May 31

35 minutes on treadmill, random program level 4, @5.2

Weight: 195.4#
Calories: 1925

Calories are ok, but the balance of fats and such are all way off. I'm just going to observe this week, and make changes next week.

May 30

Warm up: 12.5 minutes on treadmill @ 5.5, 1% incline

Workout:

Squat - 5 reps: 45, 65, 95, 105, 105, 105#
Shoulder Press - 5 rep: 45, 55, 65, 75, 75, 75#
Power Clean - 3 rep: 45, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50#

Cool Down: 12 minutes on treadmill @ 5.2, 1% incline

Weight: 195.4#

Clearly, my diet control is lacking. I shall start a journal Monday.

Calorie counting

I've been thinking I should be tracking my daily foods lately. Track what I eat, their total calories, and the relative macronutrients (protein, carb, fat) in everything.

On the one hand, this would do a good job of keeping me on track for weight loss, but it would also do a good job of informing me of what I am eating too much and what I am not getting enough.

The downside is that I'd need to write all this stuff down, and that I'd need to reconcile it all at some point in the day. Still, I think I may go down this route this week.

May 28

31 minutes on treadmill @5.4kph 1% incline

Hammer Strength lat pulldown machine: 10x35#, 5x70#, 5x60# each arm
Hammer Strength tricep dip machine: 10x50#, 10x70#, 2x10x90#

Weight: 194.6#

May 27

Warm up: 12 minutes treadmill @5.4kph, 1% incline

Squat - 5 reps each: 45, 65, 95, 105, 105, 105#
Bench Press - 5 reps each: 45, 55, 65, 75, 75, 75#
Deadlift - 5 reps each: 65, 95, 105, 120#

3x2 Chin up

Cool down: 12 minutes treadmill @5.2kph, 1% incline

Weight: 196.2#

Week six

I started at 198.8#

Week 1 was 200.6.# (up 1.8#)

Week 2 was 198.6# (down 2#, down 0.2# total)

Week 3 is 197.4# (down 1.2#, down 1.4# total)
Week 4 is 196.2# (down 1.2#, down 2.6# total)

Week 5 is 196.6# (up 0.4#, down 2.2# total)

Week 6 is 196.2# (down 0.4#, down 2.6# total)

This appears to be a failure so far.

With my goal weight of 185# by June 30, that leaves me with just 5 weeks to lose 11.2 pounds. That's just over 2 pounds per week. It's still in the realm of possibility - but I need to really commit to the goal now. No more dallying.

Get focused, man!

May 26

Meant to visit with Lindorm and friends, leave a bit early and then hit the gym for treadmill time.

I visited, but stayed later than I should have. Midnight does not make a great time for working out. So I skipped.

Weight: 196.6#

The weight is nice and stable now. Which is entirely not what I want at all.

May 25

Warm up: 12 minutes treadmill @5.4kph 1% incline

Workout:

Squat - 5 reps each: 45, 65, 95, 95, 95#
Shoulder Press - 5 reps each: 45, 55, 65, 65, 65#
Power Clean - 3 reps each: 45, 45, 45, 45, 45#

3x2 slow pull up negatives

Cool down: 12 minutes treadmill @5.2kph 1% incline

Weight: 196.2#

APoD

I took some models with me over the weekend, hoping to get them painted. It didn't happen. Combination of bad (insufficient) lighting and tiredness got to me. I managed to move 10 models from primed to green, though, which I suppose is at least a little bit of a win for me.

There is just 7 days (including today) before the end of the month. This will be the end of month 5 of APoD. I committed to 12 models a month, which means I should be finishing up my 60th model. I have about 35 painted in total. I am way, way behind. Can I complete 25 models in 7 days? That's a bit more than 3 per day. Difficult, but not wholly impossible.

I intend to try.

May 24

A bit of walking today while geocaching. Not really enough workout to justify the amount of food I've eaten over the last few days though.

