Starting Off

It's Sunday, so time for kick-off measurements.

Weight: 199#

Body Fat: 28%

Waist: 110cm

Right Arm: 33cm

Left Arm: 32cm

I'm going to take these as my starter measurements. Right now, I'm not concerned with my chest, hips, calves or thighs. They're aren't going to be tracked.

In exactly 10 weeks, the new year will be upon us. That's still enough time to make some changes. I am going to set modest goals for now. Once the new year sets in, then I will review where I am and where I want to go.

For weight, I'd like to knock off a mere 10#. 1 pound per week. A change in diet, plus some extra workouts should do it.

Body fat, I'd like to reduce by 3%.

Waist, I'd like to lose 5cm, but in the arms, I'd like to gain 1cm each.

I don't think any of these goals are unreasonable in the amount of time I have available.

Stats and such

Just covering some basic body stats and light goals.

Weight: 200# (more or less)

Body Fat: 22% (estimated)

These are the main factors as far as weight are concerned. If either goes down, then I'm doing something right.

As far as goals go, I'd like to get down to somewhere between 175 and 180. So, 20 to 25 pounds of weight as my "to lose" goal.

My arms are 34cm and 35cm (left and right). I'd like to grow at least 1cm in each. Modest goals, but good ones.

The method for attaining these goals is still being worked out.

Just not getting it.

Seems that I'm just not getting it.

I've been on and off and on and off for so long, I think I've worn a groove into my mind about how fitness is supposed to be done. Which sucks, since it's not the way things should go.

I have been pretty good the last couple of weeks, hitting the gym pretty regular (but not really regular). I've been needing to get some real schedule and routine happening, and I'm not getting there.

On the plus side of things, I did work the SS stuff until I hit a plateau (which I'm working through the reset and rebuild part now). On the negative side, I'm afraid that vanity may start to hinder my progress.

It's been on my mind lot lately that I'm not looking very good. And that kind of thinking wears on me pretty badly. It's not that anyone is saying it, but I get little things from people that make me thinks that they're thinking it. And of course, I say it to myself - in my head.

So, of course, it wears me down. Which sucks in the long run.

My current bit of vanity is around my arms. I'd like bigger arms. I know how to get them - focused exercise regime targeting the arms. But, I have concerns that really hammering my arms will leave them too tired to do the SS workouts properly. I'll be hindering overall growth to further non-functional, yet physically attractive - growth.

It's not a good plan, but I think I'll probably succumb to vanity.

The other bit is my weight. I'm still hovering between 195 and 200 pounds. A bad spot mentally, since I'd hoped to be far under that point by this time of the year.

The main reason I'm still in the same spot is a lack of discipline. I eat like crap, and I know it. But I don't do anything about it. I just keep doing the same wrong things.

A big part of it has to do with the fact that while I'm unhappy (and occasionally bothered) being the weight I am, at the same time, I'm not dissatisfied enough with myself to kick my own ass into making the necessary changes.

When I hit the 200 pound mark, then I get myself going again, and by the time I'm down to 195, I feel relatively good enough about myself that I just stop trying anymore.

I could be 180 pounds. I know this. It would take a small amount of discipline, but not that much. It would mean me not eating cookies and not having chocolate every day, but I think I could do it without really inconveniencing myself too badly.

So, if I want to weigh less, and I know how to do it, why aren't I already doing it? I'm not sure. And that's been plaguing me all year. I just don't have the internal motivation to really keep me going. I know there's a weight plateau for myself at 195. Rolling out of it takes an effort. And just below that is another one at 190. Rolling out of that takes more effort. But once I'm out, the weight can drop cleanly off until about 178-180. Getting there would be the best thing for me.

I know that I need to stop whinging on about it and just start going. Once I get in there and get it started, the rest will fall into place. And by the time the end of the year gets here, I'll be in a better mental and physical spot.

Days 84, 83, 82 and 81

Ok. I track my weight daily, but will post about it weekly. Wednesdays.

I am counting down the days instead of up, in hopes that it will motivate me as I see the numbers shrink.

Day 84:

Warm up - Run: 5 min @ 4.2, 10 min @ 5.2, 5 min 4.0, cool down

Bench press: 1x10x45, 3x10x65

Incline Dumbell Press: 3x12x20, 1x6x25, 1x5x30, 1x2x35

Shoulder Press: 2x10x45, 1x8x45

5 min Rowing

Day 83:

Warm up - Run: 15 min @ 5.2, cool down

Low Row: 3x12x6kg

Lat Pulldown: 3x12x6kg

Chin up negatives: 2x5

Dip: 1x5x110 assist, 2x5x120 assist

Day 82:

Bike ride in

Warm up - Run: 15 min @ 5.2, cool down

3x12x30 preacher curl

3x12x4kg tricep pushdown

3x12x10 dumbell curl

3x12x22.5 overhead tricep press

3x10x30 reverse grip preacher curl

3x10x10 tricep kickback

Bike ride out

Day 81:

Bike ride in

Warm up - Run: 15 min @ 5.2, cool down

1x5x45 Squat

3x5x95 Squat

1x5x105 Squat

1x12x60 Glute machine

3x12x90 Seated Toe Press

3x12xOrange Medicine Ball Squat Thrust and Overhead Press

Bike ride out.

