Cut 25 minutes off my round trip time in 3 months

Just did my normal outdoor walk, from my house up the hill on Main Rd. N, then loop around at the west end of Old Country Road, then loop around at the east end of same, then back to my house on Main Rd. N again. 4.1 miles. I just did it in 75 minutes, which is about 3 1/4 mph. The first time I did it, it took me 100 minutes, and I was winded and already sore before I even got home. Today, I kept finding myself walking faster on the uphill sections and when I got home I was like, "Maybe I'll get on the treadmill." And I probably will a little later. So, that means I've cut 25 minutes off the total round trip time from 3 months ago when I did that walk the first time. And I never felt totally winded, although I did have to take my scarf off and open up my jacket for a while, but it's hella cold so that didn't last long, it easy to cool down too much. That's totally awesome. I'm really pleased to see and feel such a tangible change in my health and my cardio conditioning. I've always liked walking, especially outside with music. It makes me feel good, and I always have really good creative ideas when I am on a walk.

Very successful week

Oh my god! I did it! I went to the gym on a Monday! And went to the gym 5 days. 💪✔✨

Weighed in at 262, so I have lost 35 lbs. and over 10% of my starting weight, and that kicked my average weight loss up to 2.5 lbs / wk, but that will level back out to closer to 2. I am losing about 10 lbs. a month though, so that is a pretty realistic average.

I have been weighing myself every day and I can see the clear pattern now. My weight fluctuates by as much as 10 lbs over the course of the week, and I tend to see the biggest gains right in the beginning of the week, including Sundays because I am a lot less active on the weekends and I tend to indulge myself with food a little. It doesn't bother me as long as my average weight loss stays on pace. I really think that I can get down to my target weight in a year, so by the end of Nov 2019. i started at 297. So if I can lose 10 lbs a month, I should be down to 175-180 by that time. I know that my weight loss might taper off after the first 50 lbs or so, but I also know I can do it.

The gym was good this week. Like I said, I went every day M-F before work. 30 min on the treadmill all 5 days, then M-W-F were Chest & Arms Day and T-Th were Leg Day. Although every day is kinda leg day because I use the treadmill so much. But I did try to focus on the areas I need to tone up still -- my thighs and hip abductors. At home I also used my treadmill Sun - Thu, which is really Booty Day because I use it on the highest elevation and use the handles to lean in. Every time I feel the burn in my glutes I'm like, "Yes, my ass is getting cuter right now."

I did struggle to get as much lifting in as I would like. I am still not quite getting there early enough so that I don't feel rushed, and so I am on time to work. I could do 20 min on the treadmill, but I don't want to do that. That adds up to almost an hour less cardio by the end of the week and I am already doing an hour a day on the home treadmill, so I don't want to compensate on that end. So I just need to get to the gym earlier. I might have to sacrifice some computer time in the morning. Maybe I really don't need 30 minutes of Facebook every morning.... I feel like I need to be in my car rolling by 7:20 at the very latest in order to get to work by 8. That means I need to be in the locker room changing by 10 past -- or at least I need to be finishing my last set wherever I am by 7:10. So in order to get 30 minutes on the treadmill and have the time I need to work out... I like to do 3 sets of 10 reps 3 x/ ea on 4 machines, and that takes me about 35 minutes. So off the treadmill by 6:35, I really need to be at the gym by 6. So I really need to be leaving home about 5:50 to make that happen. You'd think, getting up at 5, I could do that.

Goals for next week:

💪Go to the gym 5 days
💪Lift full 3 / 10 x 4
💪Maintain avg weight loss at 2.5 / wk

I've officially lost 10% of my starting weight

SWEET! Weighed in at 265, which means I have officially lost (more than) 10% of my body weight. 32 lbs lost, and still maintaining right around 2 lbs / wk. Also found my cloth tape measure, so I was able to measure my body. No surprises there, but I am glad I can start tracking again. I know for sure I am getting smaller because I can't keep my pants up, so it's good to be able to really have data on it other than simply the number on the scale.

I was a little worried about going off the wagon this week. I only went to the gym twice. I did use my treadmill at home, but I only lifted weights two times. I failed again to go to the gym on Monday morning. I was stranded at home Wed by a snowstorm and then Friday I had an emergency with my furnace at home that started Thu night and I just couldn't. I did manage to stay on my dietary wagon. And I got 8 hours of cardio, I hit the home treadmill hard.

This is a quick post I know, I am trying to blog at least once a week.

I am not going to take Monday off the list yet. I am going to try to weight train M-W-F, so I am going to try again tomorrow. I drank a lot last weekend (both Fri & Sat nite) which I did not do this weekend, so I am a lot more energetic today than I was last Sun. I was up and out for my Sunday walk by 10:30. I am going to give it another go.

I'm having some stress and it is testing my commitment to my goals. But, I am going to win.

I can do what I want...

... I say that like I haven't always done whatever the fuck I want. LOL. But, we'll get to what I mean at some point (when I want...)

