Week 14 of My Fitness Journey

Making Progress - I'm Dialed Back In!

Well, it feels good to be dialed back in. This past week, I worked out, ate right and got back under 200. I weighed in this morning at 199lbs. 

This week was crazy at work and I had to travel, but honestly, that helped. I used my Black Card at Planet Fitness to go to the gym while I was out of town and got in a great workout. I tracked everything I ate and I even sat down before dinner and figured out what macros I had left and what I could therefore "afford" to eat and still stay within the macros. 

I hate to say it, but this is easier to do when I'm not at home because I don't feel judged, or weird, or like I'm not eating what was made at home. I'm sure I've mentioned that we have a LOT of pasta dishes, rice dishes that are just a lot of carbs and apparently my body just doesn't like them anymore. Trying to stay under 120g of carbs at home can be challenging because I don't weigh out what I'm eating when it's home cooked. Packaged foods, which I know aren't the best for me, at least have the macros on the box or can so it's easy to know. I do have a food scale but I know me and I know I won't weigh out dry pasta, and then try to get that right after a whole pot has been cooked. 

I also got a suit, got it tailored and it looks really good. It was not a fancy suit by any means, but it's amazing how a proper fit can make any suite look good. 

I got my Covid shot and flu shot yesterday and woke up feeling fine this morning. No sore arm or any symptoms. I swear the key to avoiding a sore arm the next day is to workout after the shot. Get those muscles moving. The one time I didn't do that, was the only time my arm hurt the next day. 

I think the big take-away for me this week was that consistency and tracking (as best I can) is really going to be the key to this whole journey. Working out when I don't feel like it. Tracking macros even if it feels like a pain, etc. 

Week 13 of My Fitness Journey

Progress or Not?

This week, I did not get back on track per se. In fact, Saturday morning I weighed in at 203lbs - a slight increase over last week, but I look in the mirror and I look more toned. I would love to say it's muscle, but I know that's highly unlikely. I'm still only doing one set of my exercises on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. And I did get in all my workouts this week. 

However, I was definitely not even trying to log my food and that's where things get away from me. The carbs are too high. I know that for sure. Lots of pasta dishes, rice dishes and fast food without any thought going into the orders. Normally, I can order a burger, no bun, but this week, I was just ordering off the menu. 

The only real con is that my weight is still up over 200lbs but I know if I can just get back on track, it should come off quickly. 

So Pros for this past week and the coming week: I look better in my opinion. I feel really good too. I joined (re-joined) Planet Fitness and I signed up for the Black Card so I can work out when I'm traveling - assuming there's a PF around somewhere close. I just joined, so haven't used it yet. But, with all that said, I am traveling for work and when I go out of town, I can better manage what I eat. I don't know why that is, but I just feel like if my wife makes dinner, I need to eat it, no matter how many times I tell her I'm trying to be low-carb. I think it would do all of good honestly. So much processed sugar everywhere. It was fine when I was young and bullet proof, but now all I have to do is look at a cookie and I feel like I gain a pound. 

So overall, weight essentially the same as last week. I feel good. Look good. Joined a gym to be able to lift heavier and when I'm traveling. All in all - I lean toward this past week being a win. 

Weeks 10, 11 & 12 of my Weight Loss Journey

It has been a rough couple of weeks if I'm being honest. I haven't been keeping up with this blog for one. But the worst is that I have done a horrible job of tracking my food, tracking my macros, and exercising according to my schedule. 

Everything seems to have just crumbled over the last few weeks. Yes, work has been difficult. Long days, nights and lots of travel, but honestly, when I was traveling, I was on point! Everthing fell apart when I was back home. 

While traveling, I was alone, so I would walk at night, even in the dark. But when I am home, I tend to stay in. I can't seem to get out of bed in the morning to exercise and then at night, I'm either working late or I have a break where I could walk, but it's so hot outside, it's the last thing I want to do. So what gives? How bad has it been? Let's look back together. 

Week 10: Week ending August 22nd

Last week, I ended the week at 200lbs and was disappointed in myself. But this week I ended at 198lbs. I was really happy! I was getting back on track! I worked out Tuesday, but then missed Thursday and Saturday. I'm not sure why other than I was just crazy tired at night. I did manage to get in 10,000 steps on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday! All in all, despite some missed workouts, I was doing well. 

