Well, the plateau has shifted slightly... am now down to 250lbs and under 47" waist. Yay! That's about 12 lbs and 2 inches in about 7 weeks. I'd have preferred 14/3 but progress is progress. My wife is asking "so, how long are you going to keep wearing those oversized jeans?" (they are size 46) My response is, "Once I am under 46, I will swap down to my 44s. Once I'm under 44 I'll swap down to 42s, etc." I hate the fact that these days men's pants are no longer reliable as far as sizing is concerned. So annoying!

Stepping it up!

A week of solid Plateau. No weight loss, no fat loss, and no waist size reduction. My body has finished shifting to the changes of the previous month, and, ever efficient, it now requires but I increase intensity and change up my routine. So today I upped my game (a little). Instead of just walking the track, I did several sprints... OUCH... sprinting at 250lbs is shin-splint agony! I also swapped from doing machine (safe, stabilized weights) lifting to doing full body movements with dumbbells. Going from a push-up, to a squat, to bent-over-row, to bicep curls, to shoulder press, and cycle down. UGH... that's a quick full body flush, sweat pump.

Back to really being focused on my eating (no second helpings, no eating after 8pm, drink at least 64oz water). And YOGA! Really, I just gotta do it!

Everyone is telling me I look "lighter", which is sweet... and I'm sure I do look lighter than I did at the end of 2015... I'm about 10lbs lighter, etc. so YAY that it shows. I can also tell I can do more exercise at higher intensity that I could a month ago. I am improving, I am attaining goals... just have to keep going!

Plateaus are a B*tch!

So, I wasn't as diligent with my eating this week. I admit it. I didn't make sure I ate BEFORE 8pm each day. I did good on my calories but was pushing 2000 a day instead of staying at 1500. I had more carbs than I should but most of those were complex so not as bad as they could have been. Still, I'd expected to lose A POUND... but no, not an ounce.

I could rant and rave and gnash my teeth and complain about the unfairness of life... that'd be fun, but not very productive. Instead, I can happily report that though I didn't drop any weight, my body composition shifted another 1% body fat (less), and my waistline reduced another 1/4-1/2". This is a familiar pattern from back in my 30s when I kept so much trimmer... I would have 2-3 weeks of weight loss, then it would pause as everything "shifts about", and then I'd drop weight again. So this isn't like I don't recognize the pattern... but I still want it all now, without the hard work, patience, and persistence it takes to change habits and health.

Okay, enough kvetching. I still have a few thousand steps to do today!

One Month Down, 7 to go!

This week was the reverse of last week, I lost weight but my waist and body fat measurements remained constant. I find that they seem to take turns. My January fitness goals were to lose 10 lbs, 2" off waist, and 4% body fat. Didn't quite achieve that... I lost 9 lbs, shaved 1.5" off waist, and reduced 3% body fat.

My inner critic is trying to flog me about the inability to achieve such basic goals... I'd eaten more than I should, snacked too late on occasion, didn't exercise as intensely as I could have, blah blah yack!

However, my better self, the one that acknowledges my flaws but looks at them as opportunities, not failings, is deflecting most of my inner critic's bile. Because, lets face it, it isn't like I'm going to drop 70 lbs of fat, and 14" off my waist in a MONTH... I'm not going to go from chunk to hunk overnight. I'm not going to go from a puffer to a casual runner in a week. What is important is that I've been trying, and that my efforts have been consistent and rational. I haven't starved myself in response to a bad snacking choice, I haven't blown out my knees or back trying to "work off" my indiscretions, and I have been increasing duration and intensity of my workouts as I feel capable.

It wasn't a single bad decision which took me fro, a fit 190lb, 14% body fat 39 year old man to a 260lb, 43% body fat 47 year old man. It took 8 years of consistent, moderately poor choices (and some uncontrollable outside influences) which took me to this state of being. I could have change my course at any time, been more conscious, been more diligent. And dwelling upon "woulda-shoulda-coulda" will only distract from what I should-can-will do now. See the lessons, release the regrets... I already have the weight (baggage) of my physical results, no need to add on emotional and spiritual ones as well.

