far, I feel this book has a lot of very good information.  My biggest problem with it is #6 in the action plan.  It recommends taking asprin every day. I am not an extremist, but I try to avoid taking any medication and let my body do its thing to heal itself. If I knew I ate what my body needed in terms of fruits and veggies, I would probably forgo the multivitamin too.  I like knowing what things can potentially help me feel better and potentially have a longer life, but part of why I'm working toward a healthier lifestyle is to prevent taking pills and the need for medication just to stay alive.  This doesn't make sense to me.  I'll keep reading and see if they convince me it's really a good idea to take asprin every day.

Update

Apparently I need to schedule time to blog if I'm going to really do this.  It's been almost 2 months since my last post, how terrible. Here's the updates...

Weight: 178.1    Total Loss:  8 lbs since 11/24/12
Measurements
Chest: 38"     Down 1"
Waist: 40"     Down .5"
Hips: 39.75"     (Didn't measure in Nov)
Butt: 45.25"     Up .25"
R. Arm: 14.56"   Down .25"
L. Arm: 14"        Same
R. Thigh: 27.5"    Down .75"
L. Thigh: 27.5"    Down  1"

Overall, as you can see, my weight and measurements are down.  However, if I was exercising regularly, instead of sporadically I feel my loss would be much greater.

I've also recently become interested in juice fasting.  Through the recommendation of my brother I watched the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.  Joe Cross' story is amazing.  Even more amazing is the change Phil Staples makes.  I have juice fasted about once a year for 2-3 days, for the past 6 years, and often get the dreaded headache mentioned in the film.  I have come to realize, through the documentary and other research I have done, the way I was fasting was not the correct way for my body.  I was only consuming 8 oz of juice 5-6 times a day.  The first time two times I consumed only juice (no water or anything else).  I realized much of my headache those two times came from being dehydrated more than lack of solid food.  Since then I have modified my juice fasts to include as much water as I want, but have stuck with a strict intake of juice.  Although never specifically mentioned in the documentary Joe and Phil seemed to be consuming more than a strict 8 oz of juice each meal.

My brother has been an inspiration (click to read his story) for me to do another juice fast, for at least 5 days this time, and try to better gauge the amount of juice I consume by how I feel instead of a strict amount.   I am hoping to do this the last week of March when I'm on Spring Break for school.  This will allow me to be home and make juice instead of trying to make the juice at home and take it to work.  Depending on how the juicing makes me feel I may continue on a mostly vegetarian diet after that to continue cleansing my system.  I have been vegetarian several times over my lifetime for different reasons, and find at least once a year I crave going back to it.  Although occasionally I enjoy meat, I find I don't crave it or even need it to feel satisfied. (How very unAmerican of me...haha).  I am definitely not an extremist when it comes to vegetarianism, but feel it is a part of me that keeps surfacing throughout the years.

I'm going to work on posting more often, and sharing my blog more with others.  I want this to be a learning experience for myself and hope to inspire others to join me in my quest for a better more healthy life for myself.