Week 11 Week ending August 29th 

I ended the week at 200lbs. Back where I was 2 weeks ago. This is when the wheels started coming off. I was away at work but did manage to keep in my calories and macros on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday along with getting 10,000 steps in Monday and Tuesday. I fell short on Wednesday but that was a sitting in a car and office all day and getting home at 9 p.m. kind of day. I did get in one workout on Thursday, but that was the only one. From Wednesday, through Saturday I stopped tracking everything. It was hit or miss if I'd enter something or not. Some stuff I ate wasn't in the app and I wasn't even sure how to track it. I could have asked ChatGPT to give an estimate, but I was lazy, didn't do it, and then the next day, couldn't remember everything I had the day before. It was not good. 

Week 12 Week ending Sept 5th

It's Wednesday, Sept. 2nd today and I'm catching up on this blog. So, here's the update for this week so far: 

On Sunday I hiked 4 miles, but I went over on calories and carbs which became the trend for this week. Monday and Tuesday I was pretty much glued to my desk doing ballot proofing and then I was on-call basically each night in case more proofs came in. I should have been using my walking pad if nothing else, but I didn't even do that.It would have been a great way to pass the time between proofs.  

Every day seems to be carb heavy. Fancy cinnamon rolls from this place in Old Fort, NC, Pasta dishes for dinner, burgers and fries for dinner and/or lunch. Tonight we had a pasta dish that I love! I call it Chicken Crack. It's pulled chicken in a pasta with bread crumbs, butter and garlic that make these little crunchy-textered things in the food. With hot pepper flakes, it's got a little kick to it and it's just addictive. I could eat the whole pan of it and I always eat way more than I should so I know the scale will not be kind tomorrow. But again, it'll just be water weight. This morning, I was 202.6, down from 203 yesterday, but again, I know it's just water weight from all the carbs. I just need to get back on track. 

I really like the Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday so I decided after some back and forth, to just wait and do my workout as scheduled on Thursday. I did not get in my 10K steps, but I did walk for 30 minutes, and that was actually nice. It was just over 1.6 miles so not too shabby for high 80's/low 90's when I walked after dinner. 

The Rest of the Week

Thursday 

Thursday I worked out for the first time in a week and a half and it felt good but really tough. It kicked my butt and on some of the exercises, I was definitely ridin' the struggle bus. I started tracking again so I started of the day with a breakfast of steak and eggs. Almost 60g of protein!! Things were looking good, but then I had a series of rough calls, caved and ate an oatmeal cream pie. I definitely stress eat. I never noticed it or realized it before, but I definitely do. For lunch I had a bacon cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato and red onion. I know the bun didn't do me any favors. I did get sweet potato fries instead of regular. I actually really like that as a substitute. But then, the drive home, more calls. I figured lunch was not ideal so I got a DQ dipped cone on the way home. The sad thing was that it wasn't even that good. The ice cream tasted off. Like it was ice cream mixed with cool whip or something really odd. For dinner, I had leftovers of the dish I call Chicken Crack, so more protein but also A LOT more carbs.

Friday 

Friday was a crazy day at work and I didnt' eat lunch until after 3pm. I had a McDouble and a Happy Meal with 6 Mcnuggets so I could get the Godzilla Toy. Yes. I am that nerdy. For dinner we went to a new "taco" place in Asheville. I had a quesadilla and margarita. We got table guacamole and of course my wife and step-daughter got food and drinks too. It was over $130 with tip!!! Absolutely insane. Honestly, the moment I saw the menu, I wanted to leave. Asheville is getting worse and worse on how expensive it is. It wasn't even good which is the worst part. Give me Papa's and Beer on Tunnel Rd any day over Xico. Anyways...no walking, hiking or anything. Just eating. 

Saturday

Today we went to the Hellbender Festival in Spruce Pine, NC. Lots of walking. I hit 10K steps, so that was good. Lunch was Bacon Cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, onion. I did have a small DQ Blizzard. Dinner was very light becuase I wan't hungry. I did workout and again, it kind of kicked my butt, but it was better. 

Most of this week, Wednesday-today, I weighed 202.6. Everyday the same. Very strange. It's like my body found a weight it likes. But I know I need to move more. Tomorrow and Monday I have off, so hopefully the weather is nice and I can get in some hikes or some running. Walking at the very least is the goal.