So, with all that in mind, assuming I can maintain my slow lifestyle changes to a healthier self, I should achieve my overt physical goals of 190lbs body weight at 14% body fat with a 35" waist line by the end of August. A great birthday present for myself!

Still Making Progress

The challenge of losing weight and getting healthy is to be consistent and to not become discouraged if your OVERT progress is not as phenomenal as desired. This week is a perfect example. Due to weather and "life concerns", I only made it to the gym once this week. It was, in fact, one of my better workout days, but was "only once". I am a bit bummed about that, though I intend to do some home yoga to compensate a little.

When I weighed in today I had only lost "1 pound" for the week (7 in 3 weeks). It is my hope to lose 10 lbs a month, and it looks like I'll only hit 8-9 this month. That being said, I don't depend upon my "weight" alone as the deciding factor in my measurement of success. In addition to the 1 lb, I shaved another 1/2" off my waist and what appears to be another a reduction of another 1% body fat. That would put my total since New Years at -7 lbs weight, -1.5 inches waist size, -3% body fat. These results seem fairly reasonable as I've found 5lbs of body fat equals approximately 1" of waist size, and a reduction of 7 lbs from my starting weight is about 2.7% of my body mass, which leads me to think I've lost 8 lbs of fat and put on a pound of muscle.

So, at present, these shifts are not very noticeable, in my appearance or physical health... but I know that slow, little changes have amazing long term effects. I am pushing more weight on the machines and am walking at a higher intensity longer -- all good signs. By May I want to have my mid-year physical and see significant improvement in my cholesterol and blood pressure

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And yes, I still daydream of being able to do sexy cosplay again... before I'm 50!

A Hopeful Beginning!

Week 1 - 257lbs, 41% fat, 48.5" waist

I was a good, health conscious person this week. I didn't starve myself. I minimized my sugars and simple starches (but didn't eliminate them). I avoided drinking caloric fluids... most of my drinks were sparkling water infused with flavor and a touch of fruit juice. All my meals had significant fiber, protein and complex carbs. I had at least one fruit a day. I made it to the gym twice, and did yoga at home 5 times.

I am trying to arrange my day so I walk at least 5k steps outside of the gym, and then get another 3k on the track in the gym 3 days a week. My goal is to get to 7k of steps daily outside of the gym with 3-5k steps in the gym 3 days a week, and yoga daily by February.

I dropped 4 lbs, 2% BF (that's questionable), and 1/2" off the waist. My goal is to lose 3 lbs and 1/2" a week, which should result in a reduction of 6% body and 2" off the waist per month... so that by August I can hope to be under 20% body fat and under 36" waist :)

On to Week 2!

Like water against stone!

First week of "healthier lifestyle" accomplished. 

I refuse to say "survived the first week of the diet" because I'm not doing a "diet" or some "weight loss routine". I am consciously and deliberately striving to change my habits such that I wash away the unwanted and unhealthy from my life. Right now, I'm focusing on habits to restore my body to health, with a little bit of mental/emotional/spiritual restoration as well.

There are two ways to approach holistic health. One is "top down", when you begin by connecting with your spiritual strength and bring that back through your mind and heart to your body for healing and wholeness. The other is "bottom up", where you use your healing of the body to heal your emotions, mind and connect to spirit. Usually, neither approach is absolutely one directional... but is bidirectional. You may focus on body work or spirit work, but as you work on one, if you're truly striving to heal all, you approach the center from both directions.

Just as I overburdened myself with physical, emotional and mental weight a little bit every day for years, so I must clear away the detritus of my poor life choices.

Okay, okay... enough waxing philosophical... on to the "vital statistics"

This week my body weight is down 3 pounds, body composition is down 1% body fat, reduced a half inch off the waist.