Weight: 193.5#

Today and yesterday's weight were done with the in-law's scale. It doesn't quite match my scale, so it tends to be low.

May 23

Bike ride today: 12.5km in about an hour. I have a rather slow biking pace. But good for a starter ride.

Weight: 192.5#

May 22

Rest day today.

Weight: 195.2#

May 21

I'm working my way back up to running again, so I'm focusing on building my walking pace first, and then back to slow jogging.

3km treadmill @ 5.2kph pace. 40 minutes including cool down on machine.

3x3 jumping pull ups
3x5 15# bicep curl
1x5 20# bicep curl

3x5 70# per arm Hammer Strength Low Row machine.

Weight: 195.6#

May 20

Joined the gym today because I missed lifting weights.

Warm up:

10 minutes @ 5.0kph pace on treadmill, 1% incline

Workout:

It's been a long time since I did any lifting, so I'm starting slow and low.

Squats - 5 reps: 45, 65, 95, 95, 95#
Bench Press - 5 reps: 45, 55, 65, 75, 85, 85, 85
Deadlift - 5 reps: 45, 65, 96, 105, 105

10 minutes @ 5.0kph pace on treadmill, 1% incline

3x1 chin up on parallel bars

Weight: 196.6#

Least to Beast: Update

Updates already! Woo!

Here's the strength goals I stated today.

Mission Statement: Strength and fitness. Better look.

Main Strength Goals: Lift weights. Weighted squat, bench press, shoulder press.

Current Strength Goal: Join gym.

I have joined a gym. 5 months paid in advance. No excuses now.

So, time for a new goal.

Current Strength Goal: Strength workout - 3 days a week.

Pushup plans

I have been keeping up with the daily push up regimen. At the start of the week, I notched up the total daily push ups to 25. By Tuesday, I'd changed that to 30 per day. That is where it is going to sit for now.

I'll be starting a push up progression program next week on Monday, but I will be working on it some this week as well.

The general progression is really straightforward. 3 times a week, I do 3 sets of maximum push ups. 2 minutes rest between sets. I simply record the total numbers, and strive to do better each time.

Least to Beast?

I had considered titling this "Run fat boy! Run!" but decided against it, as running is only a part of the whole package.

As I've been saying all week, I've been thinking I need to make a change. To be accurate, a lot of changes. I'm looking at a change in diet, workout routine, type and intensity, and a change in overall attitude towards fitness.

To do this, I'm simply going to lay out a set of goals, and work towards them. I don't want to flood myself with stretch goals, but I do want to have a goal that is going to take some effort, and a goal that should be immediately achievable (or at least achievable within a week or so).

Diet:

Mission Statement: Eat better.

Main Goals: Less starches, more fruit and veg, more protein.

Current Goal: More fruit, minimum of 1 per day.

Workout:

Mission Statement: Strength and fitness. Better look.

Main Strength Goals: Lift weights. Weighted squat, bench press, shoulder press.

Current Strength Goal: Join gym.

Main Cardio Goals: Run 3 miles under 20:00.

Current Cardio Goal: Start 5 times a week "get back to running" program.

Main Bodyweight Goals: 50 pushups, 20 pull ups

Current Bodyweight Goal: Start 3 week pushup builder program.

Weight:

Mission Statement: Be lighter.

Main Goal: Weigh 175# by end of July.

Current Goal: Weight 185# by end of June.

I realize that I'm adding on 4 new goals for myself, bringing myself to 5. But I can do it.

Week five

I started at 198.8#

Week 1 was 200.6.# (up 1.8#)

Week 2 was 198.6# (down 2#, down 0.2# total)

Week 3 is 197.4# (down 1.2#, down 1.4# total)
Week 4 is 196.2# (down 1.2#, down 2.6# total)

Week 5 is 196.6# (up 0.4#, down 2.2# total)

I'm up (just a bit) this week. But that's another week with no progress to show for it. My chart is going to flatten out if I keep going this way.

