The Final Stretch

Current weight: 174.2 lbs

Lowest weight since last blog: 174.2 lbs

Weight lost since last blog: 3.8 lbs

Last blog date: September 22, 2009

9.2 lbs, 2 months. I am a man on mission. Wish me luck.

On Track and In Control

Current weight: 178.0 lbs

Lowest weight since last blog: 178.0 lbs

Weight lost since last blog: 8.2 lbs

Last blog date: July 14, 2009

10 Weeks 8.2 pounds is no way stellar but still pretty good considering I may be hitting the plateau everybody seems to be talking about. Injuries are becoming more common these days as the toll of relentless exertion is taking place. I have a lot of ground to cover in this post so I will use the bullet points to make it more readable:

• Loosing weight does not happen automatically anymore. Gone are the days where I was loosing 1 - 1.5 lbs a week just like that. But now the increments are small so I have to club two weeks of weight loss to see significant weight reduction.
• I had two - three bad weeks in this time period where healthy eating was next to impossible because it was affected by other aspects on personal life.
• The last weeks of this time period were different as I tried to shift my focus from weight loss to Body Fat Percentage. This requires that I eat more food, lift heavier weights and make sure I burn off any excess calories so that I am replacing the fat in my body with muscle. This will inevitably slow down my weight loss progress but I guess it will be a healthier way of doing it.
• This will probably be the last strectch in this year which was filled with outdoor activities. Today is the first day of the fall and that means I will have to move indoors pretty soon. Boxing Gym and Gold's Gym will be ideal to continue towards my aim.

The Breakthrough!

Current weight: 186.2 lbs

Lowest weight since last blog: 186.2 lbs

Weight lost since last blog: 3.8 lbs

Last blog date: June 24, 2009

Finally the breakthrough I have been waiting for. I stayed at 190.0 lbs for about 4 weeks and that was not fun. One of the reasons is that I got a slight condition of Achillees Tendinitis and could not get my usual cardio. No running, no Tennis and no volley ball. It was very hard to be idle. On top of that I took two weeks off the work out to let my leg heal. All taken into consideration the weight lost is good and puts me on track to the goal.

Planning the meals ahead is tougher than I thought and the high protein diet plan lasted a week. I blame it all on the distractions I faced in the last month. Finally I am back on track. I will have to stick with the stationary bike till my right leg heals but other than that it looks all set to start another strong phase in my weight loss journey. Definitely the emphasis will be on building the muscle in the body. That means I have to put thought into what I eat. I will maintain status quo for now by sticking to my upper body workouts and stationary bike cardios(yawn) and plan beginning the end of the week when I am more focused.

Crisis and the Plan

I have offically lost track in reaching my objective. No, I havent put on 10 pounds since lost blog and making an excuse for it, but considering the length of time that has passed this was bound to happen.I have to refocus and rethink my strategy to break free of the 25 pound barrier. I am hovering aroung 190 lbs for about 2 weeks now with no hope in sight. I have never been more active in my life and that leaves the nutrition that i am having into question.

Of late I have been skipping breakfast, eating unplanned meals and meals of which I dont know the nutritious value. So I am thinking about bringing the food table back, but this time I will plan ahead what I am going to eat and then try to have the food. This way I can make sure I have the right amount of food and also the right kind of foods. There are two consequences I can think off the top of my head. My limited social life will come under severe strain (people dont like wierdos :) who plan what they eat a week ahead) and I can engineer my diet to better fit the needs of my body. I am thinking about starting it from monday of next week.

As before in order to refocus I am setting myself up with a new challenge. I am aiming for the coveted six pack. Six Pack in Six Weeks blog has been an absolute inspiration to me in this regard. I sound like a a complete nut to myself as I write this but hey, what have I got to loose (no pun intended). I don't remember having a slim waist since I was in 9th grade and that was 10 years ago but the progress I made so far leads me to think I can do this somehow.

