Day 51 - I've Moved...

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Day 41 - One Eighty Seven

After another 10 days of implementing the plan, I’ve lost another 5 pounds. That’s 12 pounds overall after 40 days. From all the people I’ve talked to, it still seems like it’s a healthy clip, hopefully not overly aggressive, I highly doubt it. 187??? I had to weigh-in three times just to make sure.

Now it’s time to find out what 12lbs really equates to. I take out my trusty medium size porcelain serving dish, it makes a nice base. This time, I go for the gusto and pile my blender on top of it, the entire unit, cap and all. 11lbs on the head. Needing one more pound I grab my daughters piggy bank (she really needs to save more). 12 pounds on the head. I lift the serving dish, blender, and piggy bank up a few times....yeah, that feels good. What a boat anchor, I can’t believe I was walking around with a serving dish, a blender, and a piggy bank inside of me just 40 days ago.

People ask me why I thought I’ve lost weight on this plan, what is the real reason I think I’ve been able to lose weight. The answer is two-fold, but simple. First, by living in a heightened state of awareness, and living consciously, I didn’t eat as much as I had been previously. No more cleaning the kids plates off when they were done eating, trying everything on the party buffet, or going back for seconds and thirds despite my full gullet. My body didn’t need it, and shortly after I made those decisions (based upon how pathetic my daily logs read), my body certainly didn’t crave it. When I was full, I was content. I was hungry a small number of times during the first 30 days, and when I was hungry, I ate, but certainly not as much because it wasn’t required. I tried to avoid stuffing myself because it physically hurt after a while. Secondly, I made my body move, day after day. Even though it was small and inconsequential to people that work out, it was much more movement than I had been doing before. That had to account for at least something. Pretty straightforward.

The last ten days have been as easy as the first thirty. Writing everything I eat and do, and reviewing it out loud daily. The discipline has stuck with me thus far, which is the bigger win. And as a result, the pounds drop off. I’ve incrementally added a few more pushups and sit-ups to the routine, now somewhere between 45 and 50 of each. Now that school has started back up again, we’re on a better schedule. In reviewing the logs over the last ten days, I’ve noticed a reduction in the amount of imbibing, only five of the ten days, and perhaps only two days in excess. This was a missing piece during the first 30 days, and I’ve tried to work on that. It’s much easier to be a hermit and be non-social when the kids need to be in bed by eight.

An odd thing happened on Day 9 of this recent ten day sprint. I woke up and couldn’t lift my left arm because my shoulder was in pain. I don’t know if it’s because I slept on it funny or what the deal was. It hurt pretty badly for two days in a row. I even had to take Ibuprofen for the first time on this plan. Contrast that with those other “get in shape” attempts from long ago when I was surely on Ibuprofen after the first week! Since this is the first time I’ve ever felt sore since I began, I was concerned. Could it be a long lasting nagging thing like tendonitis? What about my pushups? Uncertain, but I’m surely not going to a Doctor. The last time I went to a Doctor for some significant physical problem like this was when I hurt my back. Doctors prescribe medicine and make you go away. In short, Doctors are like weathermen, they don’t always know what the hell they are talking about. In fact, I don’t know why I am capitalizing Doctor...it’s doctor...there you have it, mere mortals. But since they are paid to know, they diagnose. Right or wrong. Then you come back, give them some more data on how you feel, and then they diagnose again. If this sounds like they are practicing on you, they are. That’s why they call it a “practice” after all. I forget where I heard that originally, but it’s held up very true. I’ll wait it out for a few days and do my own diagnosis.

For now, I’ve had to stop the pushups, and find another activity in it’s place. But what. I still walk dogs occasionally, but the last few days have been cold and rainy. Now the pressure is on. Wait, I still have that NordicTrack in the basement. You know those things, the archaic torture device looking wood things with ski’s and ropes and pulleys. When done right it looks like you’re cross country skiing. The reason I had it anyway was because of my back. The chiropractor I was seeing for my back (after several medical doctors failed me, my first foray into non traditional approaches), said that the NordicTrack devices were good because it helped support your back. So, I bought a used one. That’s the ticket. I unearthed it, dusted it off, and brought it up to the bedroom, much to my wife’s dismay. Ah yes, back in the saddle. Although feeling quite silly in the bedroom doing this thing (but not as lame as that pony tailed freak on those infomercials, what’s with that guy?), it certainly does work pretty well. I set it to it’s easiest resistance, and started to glide. It’s easy on my back, and I manage 25 minutes my first attempt. Piece of cake. Although I notice some sweating going on, but no muscle strain or soreness in the shoulder, legs, or back. There you have it, a new activity I can throw into the mix. Probably good I found something else as fall and winter approaches.