May 19

Another lost day. I won't make any progress this way.

Weight: 196.6#

May 18

Had plans to work out. Went over the Athalos' place and stayed there until far too late. Did not get anything done.

Weight: 196.0#

Now, as an add on, I do have the following other things to say.

1. I'm pushing the daily push ups up from 20 to 25. I may change and go to 30 if I find 25 too easy. These have been going really well. Such that I can do a set of 10 with little issue. When I started, 10 was really hard. Slow progress is the way to go for me.

2. I am going to start a running program. Ease into running again. I know I like it, my mind just doesn't remember yet.

3. I'm debating with myself over a "Least to Beast" kind of thing. That's what happens when I spend some time debating the merits of gyms, competitions and heavy stacks of steel.

Tracking for Goals

There's 6 weeks and a day until the end of June. I have set a goal for myself of 185#. I am currently 196#. That's 11 pounds in 6 weeks.

Just under 2# a week.

It's totally possible to do, yet, my current rate of progress has been just 1.2# per week. Not nearly the 2# per week goal rate.

Why? I am exercising, but little if any of it is cardio.

I am eating marginally better, but I haven't been giving my diet any real thought or planning. I've just been going about things in pretty much the same way as always.

I need to shake things up. Make a change for the better.

What I "Should" be doing...

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately related to fitness. A lot of "should" in my life right now.

I should be running, or at least working up to running again.

I should be altering my diet in noticeable ways, including food selection, amount, preparation, and frequency.

I should be keeping up a regular schedule of workouts, with varied activity and intensity.

I should be biking more.

I should be learning how to play a sport of some kind.

I should be learning how to swim.

I should be sleeping more.

I should join a gym and get some lifting done.

With so much should, it feels like there isn't any place to start. But I know that's not true. I know that all I need to do with those shoulds, is just get started.

May 17

Got in my pushups, and talked about fitness stuff a bit. Nothing else done. Got a thought in my mind...

Weight: 195.8#

Motivation and drive

Recently (as in: this weekend) my friend G attended the IDFA middleweight championships as a competitor. I had known for some time that he had been working towards this goal (at least 6 months, probably closer to 9). I also knew that he was in pretty good shape to start.

I did not expect him to win - but he did.

Which made me think.

He set a goal for himself. A big one. And carried it out. I've set goals for myself and fall short. Why? What's different between what he's done, and what I keep failing to do?

Dedication? Probably. He fixed his mind to the task, and stuck through everything to get there. I tend to be dedicated at the start, but it drops off quick.

Persistance? Also probably. My persistance on a task can be really low. For me, persistance is like dedication, but comes after dedication fails. Persistance is all about picking yourself back up and re-dedicating yourself to the goal. And, the shorter the timeframe between falling down and getting back up, the better.

Self-control? Maybe. I do tend to make poor choices for myself, and even when I notice I'm making a poor choice, I just keep going with it.

These are things that give me trouble. I need to start enforcing my own decisions, and keeping myself focused, dedicated and on task. I need to be persistent. I need to keep getting up just one more time than I've been knocked down.

I know I can do it. I know I can.

May 14 + 15 + 16

Another weekend where I get no workouts in at all.

May 14: I kept at the pushups on Friday, but other than maybe an extra 5 pushups, I didn't do anything. Worked the bar until the wee hours, and didn't get to sleep until very late.

Weight: 198.6#

May 15: Got up with the kids, to get them to classes, then off to see if my drum lesson was on (it wasn't). Over to the store to play a game. That evening went off to hang out with the others for after-party stuff. Again, up until way too late. No exercise at all, aside from maybe one set of push ups that morning.

Weight: 198.4#

May 16: I'm tired and ragged this morning. I don't get much done, and I spend a lot of the afternoon sleeping. I consider a workout in the evening, but don't in the end.

Weight: 197.4#

I have to get in a workout today. Something, even if it is just a run.