THE PLAN

Till the end of summer I will continue training with my trainer and participate in as many summer activities like running, volley ball and tennis as possible. This should prepare my body to what is to come. I am thinking about going for Boxing training and hitting the gym to take my fitness quest into its final stretch. I am educating myself about the pros and cons about the Boxing and preparing myself to what will be the toughest training I have put myslef through. I needs tons of motivation from this point on but there is still 25 pounds to go and the easy part is over. I hope my friends and family and most importantly myself keep patting my back and encourage me to move forward.

25 Down 25 To Go

Current Weight: 190.0 lbs

Lowest weight since last blog: 190.0 lbs

Weight lost since last blog: 6.2 lbs

Last blog date: May 8(corrected) 2009

I lost 25 lbs since I started this blog and this definitely is a significant milestone. It is 25 weeks since I started blogging. That means I lost one pound a week since I started. My mini goals were very aggressive some times aiming at loosing 1.5 lbs per week. On good weeks I met those goals and on bad weeks I gained some weight. On the whole though I am very happy with the progress I made. Althouhg not stellar I think I found the balance to keep loosing weight and that makes this progress sustainable.

May, Week 1: Four weeks after Redux

Current Weight: 196.2 lbs

Lowest weight since last blog: 196.2 lbs

Weight lost since last blog: 1.8 lbs

Last blog date: 1 May 2009

Its been a good week for my cause. Especially because I was enjoying some special food and still loosing weight. I have made a major decision in regards to adding more challenge to my weight loss quest. There is an upcoming 5 k run on 4Th of July by O'Fallon Chamber of commerce. That is approximately 3.1 miles on pavement/dirt track. It is a huge challenge because the last time I checked the most I can run on pavement is about .78 miles and on treadmill it is 2.25 miles and I will have only two months to train. Objective however is to complete the course in no more than 45 minutes. That is a pretty steep bench mark considering I have never done it before in my entire life. In the mean while I will try and stick to my usual workout sessions and all.

Training Strategy

Training Strategy

Monday, 18 May 2009

12:49 PM

Monday	Light Run & Tennis
Tuesday	Gym Workout
Wednesday	Easy Run (alone)
Thursday	Gym Workout
Friday	Fast Run (-.5 miles)
Saturday	Gym Workout & rest
Sunday	Distance Run (+.5 miles)

 
 

Week	Easy Run Goal
1	1 m
2	1.5 m
3	2 m
4	2.5 m
5	3 m
6	3.2 m

 

Running Challenge: Plan

I am smitten bythe running bug. Ok, it is really the "the idea of running" bug. 

One of my main objectives when I started this blog was the ability to run 2 miles. Not just once but to attain fitness levels that would let me run 2 miles 6 times a week. As a part of this effort I am thinking about running a 5K race on 4th of July in the city of O'Fallon. This is a huge challenge for me because I can run about 2.5 miles on a treadmill but only manage .75 miles on the pavement. I have roughly 6 weeks to get to a level where I can run 3.2 miles. Thats a short time and hence the challenge but if I pull it off that will be a huge personal achivement and a great step towards the greater goal of reaching my ideal weight.

So this is what I intend to do in the next six weeks:

1. Follow a very strict diet that will boost my energy levels for long times and won't add weight to my body. Because, lesser the weigh the less effort it will take to run. Eat leaner proteins, more complex carbs and avoid fats like a plauge.
2. Ice my joints after each excercise session so as to help the recovery process since I intend to run and excercise 6 days a week.
3. Increase the distances on the treadmill to 5 miles at 6 mph to increase my overall cardio fitness levels.
4. Train with a partner when running on the road so as to add to the motivation and train at a good clip.
5. Educate myself about good running habits and adopt parts of runners lifestyle.
6. Update blog with daily progress.

This is going to be a huge challenge but the prize is well worth the effort.