Fresh again.

I've joined a gym in the area, and am kicking off things again.

Current Weight: 189#

Belly: 103 cm

I have a single, simple goal right now. Lose the gut. That means I want to get down to 170#. I'm giving myself 12 weeks (84 days), starting today, to do so.

84 days, 19 pounds, means I am looking to lose just 1.58 pounds per week. Totally reachable.

Should I reach this goal early, I will pick a new goal within that timeframe. Essentially, I will be chasing Athalos and his new start of P90X.

Progress will be posted. Things start today.

Get the Gut Gone - or 3G.

Once again, here we are. Me, feeling too fat for my own good, and resolving to do something about it.

June 1st has come and gone, and I meant to post something like this yesterday, but we're here now, so we post now.

6 weeks from now (the 1st, that is) is July 13. I expect to be travelling back to C-town around then. I'd like to be weighing in at significantly less than I do right now. Right now, I weigh in at about 202 pounds.

My goal is to weigh 180 pounds, but my low goal is 190. 12 pounds in 6 weeks? Totally possible. 22 pounds in 6 weeks? If I put in the effort required, I can do it.

Because stating a desire to lose weight actually seems to make my body lose some weight, I'm putting the desire out here to the public. But, since stating the process I'll employ makes me feel like not doing it, I'll leave the how part out.

To give me some serious motivation, I'll be tracking a couple measurements and making a few public declarations:

Weight - tracked daily, recorded on fitday.com, and posted here on the blog. Once a week, I'll post up a number on Facebook.

Belly - I've got a ruler in cm, which means a lot more precision overall. Rounding up to the nearest cm. Tracking it weekly, since changes here aren't likely to happen on a day to day basis. Maybe twice a week, but I'd expect it to be roughly weekly. This number will get attached to the picture.

Photo - Again, weekly, when I take my measurement. It'll go on FB, under a new photo album I will call something like 3G.

Feelings - How I'm feeling about everything. Blog posts mostly, but potentially also some FB posts. What I eat may end up in here as well. Done as a sort of "helping", "not helping" kind of thing.

Workouts - I'll record anything done as a workout here as well. Just to let me track what I'm doing.

There's 42 days. To make my goal, I need to lose somewhere between 0.29 and 0.52 pounds per day. My scale isn't that accurate, so it's 2 to 3.67 pounds per week (I'll settle for 3.6). I can do this, I just need to focus on it. Make it the priority.

Thoughts, and such.

Ok. The diet thing has been off and on. More on than off, but this is about the point where I start to falter. Must remind myself of the good progress so far, and not fall into the habit of thinking that I'm doing great, so I can slack off. No. I can't. Now is when I must go harder.

I seem to have hit a first plateau, and the way to get through it is to change things up a bit. Stricter diet, or additional exercise. Given that my exercise numbers are practically at 0, I feel exercise is the better option right now.

I've got my gym membership, but that's limited, and soon to run out. Will be working through with bodyweight stuff. Been thinking of posting on BWC again, simply as a self-motivator, and also for ideas.

At present, things really are body weight only. I don't really have much access to weights or a bar (though there is a bar here, there's no place to use it).

With that in mind, I'm looking at the basics. Biking, walk/run, and simple at-home exercises.

I'm looking to put up a first challenge for myself. Push ups. I haven't done them in a while. So I want to set a simple goal, with a short timeframe. Something I can achieve without needing to push myself into injury.

My current timeframe is 6 weeks. Enough time for 3 consecutive, quick 2 week goals, 2 consecutive, quick 3 week goals. Plus a single 6 week goal.

2 Week Goal (May 5 - 19): Push Ups: 15 consecutive.

3 Week Goal (May 5 - 26): Yoga Headstand: 30 seconds.

6 Week Goal (May 5 - June 16): Burpees: 1..5..1

Right. It's go time.

I've said it before, and I say it again. It is time to get things happening. Time to get started, again.

In one of my recent posts, I asked myself, what's different this time? What will make this a success? I said I wouldn't start again until I had an answer. And I think I may.

What's different this time is that I will be doing both things. Diet and fitness together. I've done diet alone, and diet with half-ass fitness. It's done me some good, but nothing that lasted. I've done fitness alone, and fitness with half-ass diet. And I've done half-ass diet with half-ass fitness. That one didn't do much at all.

This time, I'm gonna do them both. Fitness I can do. I have a gym membership. I have a bike. Getting outside shouldn't be a problem.

Diet is always the bigger issue. I get a bit too concerned about things when I count calories. So that option is out. And I'm over generous with simple portion control. Likely, I will be using fitday.com to do some rough calorie estimations for me. Something to keep me both honest, and also to give me a grounding of where and what I am eating.