Push up, sit up, run

Those are the main areas tested in the US army physical fitness test (PFT). You have to score a minimum of 50 points in each area to pass the PFT. Here's what someone my age would need:

Push up (2 minutes): 26 (36.. 75)

Sit up (2 minutes): 34 (42.. 76)

2 mile run: 18:48 (17:42.. 13:18)

The values there are minimums, then the value for 60 points (above average) and lastly the value for a full 100 points.

While I'm not going into the army, police or any other department, I think it'd be good to be fit enough to enter if I wanted. I'm thinking that these numbers should be something to work towards. If not set as actual goals, they should at least be something I consider and maybe check against from time to time.

I don't know where my current standings might be at this time, but I can pretty much guarantee that I'd have difficulties getting the minimum standards. I may have to set aside some time this weekend to test myself, and see where I am.

References:

http://www.military.com/military-fitness/army-fitness-requirements/army-physical-fitness-test-score-chart#2

http://www.military.com/military-fitness/army-fitness-requirements/army-pft-sit-up-score-chart#2

http://www.military.com/military-fitness/army-fitness-requirements/army-pft-two-mile-run-score-chart#2

May 13

Burpees: 5..1

Warm up:

100 skips
5 burpees
50 jumping jacks
5 burpees

Skill work:

3x30 sec frog stand

Workout:

5x10 10# thrusters

Stretching

Weight: 196.8#

May 12

Warm up:

100 skips
5..1 burpees
100 skips

Skill work:

3x40 sec handstand

Workout:

30, 20, 10 reps of each:
squats
toe press

15, 10, 5 reps of each:
lunge
jump squat

Stretching

Weight: 196.2#

Four weeks

I'm surprised:

So, at the start I was 198.8#

Week 1 was 200.6.# (up 1.8#)

Week 2 was 198.6# (down 2#, down 0.2# total)

Week 3 is 197.4# (down 1.2#, down 1.4# total)
Week 4 is 196.2# (down 1.2#, down 2.6# total)

I'm actually keeping a pace of about 1 pound a week. It's less than I want, but I'm happy to see there is some progress there.

I'm far from where I thought I'd be by now (down 8 pounds total). But I can put in some effort.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about why my diet hasn't been working. And the answer is simple enough. Though I am following the rules against burger and fries, and the rules against cola, I've been making a lot of poor choices.

What I need to do is stop planning what to do, and start deciding what I want to do. And then following through on those decisions.

A challenge!

Athalos has suggested the burpee challenge... the idea is to start at 1 burpee per day, and by adding 1 burpee per day, you work your way up to 100 burpees.

I've tried the half challenge before, but 50 per day was too much. With no break days, I was left with some pretty harshed shoulders and elbows. So, I've declined.

Instead, I suggested working our way up slower. Slower progressions I can do.

We have somewhat decided on the prisoner burpee workout. 20..1. Well, building up to that amount. Starting with 5..1. And adding a set at the top each week.

I think I can hold that pace, though, I'm not sure. But, I'll take the challenge on.

Paint Goals...

The Apocalypse Paint or Die thing is still going on. It's May now, and the end of June is the drop dead date. So far, I've painted exactly 0 models this month. That's bad. Especially since I'm behind.

I've tried setting goals for myself to paint, but they've been pushed off. Instead, I'm going to set a slightly different goal. A situational goal.

This situational goal is thus:

Each evening, at about 9:00, I want to be at my table, with the paints out, water ready, and at least one model sitting and waiting for paint.

There is no goal to paint said model(s), simply to have the environment set up and ready at about 9:00.

I'm going to give this a try, and see if it helps.

German

I'm still working on the German studies. Actual study is pretty slow, but just listening to German is getting easier. It helps to play stuff I like.

May 11

Warm up:

3 rounds:
30 jumping jacks
5 burpees

Skill work:

3x40 sec yoga headstand

Workout:

5x10 25# shoulder press
5x10 10# dumbell flies
3x5 25# kettlebell snatch

Stretching

Weight: 196.0#

I have no idea what the weight is doing. I'm just trying to be good about snacking and eating - and generally failing.