Plan for month of May: Three weeks after Redux

Current Weight: 198.0 lbs

Lowest weight since last blog: 195.5 lbs

Weight lost since last blog: 4.5 lbs

Last blog date: 20 April 2009

OK, the numbers listed above are exceptional for my standards. Made a lot of progress in last two weeks. Eating vegetarian food might have helped me a bit but I found myself having low energy levels at times in the week. I feel like I found out the way to reach my target goal of 1.5 lbs every week for next two months. The secret is simple. Since I now have the ability to run 2 miles at a stretch, I have to run 2 miles every day except Sunday. It will be phenomenal if I achieve them especially taking into consideration that my Mom is visiting me (read delicious food) for the next two weeks. I am hitting hard against weekend weakness by running a lot in the weekends.

Mini goals for next week:

1. Loose 1.5 lbs
2. Run 10 miles
3. Stick to workout sessions
4. Eat a lot of veggies for dinner
5. Maintain the increased intensity of the workout sessions
6. Blog progress at the end of the week

Bonus Objective:

Play tennis two times a week

One Week After Redux

Current Weight: 202.5 lbs

Lowest weight this week: 198.6 lbs

Weight Lost Since Last Blog: 1lbs

This week has been a roller coaster to say the least. I reached below 200 lbs to the lowest weight of 198.6 lbs on Saturday to get back to 202.5 lbs on Monday morning. Clearly the weekend weakness is the culprit here. I should definitely plan what I am going to eat in the weekends.

As to the goals I set out to achieve last week:

1. Loose 1.5 lbs - Lost only 1 lbs in the end

2. Run 10 miles - I walked, ran but mostly jogged to 8 miles in different conditions

3. Stick to workout sessions - Attended all of them

4. Pre-plan and prepare all meals - Failed completely

5. Eat only prepared meals - Partially done

6. Eat a lot of veggies for dinner - Partially done

7. Increase intensity of Workout sessions - Achieved

8. Blog progress every week - Done

Bonus Objective:

Play tennis two times a week - Achieved

After analysis, I am removing objectives 4 and 5 for now.

Reset

Current weight: 203.5 lbs

Weight Lost Since Last Blog: 5 lbs

OK, I have not been blogging for several months. That doesn't mean that my quest for reaching the ideal weight has ended. In fact it is continuing despite several major setbacks(trip to India, major injury to left shoulder, etc). So, here I am back in the pursuit of the original goal, the coveted 170 lbs. The average weight that I lost since I started this blog has been 3 lbs/month which is OK but is not enough to take me to my ideal weight. So I decided to change my approach a little.

When I started, the biggest challenge I had was procrastination but I have overcome it at this point. I also had weak muscle groups which made it difficult and often times very risky when doing intense exercises, but after three months of weight training I am feeling really fit. Yesterday I was able to run 1.5 miles without taking a break and I could have done more but I didn't want to injure my knees which were showing signs of pain at that point. I lost the front on eating though. This has been the major hurdle that I am still struggling with. Although I remained strict about my diet most of the week, the weekends I inevitably started binge eating. The key to come over it is to keep myself busy. So after analyzing my progress and the hurdles I had so far I am resetting my mini goals and ways to reach them.

The redux plan:

Reach 165 lbs by Dec 5 2009  ( I improved the weight goal to be  more challenging  and motivating)

Mini Goals:

1. Loose 1.5 lbs each week
   
2. Run 10 miles each week for three months
3. Stick to the workout sessions
4. Pre-plan and pre-prepare all meals for the week
5. Eat only prepared meals
6. Eat lot of veggies for dinner
7. Increase intensity of workout sessions
8. Blog progress every week

Bonus goals:

• Play Tennis at least twice a week.
  

Third Week

6.5 down 38.5 to go

Weight lost:  1.5 lbs

I am finally getting the hang of it. Although I could not get any cardio done in the weekend I am still happy with the overall balance. I was able to get through both the FT sessions completely without much of a problem. I may be eating "bad" foods in the weekend but in moderation. I have lost less weight than the previous weeks but that is expected and I happy with that.

