February going by fast, almost Spring!

If you have been following along, I’m still around 180 pounds at 6 feet 2 inches. Normal BMI.  Exercising three times per week with weights, and doing steady-state cardio 1-3 times as time permits. Work has gotten busier, and I have been eating a little more than usual. Probably some combination of winter blahs, job related stress, and increased muscle driving my metabolism to burn a little hotter than in past months.

I’m following a program from Tom Baechle & Roger Earle’s fantastic Fitness Weight Training.  Except for an editor naming the programs “Body Sculpting” and the like, the information is solid and conservative. It isn’t single set to failure, which is an effective and sensible way to train. However, I decided to add volume to my workout, and periodize variables, to see how I respond. If you are thinking about starting to exercise, that book is written by two highly respected exercise scientists, who have held leadership positions in national organizations. They have program descriptions that allow you to use a variety of equipment, and nothing exotic that you won’t feel comfortable doing at your local fitness center.  If you are heading north of 50 years old, you might find that latest edition of Wayne Westcott’s Strength Training Past 50 to be useful instead.

So, the above program, plus a somewhat low calorie maintenance diet of mostly healthy foods (whole grains, 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables, nuts, making some attempt to reduce saturated fats  in meat and dairy) along with sensible lifestyle habits.  It’s working well.  I’m still going to try to tear it up and get down to around 170 lbs. by summertime just for the experience of having a near six-pack, but I am certain that will be a hungry ordeal.  Full details to follow, as they become available.

Still here…

I’m still around, and doing well. Weight is around 178. I’m entering it into “Weight Bot” a cool iPhone tracking app.  I’ve started to add more volume to my workouts, in the form of some low-intensity cardio and a second set of strength training exercises.  I’m not sure where that will go, it’s an experiment.  Eating has been mostly on track. I’m eating much more in terms of vegetables now, but also more “cheat” meals.  That’s a wiggle word isn’t it? I’ll rephrase- I’ve had more frequent high-calorie indulgences, like pizza and BBQ than when I was trying to shed 50 pounds. For the most part, I can handle these without weight gain. Consistency with exercise seems to help with that. But mainly, not going on tilt after a single big meal. It’s important to get back to sensible eating right away.

I’m going to get back to regular posting. For some reason I get a fair number of visitors per day even when not writing, so it will be motivating to record what I’m doing and the results.  As you know, the “six pack” didn’t happen by January ‘09.  I can see the top row of abdominal muscles, and when I was at my leanest (173 pounds) I could see a “four pack” with flexion.  I did get to a normal weight and a 32″ waist, and I’m happy with that. I’m trying to put on a little muscle and build up a track record of consistent exercise before I try to shed down visible abs.

Merry christmas!

Happy holidays everyone!

175 pounds this am before Christmas dinner. Writing from my iPhone – which I have had for a week. I’m loving it so far.

Update Sun 12/7

For those who have been stopping by, sorry about the lack of updates.

This morning, 173 pounds. The (worthless) Tanita scale has had me in single digit bodyfat for a while now, but I am guessing I am around 10%, looking fairly athletic with visible musculature.

Progress has not been too brisk, since I have been enjoying holiday food and dining out 1-2x per week.  I seem to have a little outpost of adipose tissue over my mid-abdominal region which is dissapointing. I can see the upper set of abs now, but I think I would have to get to a crazy level of lean to get rid of that little “pooching” over the mid-trunk.

I’m reading Sharkey’s Fitness and Health right now, which is basically an Exercise Physiology 101 text. I’m not sure how it will shape my training in the new year yet. Dr. Dan asked a while back what I thought of In Defense of Food and I have to say that it was just OK.   I’m still a fan of Willett for a 200 page overview of what is known via science and epidemiology about what it means to eat healthy. He’s an honest writer, and you can read between the lines on carb intake, but he doesn’t run off into speculation. Marion Nestle’s What to Eat was better than IDoF because it delves just enough into food marketing and politics while still touching on the health aspects. It’s written (like IDoF) from a U.S. middle/upper-middle class urban perspective. Take that as you will, but it sure gets entertaining at times.

I’ve read all the usual: Protein Power, New Diet Revolution, Good Calories, Bad Calories, and more.  I’ve followed Art DeVaney for years, and I’ve read lots on Crossfit and paleo eating. It all makes a lot of sense, and maybe it’s ideal. That doesn’t make it practical or even possible for most people. Most people’s access to food resources don’t allow a good simulation of ancestral foods. Most people also live in the real world of going out with friends and eating with non-orthorexic family members. In my opinion, getting active and controlling one’s propensity for overweight do not at all require experimental or fringe methods, or withdrawal from mainstream living. If someone eats right (avoiding chronic calorie poisioning and indulging in calorie bombs too often) and lives an active life, and wants to experiment with paleo, and has the money and time to track down grass fed meats and a cornucopia of local vegetation, I think it’s great.