May 10

It's taking me a bit of time to get back into the swing of working out on a regular basis. This is always the trouble after getting sidetracked and discouraged.

I know I just need to focus and get back to it.

Weight: 196.6#

May 7 + 8 + 9

I missed my workout on the 7th. I considered calling it a rest day, but didn't, as I'd just had one.

May 8, I meant to work out, but didn't get around to where I could start on it until the day was over. 11 PM over. So, no workout that day either.

May 9, not only did I not get a workout done, but I ate like crap. Pizza, chocolate and bagels.

During these three days, my weight shot up to the 198 range again, and generally discouraged me.

I know I haven't been vigilant enough. I know that I need to combine what I'm eating with what I'm doing for exercise. There is no other path.

May 6

Warm up:

2 minutes skipping
5..1 burpees
2 minutes skipping

Skill work:

3x30 sec Frog Stand - I can't do these straight yet, so they're really closer to 6x15 seconds.

Workout:

3 rounds of:
20 Squat
15 25# Kettlebell Swing
10 Lunge
5 Jump Squat
5 Backward Lunge

5x20 toe press

Stretching

Weight: 197.6#

May 5

Rest day.

Weight: 197.4#

Three weeks

Three weeks already? How is that possible?

So, at the start I was 198.8#

Week 1 was 200.6.# (up 1.8#)

Week 2 was 198.6# (down 2#, down 0.2# total)

Week 3 is 197.4# (down 1.2#, down 1.4# total)

I must say that progress is slower than expected. It is consistent, though. If the trend from earlier in the week had continued, I'd be down to somewhere in the 195 range, but I shot up quite a bit over the last two days, eliminating most of my progress.

It's a balancing act for me with food and effort, and I'm still making a lot of mistakes along the way.

I've been keeping on the 15 push up per day minimum, and am thinking of pushing it up to 20 per day minimum. I have not been on the horizontal rows, though. I will need to make an effort to get those started.

May 4

I'm giving my foot some consideration today, as it's still a bit sore. So, I'm keeping things more towards the upper body.

Warm up:

5x5 push ups

Skill work:

4x40 seconds handstand

Workout:

3x60 sec plank
5x10 30# bent over row
5x5 horizontal row

Stretching

Weight: 198.0#

Ow

Ok, so I hurt my foot trying to land a jump yesterday while messing around. I'd tweaked it earlier doing the exact same thing, but since it didn't hurt then, I didn't really pay attention to it. Had I paid attention, I might not have done any more jumps - but, I probably would have anyway.

It was sore all evening, and is a bit sore this morning. I expect it to be fine by this evening, though, so I can do a proper workout.

May 3

Made a light day of it, just basically playing and running about at the playground with the kids.

I landed a jump a bit wrong, and made my ankle sore, but I think it will be fine.

Weight: 196.6#

May 2

Warm up:

2 minutes skipping
5 burpees
40 jumping jacks
5 burpees

Skill work:

4x30 sec handstand hold - I did three small range of motion presses in each hold. Figure it will put a bit more effort into these holds.

Workout:

5x10 25# kettlebell shoulder press
3x10 30# tricep press
5x5 chair dips
5x10 10# flies
3x3 30# curl

Stretching

Weight: 196.6#

May 1

It's the start of the month, so it's time to get things going and notch up the intensity a bit.

Warm up:

10 squat
5 burpees
2 minutes jump rope
5 burpees
10 lunges
5 burpees

Skill work:

3x40 sec yoga headstand

Workout:

3x15 crunch
3x10 supermans
3x25 10# mason twists

Stretching

Weight: 195.8#

I find I am exceptionally poor at crunches. Something about them always come across wrong. Bad neck position, or arm position, or simply weak abdominal muscles. All three likely.