I like keeping records, so I'll be tracking weight and calories on a day to day basis on fitday.com. At least until I feel that is undermining my efforts. Since I will be trying to build up riding distance, I will be tracking rides on mapmyride.com as well. Hopefully will do a bit of light running as well, though I do not know if I have good shoes for that here. I will have to check.

Right now, I'm keeping the goal simple. Weigh less. Specifically, down to 185. Timeframe, 14 weeks, starting immediate. Aggressive schedule, but I think it is still possible.

Athalos: I know you read this now and then. Permission granted to kick my ass into gear.

What's different about this time?

That is a question (more or less) that was asked on the xweighted site back in January. What is different about this time around? What will make this time different, so that the outcome (failure) will be different?

At the time, I didn't have a good answer, and thus far, that lack of an answer has proven true. Nothing has been different. And nothing has changed.

So, with my mind a-whirl on the idea of maybe, finally, kinda, sorta, losing some weight, I am forced to ask myself this question. And forced to give myself an answer. Without one, there is no sense in declaring an intention to lose weight.

Desire simply isn't enough. There has to be intent. There has to be will. There has to be committment.

Hopefully, I will have an answer for myself soon.

Gym, issues, pushing through

I have been going to the gym. But each deviation from the schedule causes me to have to push myself again to go there.

I went in the mornings all last week, and other than the first time, no issues. Then, this week, I had a schedule swap, and I've been going in the evening instead. Means I had to push myself along again to get there.

I get the same excuses all the time from my brain. Too tired, too late, too hungry. None of them are good, or even reasonable excuses. The whole point of exercise is to make me tired. And it can't be too late to go to a place that never closes. And too hungry? I can eat after! Suck it up!

Still, it's a bit of an issue with me and self-motivation. Takes some kicking, and some effort just going there. But once I'm there, it's all business.

McFit

Totally pleased with this gym. Open 24/7 (have yet to test if that is true or not), and stocked up with all the things a gym-goer needs. There are two locations near me. One in Käfertal, and one in Almenhof. There are some differences between the two locations, but they are almost entirely limited to building layout.

In either gym, there is enough cardio (Ausdauer) equipment to let a good number of members work at the same time. There is a lot of machines. There are at least two of most machines, and sometimes three or more. For those few machines where there is only one, there does not seem to be high demand.

If this was all the gym had, it might be enough to make me go. Weight machines aren't my favourite, but the open hours is helpful. Of course, the real clincher is the gym has a well stocked free weight area. No lifting cages, but enough racks to fill in the gaps for most exercises. The only thing I have missed about the lack of a cage is that there is no good place for a deadlift spot. So far, deadlifts seem to be something that is just done near a rack. No proof of that, though, since I have not seen anyone do any deadlifts.

I am slightly thrown off by the metric weights. While they come in 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10 and 15 (maybe higher values too), they are clearly not the same as pound weights. I was used to adding a pair of 10s to the bar to go up in difficulty, but with kilos, it isn't the same thing. It's much more like throwing 25s on the bar. Much harsher.

So, I have to pay better attention to the weight I grab from the stack.

I have been enjoying the gym so far. Hopefully my day off won't throw the process out of whack.

McFit

Hit the gym yesterday and today. Just gotta keep it up.

Workout yesterday was the standard weight lifting stuff. Squats (20kg+bar), bench (20kg+bar), then 3x2 assisted chin ups.

Workout today was a program available at the McFit. A 2-day split program. It goes like this:

10 minutes warmup on treadmill, low speed (5.2kph) and 2% incline.

3x15 Leg press (35kg) superset with 3x15 Leg curl (35kg)
3x15 Incline dumbell press (6kg per hand) superset with 3x15 Chest pulldown (35kg)
3x15 Captain's chair leg lift superset with 3x15 Laterial raise (4kg per hand for 2 sets, 3kg per hand for last set)
3x15 Straight bar pushdown (25kg) superset with 3x15 dumbell bicep curl (4kg per hand)

10 minutes on recumbent bike

Quite happy with myself. Now I just need to eat, and get some sleep. Workout again tomorrow.

Blogging...

Right... while the blog is supposed to be about my goals for fitness and whatever else I'm doing, I feel that I may have to sidetrack things to come around to blogging a bit about Germany. Now that I'm here, I'm afraid is really is a pretty significant diversion. So, expect a bit of rambling on it.

As far as fitness goes, I've really backslid on that. I pretty much dropped the whole 100 days thing, and stopped eating at all well. Went back on cola, and stopped doing anything that could constitute fitness in the least.

I am considering a gym here, which shouldn't be too expensive on a per month basis. But I won't even think about that until the month starts. Until then, I'm trying to eat better, cook better, and also get myself sorted out a bit.

Walking and hopefully getting back on the bike soon.

I'm apparently about 15km from Mannheim - so I could probably ride that distance without too much trouble - assuming there's a good route between here and there.