The major concern when I started with personal training was the disk dislocation in my lower back. I didn't know how it would hold up to the rigorous exercise routine. I now know that I am in safe hands and I committed myself to 8 more months of personal training. Starting in a week I will be attending 3 training sessions a week. Hopefully I can get used to the routine and kick up a gear in this weight loss journey.

	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Other Stuff	Exercise
MON	Mixed Cereal (160 Kcal)	Subway Sandwich (500 Kcal)	Panda Express Fried Rice Beef With Broccoli Kung Po Chicken	12 roasted salted almonds (85kcal)	15 min Jog @ 4mph 20 min bike @ 160 heart rate 10 min elliptical @175 heart rate
TUE	Mixed Cereal (160 Kcal)	Subway Sandwich (500 Kcal) Small bag baked chips(110 Kcal)	Ramen noodle soup with  veggies	12 roasted salted almonds (85kcal)	45 min session at FT 15 min bike @ 140 heart rate
WED	Mixed Cereal (160 Kcal)	First Wok Kung Po Chicken White Rice	Turkey Drumstick String Beans	12 roasted salted almonds (85kcal) 1 Slim A Bear ice cream	5 min walk @ 3.2 mph 15 min jog @ 4 mph 15 min bike @ 150 heart rate
THU	Oat meal (150 kcal)	Subway Sandwich (500 Kcal) Roasted Chicken Soup(80 Kcal)	Fried Ramen noodles with veggies and 1 egg	12 roasted salted almonds (85kcal)	45 min session at FT
FRI	Oat meal (150 kcal)	Subway Sandwich (500 Kcal)	Fried Ramen noodles with veggies and 2 eggs	1/2 granola bar (80 kcal) 12 almonds (80 kcal)	none
SAT	Egg White Omelette 2 English Muffins 1 cup mixed fruit	Vegetable Biryani	Rice Lamb Curry 2 boiled eggs	Tomato Soup Mango Lassi	none
SUN	nothing	Lemon Rice 1 boiled egg	Lemon Rice omelette	8 McDonalds Chicken McNuggets 2 cups fruit	none

Second Week

5 down 40 to go

The second week was all about striking the balance between diet and exercise. I was able to complete the second FT session of the week, thanks to a balanced diet and increase in cardio training. I started eating four times a day on the day of workouts. The fourth meal consisted of roasted almonds or cereal bars. I am still figuring out about getting more calories from protein. Even though this week was successful in some ways, I lost the battle of temptation in the end of the week, eating a lot more of biryani than I should. Even though I weighed 210 lbs on Sunday morning, I am sure I weighed a little more by the end of the day. 

I fulfilled the objectives set out in previous week about eating instant oatmeal for breakfast and having a dry snack an hour before workout. I was not able to do cardio on all the days when I am not having a session and I am still getting hammered during dinner time, eating foods that are most likely not helping the cause.

	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Other Stuff	Exercise
MON	Mixed Cereal (160 Kcal)	Subway Sandwich (500 Kcal) Small bag Baked Potato Chips (110 Kcal)	Panda Express Fried Rice Beef With Broccoli Kung Po Chicken	Mixed Nuts Energy Bar (150 Kcal)	45 min Session at FT
TUE	nothing	Ravioli White Bread Salad	Andoro's Turkey Club Sandwich	Mixed Nuts Energy Bar (150 Kcal)	20 min Jog @ 4mph 20 min bike @ 160 heart rate
WED	Mixed Cereal (160 Kcal)	Subway Sandwich (500 Kcal) Small bag Baked Potato Chips (110 Kcal)	Ramen Noodle Soup With Veggies (200 Kcal)	Mixed Nuts Energy Bar (150 Kcal)	45 min Session at FT
THU	Mixed Cereal (160 Kcal)	Subway Sandwich (500 Kcal) Small bag Baked Potato Chips (110 Kcal)	Panda Express Fried Rice Beef With Broccoli Kung Po Chicken	12 roasted salted almonds (85kcal)	20 min bike @ 160 heart rate 10 min elliptical @175 heart rate
FRI	Mixed Cereal (160 Kcal)	Ruby Tuesday's One baked Fish Fillet 6 Sauteed Shrimp Rice Pilaf Boiled broccoli	Chicken Biryani One Puri One Naan	2 wine coolers 2 cups coffee 12 roasted salted almonds	none
SAT	nothing	Andoro's Turkey Club Sandwich	1/2 Chicken Biryani  1/2 Chapati Daal	Sweet Potato Fries 1 medium Fruit Punch	20 min Jog @ 4mph 10 min bike
SUN	nothing	1/2 Chicken Biryani	1/2 Chicken Biryani	none	none