Next up is another 10 day sprint, which at the conclusion will be 51 consecutive days on this super simple, non painful, effective plan. We shall see if I taper off or continue to shed. Until then.

10 Things I Just Learned About From Walking Dogs

I recently started walking some neighbor dogs as a way to help them out and keep me company on my walks. Here's some things I've learned recently in doing so.

1. Dog's don't like truck airbrakes.
2. If it's windy outside, bugs can bounce hard off of your body and face.
3. Always double bag your companions #2 deposits.
4. If your companion goes #2 in a more remote area, you can get away with faking the plastic bag pickup.
   
5. People hang onto old stuff way too long, before they are willing to throw it away.
6. You can learn a lot about people by what they throw away.
   
7. Someone should come up with a better mechanism for setting up a sprinkler.
8. If you're 39, you can get sore by just walking.
9. You're not the only one that walks dogs on the same path you're on, so you should watch where you're walking.
10. If you're over 50 years old, and are doing yardwork in short shorts, bending over isn't your best look.

Lakewood High Velocity 4" Fan

Everytime I come into work I'm sweating because it's so humid and dank in the somewhat renovated factory where I work. So a friend of mine bought me this fan. While it's somewhat quiet and does in fact move air, the design stinks.

It's all metal construction. So if it's been running awhile, and you want to turn it off, you'll notice that the back is hot, where the motor is mounted. In addition it only has one speed. So when you're tired of it blowing at a high velocity, your only option is "off." But now I'm hot again, so "on." But now I'm sick of it, so "off." On/Off, On/Off, On/Off, On/Off!!!

Also, the gaps in the fan grate are big enough for the youngins' to stick their fingers through. While I don't have any youngin's running around the work office, I certainly do at the home office. So if you're looking for a cheap fan that moves air, I recommend looking for a more expensive fan that moves air.

Day 31 - One Ninety Two

192! Lost 7lbs thus far, and I’ll take it. The night before I kept dreaming of the weigh-in. Each time I stepped on the scale in my dream I was always exactly the same weight or even above 200lbs!! Eeks, I guess I was more concerned about it subconsciously than I thought. Perhaps it was because of the added pressure of doing this publicly.

Is it the 10-15 I was suspecting? No, but if you consider what I did during the 30 days (almost nothing), it’s pretty encouraging. Also, there were several parties and all day gatherings with a week long vacation thrown in there. I’m pretty sure if I wasn’t so social during this period, I’d be better off. Regardless, it is what it is, and it’s not the big point anyway. It’s a point in time that gives me an indication if this plan really works or not, and it does! It’s a step in the right direction. A data point on a long term trend.

Does it sound magical to say 7lbs in 30 days? No, but we all know that magic diet and exercise plans don’t work. How many people do you know that yo-yo back and forth, bouncing from magic pills to carb diets, never really getting anywhere, except anxious and discouraged? With diet and exercise, slow and steady wins the race. Long lasting self-discipline is better than doing things in spurts that ultimately don’t stick. I proved out that you don’t have to be an expert dietician or an exercise guru to accomplish some weight loss. I had only some common sense and advice from others on my side. That’s all anyone should really need.

I did something for 30 days straight! This is a discipline that I’ve never had before. If you followed along, congratulate yourself. To put your accomplishment into perspective, take the amount of pounds that you lost, and find something that weighs the exact same amount. It can be a collection of items. Now pick it up a few times. Heavier than you thought eh? Gone! My 7lbs was equivalent to a medium size porcelain serving dish, a D size battery, a porcelain coffee mug full with coffee, and a container of sidewalk chalk. It disappeared because of my mind. I lived consciously for 30 days, more consciously than I ever have.

Will the discipline stick? Will I continue? The reason I chose 30 days, is because many studies suggest a period of longer than 20 days is required for change to become habit forming. Committing to a daily activity without a day off is more likely to become a habit than a plan that offers a few days off a week. The days of rest and relaxation hurt the conditioning of the mind that is necessary to pull you through the tough days. It’s easy to give yourself a day off, like the day before, when you’re not really “in” to it. Then you try to play games with make up days. “I’ll just double up on the weekends” you say to yourself. Then the plan starts to crumble. When I woke up today, without even thinking about it, I pondered doing my activities before my shower, or at some point later in the day. Then I realized what had just happened, pretty cool, maybe my mind is conditioned. The first page of my new notebook for my daily logs which has “Day 1 – 192!” on top of the page might be a clue.

Am I healthier? One could argue. I doubt it when you consider all the imbibing that occurred. But because I monitored everything, I now have full awareness. The last several days, I made a conscious attempt to limit the harmful liquid intake because of my awareness, and I’ll continue to do so. This plan wasn’t about quitting drinking after all but I’ll start making small incremental improvement on a daily basis. I have enough problems as it is, I don’t need another more damaging one.