Interesting week. Weighed in at 269, which is awesome. One of my favorite milestones is when I see a new number on the scale -- there is a 6 where the 7 was. 28 lbs lost overall, and 3 lbs lost in the week, still maintaining my average of just over 2 lbs. / wk lost. This is actually really encouraging because this is the longest I have ever maintained a consistent drop in weight without a major regain somewhere along the way.

Also, tightened my belt down another notch this week. I think I might be able to get back into my 38 waist pants again. (I hated admitting to myself I needed a 40, since I at one point threw away all my 38s because I said I would never be that big again...)

So, a big stone got dropped in my pond. I bought a treadmill. (A friend was selling hers for $100, I couldn't say no.)

My "new" (to me) treadmill - thanks Linda!!

My instant thought was, "OK, I can cancel my gym membership." But something just did not feel right about that. And also Planet Fitness is $10 / mo. It's my cheapest bill. I was thinking that the treadmill was the thing I most wanted to go to the gym for, and in terms of time spent, it is certainly the thing I do the most there, that's for sure. But, I do also work out -- a.k.a. lift weights -- at the gym, too and I want to step that up, not down. I have 3 lb and 15 lb dumbbells and resistance bands at home, but I like the variety and flexibility of the equipment at the gym. I really, really, really want to have a nice chest and that means I need to lift more than 15 lbs. Plus, every person I look up to in terms of weight loss success swears by body building, and every one of them says they wish they had started lifting weights much sooner in their journey.

I don't just want to be thin. I want to be strong, and I want my body to look nice, I want to be proud of my physical appearance. And that's not shallow, I don't give one fuck how it sounds. My appearance has always been important to me, and as I am getting older, I am becoming much more aware of how dramatically my physical health affects my looks. I feel so good after I work out that there is no way I want to stop now. I can feel myself getting stronger, my balance is getting better, my cardio conditioning is stepping way up, and I am losing inches around my waist. I also noticed my face is starting to slim down a little again -- I always lose my face fat first, but that is really fantastic -- I was getting jowly, ick. Let's not even discuss that.

So, anyway -- I am not cancelling my gym membership. My home treadmill is an addition and a backup to the gym, not a replacement. For example: I failed for the 2nd week in a row to get out of bed early enough to go to the gym on Monday morning. I am going to try again tomorrow, but if I can't do it, I'm taking it off the list. And now, if I do fumble, I can still get up in time to at least use my home treadmill before work. I am also going to work on stepping up my weight lifting at the gym. I need to get there a little sooner. I would like 15 more minutes. Right now I usually have time to do 3 sets of 10 reps on 3 machines -- I've been doing the lateral pull-down, the hammer thrust and the chest press. I am going to YouTube some lifting beginner videos and see what I should be trying. I'll go see what Coach Kozak at HASFit has for videos probably, as I really like him.

AND -- drum roll -- something amazing happened. I never thought ever in all my days that the following thought would ever pass through my mind, let alone stick around... I like going to the gym. WTF, right? I realized when I was having the debate with myself about cancelling my gym membership or not that I was feeling remorseful at the idea of not going to the gym. Then, the morning after I got the home treadmill (which is awesome btw) I went to the gym early ass in the morning before work, and I was really glad I did it. I was in a great mood after, and I was like, "I am definitely not cancelling my membership."

So this is what brings me to the title of this blog, "I can do what I want." I realized that I was also feeling weird about the idea of working out at home instead of the gym, and that I was actually worried about being judged by someone who might notice I don't come to the gym as much any more. And then I was like, 'WTF is wrong with you?? First of all, they do not care what the fuck you do. And, you can do whatever the fuck you want." I realized, ok so if I were to go to the gym 3x/wk (instead of 5) and work out at home the other two, I'm still exercising. Also, fuck it, if I want to go to the gym 5x/wk I can still use my treadmill any time I want -- it's mine. Sometimes I get so hung up on having to have a strategy and / or a justification for things that I do forget that I can do what I want. Not sure that makes any sense, but it does to me. Also, that there are no ultimatums and any plan can be adjusted. I make the plan, it is what I say it is. As long as I am meeting my goals, it's working.

Also, a funny little anecdote: so I did go to the gym in the evening one time. And it wasn't horrific like I feared, in fact it was mostly like it always is. However, there was a different crowd, and a slightly different feel to the place. So, the next morning when I was back at my normal time (right about 6am) I walked in and it felt normal and right and I actually recognized most of the crowd and I thought to myself, Ah, my people. Weird. I consider strangers at the gym "my people." But really, most of them are friendly and I am starting to recognize specific people. It's kinda nice.

That was my week. Still on track with all goals. New goal is to start increasing my weight lifting, including figuring out how to squeeze 15 more minutes out of my morning. I've tried the no-computer-in-the-morning rule and I hate it. I need 15-20 min to drink a cup of coffee, wake up a little and take in some Internet crack. I do some sit-ups and ab crunches as soon as I get out of bed, and that takes me up a notch, but I still just like a few minutes first thing. I don't look at social media at work (except in the Facebook Room, I mean the restroom, and that's only if I poo...) and I try not to spend my evenings online, so morning is my Internet time, always has been, always will be. I am trying to brainstorm ideas though that do no include, "Get up earlier." I am already getting up at 5. OK, well maybe more like 5:10, so maybe I just found 10 minutes right there... and I could stay at the gym a little bit longer, I can get to work on time as long as I'm in the car by 7:20, so there's 5 or 10 more, too.... yeah I can do it.