The First Week

2.5 down 42.5 to go

First things first, I did get an appointment at Fitness Together on Monday. After a brief tour and discussing the rates, I came to a conclusion that the asking price was reasonable and if I strapped myself financially I might be able to afford the place. Moreover a commitment of this magnitude was really needed to make a difference. For January I am taking two sessions a week to see if my body can hold up to the rigorous workout and if I am doing good at the end of the month I will go for three a week. I am supposed to do a cardio workout by myself couple of times a week for 30 minutes, but that was not possible this week because the fitness room in my apartments is shut down till February for repairs. That means I have to stop by FT for my cardio too.

Weight loss wise, this has been an interesting first week. After touching a low of 210.5 lbs in Saturday morning, I settled back to a healthy loss of 2.5 lbs. I realized that I was starving myself by the end of Friday and that was not helping me in my workout. In the Friday FT session I almost passed out 30 minutes into the session and I also had a glass of chocolate milk before the session which really obstructed my breathing. So two important lessons I have learned this week in regards to diet. First is to have a healthy diet and second is to have dry food an hour before the workout. I ordered 12 cans of almonds on Amazon so that I can have a snack of almonds and grapes an hour before every workout.

One of the objectives of last week were to have Soup/Salad for dinner. This was never going to work for me as I get really hungry by dinner time and soup/salad just wouldn't do it. I have to think of something for the dinner time. So here are some new objectives for the next week:

1. Have instant oatmeal for breakfast.
2. Have a dry snack at least an hour before workout.
3. Do a cardio workout on all the other days when I am not having a session at FT.
4. Come up with a healthy food choice for regular dinner.

	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Other Stuff	Exercise
Monday	nothing	Subway Veggie patties 6" sub on wheat	Turkey Club Sandwich from Andoro's	1 cup coffee	none
Tuesday	nothing	Subway Veggie patties 6" sub on wheat One small bag Lay's baked chips	Ramen Noodle soup with veggies	1 cup coffee and chocolate drink	45 minute session at FT
Wednesday	nothing	Steamed White Rice with Thai Yellow Curry with Tofu	1/4 Large thin crust three topping pizza at Imo's	2 cups Coffee	none
Thursday	Ramen Noodle soup with veggies	White Rice Shrimp Curry Potato Curry Yogurt	nothing	1 glass Vanilla Milk Shake without whipped cream 1/2 bottle energy drink Two Chicken Tenders	none
Friday	nothing	Subway Veggie patties 6" sub on wheat One small bag Lay's baked chips	nothing	1 cup coffee 1 small bottle chocolate milk	1 mile walk/run 45 minute session at FT
Saturday	2 dry English muffins 1 tbsp grape jam Tri Athlete Omlette Potato Fries side 2 cups cofee with 2tbsps sugar and half and half One small orange juice	Ramen Noodle soup with veggies	White Rice Okra Masala 2 cubes of Lamb with lamb curry	Small snack of vegetable crisps	none
Sunday	nothing	Meat loaf Creamed Spinach Mashed Potatoes with Gravy	Fried Rice Potato Curry 1/2 cup cranberry juice	One bottle sweetened ice tea One Cup tea with milk and sugar	none