Apologies for the ranting, just some thoughts this morning. I’m heading out for Dim Sum!

Sun Nov 23

175 pounds this AM.  I must have been a little dehydrated. I had some BBQ today, and some Mexican yesterday, and I’m drinking a ton of water now. I’m sure I’ll be up a little by the morning.  I have Thanksgiving holiday plans with family, which, as for many, involve consuming tasty foods in large quantities.  Stay tuned for the outcome.

Update 11/18 (Tues)

179.4 today.  I enjoyed some of the local culinary culture over the weekend, korean BBQ and a new bakery-cafe with delicious goods and the best coffee I have had in a long time.  Didn’t take me too far off track, I was back to my usual the next day.

Sun Nov 9 Update

Weight: 180.6 pounds

Still on track.  Recently read In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan.  Before that it was: Eat Drink and Be Healthy, What to Eat, The CR Way, and The Longevity Diet. They primed the intuition pump a bit better about what healthy eating means.  I’m making some small changes already, I’ll update the plan when I see what works.

I’ve started a new 6 week exercise cycle:  leg extension, leg curl, seated chest flyes, seated row, seated overhead press, dumbell hammer curls, triceps pushdown, crunch machine.  Not making fast progress, probably due to low calories. I thought about doing more exercises 2x/week, but since I just took out leg press for this cycle, it is less taxing systemically.  We’ll see how it goes.  I’m probably not going to go below 170 lbs., so it will be time to increase the calories soon enough.  I’m thinking I’ll start that in the New Year, after the holiday splurges.

Sunday Oct 26th Progress Update

Bodyweight today is 185.6 lbs.

Resistance exercise is on track, not seeing magnificent strength increases at this point, not that I expect them on a reduced calorie eating plan.  This week is the 6th formal week I have been focusing on strength training.  After this week, I will change the exercises up for the next 6 weeks.

Pedometer update: It looks like I am fairly active during my workdays, with between 8000-11000 steps per day. I tried not to do anything extra while getting this baseline.  If I’m not working it looks like I am around 2500-3000 steps, typical for a sedentary person.  I’m happy that I’m fairly active at work.  I need to add some activity to my schedule, especially on weekends. It’s getting too cold and dark to walk outside at night here. I’ll think about this during the week while I collect more data.

Calories are at 1500-1600 a day, without much cheating. Progress is rapid, and I like the results. I have been focusing more on healthy eating, as defined by Walter Willet’s Healthy Eating Pyramid. So, I have been eating rolled oatmeal with almonds, ground flaxseed and raisins for my daily breakfast, and making the egg meal 1-2 times per week. Calories the same. Switched to the dry and grainy, but still tasty Ezekiel bread for lunch, to vary my whole grain intake. More cooking quick low-calorie meals at night (rather than frozen) to minimize sodium and increase vegetable intake. I am 5-a-day minimum now, usually more.

I’ll do a write up on this soon to detail what it all looks like, a Winter Program to replace the Fall.

If you are visiting regularly, leave some comments. I’m getting a fair number of page views now, and if you are doing something similar, I would love to read your blog or hear your ideas.

Slowfit Progress Update for Sun Oct 19

Weight today 190.0 lbs., waist measurement 31″ relaxed, 30″ with abdominals drawn in.

I’ve been experimenting with my Digiwalker SW-200 pedometer, one of the best pedometers for accurately counting steps. I’ll have more on that when I have used it for a while longer.

If you are following my diet, it still looks about the same.  Breakfast: oatmeal, 2 omega three eggs, applesauce, skim milk in coffee.  Lunch: 2 slices whole wheat bread, 3.5 oz. turkey breast, 1 oz. light Swiss, mustard (alternatively 3 oz. light tuna in water, 1 T low calorie canola mayo, 1 T relish as the filling), Snack: 2 pieces low fat string cheese, 1 apple or pear. Dinner: 400 calories, often a frozen entree, or whole wheat pasta or cous cous with chicken, and now always about 2 cups of frozen vegetables along with dinnertime.  Desert is an orange or other fruit, if I’m hungry.  Around 1500-1600 calories still.  Not major hunger, feel good, look great.  Somewhere around 180-185 lbs. I will be re-evaluating everything, probably going up on calories, adding in some nuts.

Mon 10/13

Weight today 191.4 lbs.  Had 4 large slices of pizza with everything and 2 glasses of wine on Friday night. Otherwise, holding the course with diet and workouts.