Monthly Archives: February 2020

2/28/2020 Weekly Update

28 Friday Feb 2020

Posted by in diet, Gym, Weight Loss

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As promised here is the latest on my new weight loss adventure.  I’ve been to the gym every day this week since Sunday with the exception of yesterday.  I had so many errands to do that I just didn’t have time to get to the gym. One of my errands was to go look at another treadmill.  The one I own will not work while I’m on it.  I had to make sure I find one that would carry my weight.  The one I found is rated up to 360 pounds. I checked it out and decided to get it but as luck would have it, it will not fit through the door to get into my workout room.  I’ve got to figure out how to disassemble it to get it in there.  Right now it’s in my garage and my wife isn’t too happy about it because she has to park outside in the cold.  I will be spending tomorrow removing my old treadmill and trying to get the other moved.

Last night after I ate supper, I tried out my new-to-me treadmill. It has speakers that I can plug my mp3 player into and of course, it has a multitude of workout options.  I spent thirty minutes on the treadmill and worked up quite a sweat.  Over 400 calories burned.  That may not be a lot for some but to me, that’s a lot.  The best thing is that when I woke up this morning I had lost 1.8 lbs.  I know that maybe water weight but that’s the first loss since I’ve been working out. I’m excited about it.

I met with a trainer two times this week.  I meet with him for thirty minutes then I hit the cycle for thirty and then the treadmill for thirty.  On the days that I don’t meet with the trainer, I just do an hour’s worth of either the cycle or the treadmill or a combination of both. Today after my hour and a half workout, I got on my treadmill and did thirty minutes after supper.  I know this may be a bit much but I’ve got a lot to lose.

There’s a young lady that is standing behind the desk as you come into the gym.  She’s the one that I spoke with when I signed up.  She looks to be about 24 years of age.  She showed me a picture of herself before she started working out and I couldn’t believe the transformation.  She asked me how old I thought she was, I told her about 24 to 25 years old.  She said that she was 42 years old.  You could have knocked me down with a feather.  Today I asked her just how long it took her to lose that much weight.  She said it only took her six months to lose it.  She said that I could be fit and trim in six months if I stuck with it.  We’ll see in six months.

Perseverance

25 Tuesday Feb 2020

Posted by in Gym, Weight Loss

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I have been to the gym every day since Sunday.  I had not planned on it but why not, I’m not doing anything else.  I spend thirty minutes on the treadmill and thirty minutes on the spin cycle.  I walk away out of breath and with noodle legs.  Today, while on the spin cycle,  I must have hit the wrong program because just about the whole thirty minutes I was going uphill.  According to my Fitbit, sixteen minutes my heart rate was above 140 beats per minute.  About midway into the workout, I thought about quitting.  My breathing was hard, I could tell my heart rate was up and my legs started burning.  It was then I said to myself, I am not a wimp. I can do this.  What I’m doing has got to be better than quitting.  After I finished my workout on the cycle, what I felt next was amazing and I haven’t felt like that in quite some time.  The fact that I didn’t quit made me feel great.  I couldn’t breathe nor could I walk but I felt good inside because I didn’t quit.  Tomorrow I work with the trainer for thirty minutes then I’ll get back on the treadmill and cycle again but this time a little less of a workout.  My legs feel like they need to heal some.

Decisions?

22 Saturday Feb 2020

Posted by in diet, Gym, Weight Loss

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I did not go to the gym today.  I could have and if the truth is known I guess I should have. Since I’ve joined the gym on the 14th of February, I have been four days out of the last eight. I’ve been told not to overdo it.  But what is overdoing it?  I only work with the trainer for thirty minutes and then I hop on either the cycle or the treadmill for another thirty. Friday, I had gotten there thirty minutes early so I hopped on the cycle before my thirty-minute session with the trainer, then another thirty minutes on the treadmill afterward. Tomorrow I plan on doing thirty minutes on both the treadmill and the cycle and maybe some weights in between.

What is your opinion? How long should a workout last?  As much money as I’m paying out I want to get my money’s worth.  Also, and I know this is a loaded question, what sort of diet, if any, should I be on to maximize not only my weight loss but to help with getting my body in shape.

No Pain, No Gain

21 Friday Feb 2020

Posted by in Cycling, diet, Gym, Weight Loss

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imageAt least that’s what I’ve always heard.  My first appointment with the trainer was on Wednesday of this week.  Like I said in my last post, he is one of my Eagle Scouts.  My main concern was that he would use this as a way to get me back for all the hiking that I made him do.  I’m not sure if he tried to get me back or not but I’m telling you one thing; I’m sore.  He worked my chest, my legs, and arms. He said he was going to take it easy on my first day then give me a good workout on the second day, that’s today.