Onward! 🌈✅💪💪💪

Not perfect, but I'll take it

Weighed in this morning at 272, meaning I've officially lost 25 lbs. 

I am feeling the difference literally. I said last week I had to tighten my belt down a notch; I am going to have to do it again pretty soon -- in fact, yesterday I did cinch it down another notch and it wasn't horrible, although I know I could not have worn it that way all day. But I was able to, which is great. 

Met all my goals last week, although I just barely scraped by. As I say in the title of this post though, it's not perfect, but I'll take it. I did hit all my goals. But, because I decided it would be a great idea to get drunk on Thursday night, I did not go the gym before work, and it was a struggle to make myself go after, but I did. So, I did manage to hit the gym 4 times. 

Ug. I took myself out to Subway yesterday. (Fri.) I was at an all-day training off-site, so I used that as an excuse to treat myself. I resisted the urge to go to Burger King, but when I got to Subway I failed at my resolve to get a chopped salad instead of a sub, so I wolfed down a foot-long Italian BMT with a Coke and a bag of Salt & Vinegar chips. It was very difficult being truthful about what I ate when I was entering that meal into my WW tracker. 42 points -- my entire days worth of points on one meal. And, when I got to the gym my pre-workout heart rate was 110, when my normal heart rate any other day is about 65. Can you say sodium?? And Subway is endorsed by the American Heart Association, that's scary really. It was quite eye-opening. 

The negatives of that aside, I still enjoyed myself and I don't mind a little indulgence once in a while, it is in my overall nutritional budget, and honestly it was the chips and the soda that probably spiked my blood pressure. And, no I will not ever drink a Diet Coke -- yuck, disgusting. I drink soda so rarely I truly could not tell you when was the last time I had one. I never buy it, I don't consider it a beverage choice. So one Coca-Cola every few months is a non-issue, and it has the positive of being a really satisfying indulgence. Also, chips are something I don't eat any more. And salt & vinegar are my favorite, I'm salivating writing about it. LOL. So, it was a good self-care meal, although the nutritional bases were not really met. And I woke up this morning and still lost weight, so I call it a win. 

So I said if I could pull off going to the gym 4x this past week, I would test drive going 5 days, every work day. We'll see what happens Monday morning. I was tentatively considering trying out 5 days this week, but Mon morning I just could not get out of bed an hour early. And then when I didn't go Fri morning because of the hangover, I was like, Oh shit, I'm gonna fuck it up, I'm only gonna hit 3 days. Fuck. Which is what got me to the gym after work, which was weird and all different people were there and I kinda hated it. So there's an object lesson. I really do prefer going to the gym early in the morning. I have the most energy and it really gets me going, I am starting to really like the feeling I have after I am done working out. I find I am in a good mood, I have a better outlook even on problems, and my ability to set goals and meet them carries over into work and my personal life. So yeah, I am going to try really hard to go 5 days this upcoming week. I am not moving the needle on the goals though, officially my rule will stay 4x/wk. which is up one from 2 weeks ago, so I need to pace myself in terms of how far I step it up. I will only set goals I can achieve 100%. So, this upcoming week, I will test drive going to the gym 5 days, but the goalpost is still 4. 

I also want to make an adjustment to my weekend routine. I am still convinced that I want Saturday to be my Zero Day. I call it a "zero day" instead of a cheat day or something like that because for one, there is no cheating in my plan, there are only misses. And truly, I haven't missed my goals much and I don't plan to start now. What my "zero day" means is that it is the day of the week where I do not have to do anything if I don't want to, including no diet rules. If I want to stay in my pajamas all day, eat 5 meals and watch 16 hours of Snapped, I do it. However...

I am not happy with the fact that I am regaining weight over the weekend. Pretty much every Mon, I have put on a couple pounds, once it was 9 lbs. (oops...) and I know it is mostly water weight, but I don't like it. I am sabotaging myself and back tracking all my hard work for the sake of some sloth. I am not going to set any rules for Zero Day, other than it is Zero Day. But, I am thinking I want to make a Weekend Rule which says I do have to do something active every day no matter what. I'm averaging 2 lbs. a week lost, which is really great, but I am actually losing 5 - 10 lbs a week but I'm regaining it over the Fri-Mon window. I have observed my metabolism / GI tract seems to have about a 48 hour cycle, so often I don't see a difference on the scale for 2 days, although when I am active, I see the number go down the very next day. So..... being even the least bit active has an exponentially larger positive impact. I am hoping this will allow me to continue to insulate my Zero Day but not have to deal with the resulting weight gain. I can accept that my weight is going to fluctuate, and I do understand how water weight works, but I still don't want to see the scale go up. I am going to try to minimize that, but I need Zero Day for my psychological well-being. 

Well, I guess that covers my week. Onward!