However, I’ve heard from three people now that losing weight slowly over a long period of time is more healthy for you than rapid weight loss. This must be why everyone that I know who was on the Atkins Plan, has bounced back to their start weight or worse. I think they all hit their floor weight right around the time that Dr. Atkins died. Maybe a carb or two isn’t that bad after all eh? Breadcrumbs anyone?

Let’s consider how easy this plan really is. Writing everything down in a notepad, what you eat and what you do, and reviewing it out loud daily. Your mind takes over, and suddenly you’re making better choices. You have full awareness and are living consciously. You commit to 30 days, and as each day passes you are less likely to give up, despite the tough days. In my first attempt, I had to stop after 11 days. I was too hard on my body, and I had muscle soreness, but I kept trying to bull through it until my doctor told me to stop and rest. Of course, I did happen to be sick at the time as well. Regardless, I was disappointed and felt like I failed. How pathetic am I that I can’t do something for 30 days in a row? No big deal, just pick up and do it again. I didn’t want that to happen on this attempt, so no strenuous exercises, just small activities that take no time at all. When you consider how simple this plan is, the results are encouraging.

No need to continue with the daily blog entries, but I’ll continue to write and weigh myself in different increments. Maybe every 5, 10, or 15 days. I think I’ll give my daily logs to my doctor or a dietician and ask for some feedback. 30 days of hard truthful data is better than my answer to a question in a small stale room about my diet and how I feel. Although, I understand dieticians are pretty anal about counting calories, salt, fiber, and other garbage. They are trained to think that way, but I’m not interested in reading labels, life should be more simple and common sensicle than that. Plus they have a tendency to tell you what you should eat and how much (6 glasses of water a day, 2 pieces of fruit, a serving of a green vegetable). Give me a break! Only the most anal non fun people in the world could do that. I need more flexibility than that. When you consider what I accomplished with what I did, I’ve proven that out. Exercise experts tell you that you need to sweat and get your heart rate at certain levels to lose weight. Well apparently not. I only remember sweating one day cutting the neighbors lawn, and I certainly didn’t measure any heart rates or count how many minutes I was aerobic. Way too anal for me, and apparently, completely unnecessary. As my activities change and grow in duration, I’ll continue with the simple and easiest form of monitoring. Why bother with anything else? I’m not training for a marathon, spending money on gadgets that measure crap is a waste of money for me. Maybe I should call this, “Your Grandma’s Diet.” She didn’t have any tools like that either. My Grandma lived to almost 90, she was Italian. A day didn’t pass without carbs. Interesting.

And so, this wraps up the big 30 day experiment. 30 days of small, daily, incremental improvement and conscious living, resulting in weight loss, and arguably a healthier state. The other metrics, lasting self-discipline, additional weight loss, and the ability to keep it off will determine how successful this can be in the long run. For now, it’s working and I’m heading in the right direction. You don’t have to be an expert to lose weight, in fact you don’t have to really know anything about diet and exercise. No counting calories, reading labels, listening to Oprah, or avoiding noodles. Everyone already has all of the skills and tools they need. Wrap it up in this easy 5 step system that incorporates your mind, and you’re gold. And that’s all I have to say about that.

Day 28-30 - A Limp To The Finish

All day parties with plenty of food and drink available each day. A whirlwind few days over the Labor Day Weekend. Starting with a big day/night out with some old friends and their new pool, then an all day/night fantasy football draft party, and finishing with a big group outing to a Major League Baseball game followed by an after game party, I limp in to the finish line. Not exactly the way you’d like to go out, but as I’ve discussed with several people, there really isn’t a good time to do this. In fact, if I can lose weight during this period, then I’ve proven that anyone can do this at any point in time. More importantly of course, is what happens next.

After a big meal on the evening of Day 28, I feel pretty bloated. I probably stepped on the gas a bit too much, but the food at the restaurant was really good. It reminded me of a plate of food that you’d serve at home. Lot’s of food, large portions. It seemed to have a Mediterranean theme to the place, and we had flaming cheese as a starter. The process nearly singed the hair off of the waitron, but it was definitely tasty. Oh, and by the way, no comments from the old friends about my outward appearance changing. In conclusion, comments of that kind, were good natured supportive lies.

Day 29, another all day party left me scrambling to get my activities done. However, since they take no time at all, I sneak them in between getting home from our visit with our friends and the start of the party. Another advantage of doing something, anything small as an activity daily. As long as something gets done daily, you’re good. Developing a new discipline is the outcome.