Two things that I’ve noticed so far.  I want to go to the gym even on the days that I’m not scheduled to work with the trainer. I definitely want to get my money worth. The second thing I’ve noticed, and I’m not too impressed with, is the fact that I’ve gained two pounds since I’ve started.  We can’t have this.  I want to lose weight not gain it.  I’m supposed to talk with someone at the gym today about a Mico diet.  I’ve never heard of it plus I don’t do well with diet plans.

There is another thing I’ve noticed since I’ve been going to the gym.  There’s a lot more people there that are in shape than those that are not.  There are a few there that their shape is round like me but for the most part most are fit and trim.  It’s like those fitness commercials.  You never see a fat guy on a Peloton.  You always see a fit man or woman giving it their all on those machines.  I know it’s marketing but I think it would give us fat guys more incentive if we could see one of our own on those machines working out.  And why is it that they usually have a gorgeous blond, who is all fit and trim, curves in the right places and always smiling behind the sign-in desk?  They’re usually married, got two kids and 42 but yet look 21. 

UPDATE:  I got to the gym about thirty minutes early.  My trainer was busy with another client so I hopped on a spin cycle and for thirty minutes my legs had a decent workout. When it was time for my turn with the trainer we mainly worked on my upper body. It was already sore from Wednesday but I made it through. After my workout with the trainer, I spent thirty minutes on the treadmill.  When I left there, everyone knew I had a decent workout because there wasn’t a dry stitch on my body.  Maybe I can see a difference on my scales tomorrow.  At least I hope so.

I Joined a Gym Today!

19 Wednesday Feb 2020

Posted by in Cancer, Cycling, Gym, Weight Loss

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Well, actually I joined last Friday but I hired a trainer today.  I had no idea a trainer was so expensive.  Between the cost of joining a gym and signing up for a trainer, I’m spending over $300 a month.  Wow, that’s a lot of money.  But, if I can get in shape and lose this weight it will be worth it.  The gym membership is right at $40 a month for a year.  The trainer is $289 a month for six months.  I figured I could do without a few things for six months.  I will be seeing a trainer twice a week for an hour.  I had my free assessment today and the trainer walked me through the paces trying out all the equipment and letting me get familiar with them.  We didn’t really work out per se but I can tell we worked out. My main issue and I made sure I told the trainer this, is my breathing. 

I have three main causes of my breathing issues. One is I’m really over overweight.  286 to be exact.  My body fat is close to 40% and that’s really bad. Two is I have congestive heart failure.  My heart doesn’t pump enough blood through my body to carry enough oxygen needed when I exercise.  And three, the medication that I take for my CML causes fluid to accumulate around my heart and lungs.  When I have an issue with this it causes bad breathing problems.  Luckily, I haven’t had any issues with this since last August.

My plan is to work out three days a week, two of which will be with a trainer.  Funny thing is that my trainer will be a young man that was in my scout troop.  His mother also works there.  I just hope he doesn’t try and get me back for all those times I made him work.

I”m really looking forward to working out and getting back in shape.  Maybe doing it this way I will be held more accountable being that I’m forking out all this cash. My goal is to reach 225lbs before September of this year.  My short term goal is to get down to 275 so that I can get back on my bicycle.  It has a weight limit so I don’t want to get on there and break it.

I’ll try and post something every Friday to keep everyone updated on my progress.

See you then.

Life Has its Ups and Downs.

09 Sunday Feb 2020

Posted by in diet, Disability, Family, Retirement, Weight Loss

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K

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A shelf I built for the kitchen but ended up in the garage

Life has been so stressful lately and I guess I eat more when I’m stressed.  I thought when I retired my life would be less stressful but lately, it hasn’t been the case. I’ve tried to stay on my diet but that hasn’t worked out so well.  The good news is that I’m back on it and I’ve already lost six pounds.  I’ve set mini goals and I’m about four pounds before I reach my first ten-pound mini-goal.  My twin daughters will be graduating from college in May.  They want to go on a cruise in June so this has given me an incentive to lose about twenty pounds before the trip.  I really hope I can do it.

As I’ve stated last time I wrote, I had applied for Social Security disability.  I had my hearing and I got a favorable decision.  I’m still waiting on my backpay as well as my first check.  This whole process has me concerned somewhat.  I’m not surer If I can explain it or not but it makes me feel inferior or worthless.  I’ve worked all my life and over thirty-two years at my last job, not they’re telling me that I can’t work.  I feel like I can do something but I’ve got to be honest with myself, I do have trouble breathing when I do anything.  No one will hire me at my age with all the issues that I have.  So I guess I’ll just have to get over it.

The last two days have been dry and I’m glad it has because the few days before that it rained at least four inches in less than two days.  The next four days we’re supposed to get at between six and seven more inches.  There will be a lot of flooding and trees down.  Let’s hope that the severe weather that is projected for Wednesday is not too bad.

Tomorrow will be a hard day for me.  One of my friends worked for Kimberly Police department and was shot and killed the other day while on duty.  He will be buried tomorrow.  If you’re a praying person please pray for Nick O’Rear’s family.