With little sleep, Day 30 comes in a hurry. A quick shower and we’re back in party mode. Tailgating for a couple hours in advance of the game, another large spread of food, and then sitting on your butt for a few hours. I resist several small items because I don’t want to take the time to write them down. I get a comment about how disciplined I was for resisting some peanuts. It’s not that it takes all kinds of inner strength to turn down a nut, and the nut certainly isn’t going to make a big difference in the big picture, but what’s the point? I certainly wasn’t craving nuts, or even hungry at that point. And, I’d have to write it down. So the lack of need for a nut, and the slightly backwards motivation to document it, is why it didn’t enter the mouth. What can one nut lead to anyway? Another nut, perhaps a handful, then a half of a bag? Then I’m ready for some nachos or a soft pretzel. Why go down that trail? I’m content as is.

Tomorrow is the weigh-in. Day 30 in the books, and time to get a snapshot of one of the metrics to determine how successful this new plan really is. The other metrics, lasting self-discipline, additional weight loss, and the ability to keep it off, will of course have to wait. The 30 day weigh-in just the first glimpse at the results of the plan. The marathon three day food and booze fest tale of the tape follows:

Day 28

• 199!
• a pot of coffee
• 5 glasses of water
• 2 big spoonfuls of cheesy potatoes
• 1 fried egg (on top of the potatoes)
• ½ brat
• 1 banana
• 1 salami sandwich
• 12 chips and guacamole
• 3 large Malibu rum cocktails (poolside)
• 1 Corona beer (w/ lime)
• 5 red wines
• 2 slices of bread with humus
• 2 pieces of flaming cheese
• 1 filet of grilled halibut
• 1 bowl of corn chowder
• 4 olives
• 3 bites of cooked spinach
• 2 spoonfuls of mashed potatoes
• 1 taste chocolate mousse
  

• 40 pushups
• 40 sit-ups
• a light swim

Day 29

• 199!
• 4 cups of coffee
• 2 glasses of water
• ½ banana chocolate chip muffin
• 5 ritz crackers
• several handfuls of sunflower seeds
• 5 tapped Lite beers
• 1 cocktail
• 2 full plates of crawfish etouffee served over dirty rice
• 1 brat
• 2 pickles
• 2 Paulaner Oktoberfest beer
  

• 35 pushups
• 25 sit-ups

Day 30

• 199!
• 3 cups of coffee
• 3 glasses of water
• 2 Paulaner Oktoberfest beer
• 2 slices of a Subway party sub
• 1 Pilsner Urquell
• 2 Lite beers
• 2 Kettle One and tonics
• 12 bbq potato chips
• 3 Guinness beers
• 1 moon pie desert
• 1 brat
• 1 handful of sunflower seeds
  

• 40 pushups
• 40 sit-ups

Day 27 - Now We Go

Easy day eating wise and activity wise. Not hungry or sore, what's better than that? Got back on the booze train a bit because of a weekly card game. Starting to see the finish line. This plan is like second nature now. My notepad is like the wart on my right arm, it really doesn’t go anywhere without the rest of me. It’s dug in “real deep like.” Getting pretty anxious for the weigh-in. It has crossed my mind to quick check my weight, but had to remind myself that the weight thing is just an artifact of a tight plan. As Arnold Palmer once said, “luck is residue of skill” (at least I think it was the King). If I can’t do something simple like not weigh myself for 30 days straight, that shows how truly pathetic I am. Not doing something should be easy, as engrained during the days of the Fat and Happy Plan.

Going to see some old friends that we haven’t seen in a long time, tomorrow. Another great test for the true “looks like you’re getting in shape a bit” or “looks like you’ve lost some weight.” Another chance to show how full of crap the people were that had been saying those things when I was on Day 15 or whatever it was. They’ve put in a pool and are really anxious for us to see it and try it out, I’m sure it’s awesome.

What’s the deal with pools and water that make people take most of their clothes off anyway? People spend millions trying to figure out what to wear, what makes them look best, what makes them look less pathetic, chubby, round, fat, etc. Then they get around water and it all comes off. They say, “Look at me! I’m fat and out of shape! See my rolls and folds! What do you think is hiding in here?” What can they be thinking? Why are the rules different around water? I’m always amazed, despite my fat and happy figure, at how great and secure I can feel around a pool or water. There’s always someone more pathetic than me. In fact, there’s probably a rule brewing here. If you can’t find the most pathetic person around a pool or water, chances are it’s you.

Day 27

• 199!
• 4 cups of coffee
• 5 glasses of water
• 1 hard boiled egg
• 1 slice of wheat toast with butter and peanut butter
• 1 serving of leftover noodles with red sauce and grated romano cheese
• 2 slices of sausage pizza
• 3 Oktoberfest beers
• 1 Miller Lite beer
• 7 handfuls of sunflower seeds
  

• 35 pushups
• 35 sit-ups