Today was a pretty good day... did my PCP workout in the morning (still not skipping, but running instead), and it was tough, but good. The creeps and the V-sits were especially tough. Legs were properly jellified by the end of the creeps.
Diet was pretty much on par today - didn't end up having the vegetables for the PM snack because I came home late and had dinner late (and now am going to sleep early!). Turned the apple and banana and milk (with some yogurt substitute) into a smoothie and scrambled up the egg white. It's amazing how small one little egg white looks like when it's not mixed into anything. Will definitely need to start boiling up some eggs for the mornings or evenings when I don't have time to cook. Luckily, I really like hard boiled eggs.
Going to keep it short - haven't been getting a ton of sleep lately, and need to work on that. Will post updated pictures soon!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Day 29 - 4 weeks down (whoa!)
Oops - forgot to blog this weekend. Not too bad of a weekend... I managed to stay away from all forms of drinking, and got in a really nice long (15 mi) run through the HK parks and also a short swim. Have realized that I can't really be skipping - but will try Patrick's new suggestion (about flat footed jumping?), and see if that helps.
Realized last week, that my feet were KILLING while jumping - right at the bottom.. and I could feel my foot pain from last year start to come back (noticed it while I was running too which was particularly concerning). Did a little research and found out that skipping is one of the few activities that exacerbates plantar fasciitis (which was what prevented me from running the marathon last year).
I am already running 4 days a week, but may add in some short (3 mi) runs to compensate for the lack of skipping, and also try to get swimming in there a few days a week.
Today, pretty good day overall. Actually (weirdly) like the new confines of our dinner... for some reason it's easier for me to not have to think about it (for those at home wondering, it's now an apple, a banana, egg white, and milk/yogurt + vegetables for late snack). Followed it perfectly all day, and went for some gummy candies at the end of the day (fail). They weren't even that good.
Exercises were good - the floor jumps were tough - legs were jelly afterwards. Planks were surprisingly hard... guess it's the abs right before with little / no rest that makes it so tough.
Off to sleep early - going to try to get some real sleep tonight!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Day 24 - 1:40am
I'll keep this short... today was a fail. I ran this morning (7 miles), but didn't have time for PCP, so figured I would do it after work. Turned out after work was 1:40am...
Planned on cooking dinner at home so didn't have any healthy options at work. Many-a-gummy and cookie were eaten. Fail. Need to have back-up options at work.
I don't want to make excuses, so I won't. Off to sleep - know that I have another super-crazy day tomorrow, so going to get up for my run (just 4 miles), and PCP tomorrow morning. Sleep, shmleep?
Planned on cooking dinner at home so didn't have any healthy options at work. Many-a-gummy and cookie were eaten. Fail. Need to have back-up options at work.
I don't want to make excuses, so I won't. Off to sleep - know that I have another super-crazy day tomorrow, so going to get up for my run (just 4 miles), and PCP tomorrow morning. Sleep, shmleep?
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Day 23 - The Confession
Blogging again today because I said I would be completely honest as to what I am doing...
Day started off well enough - asparagus and onions with eggs for breakfast (I'll admit - I'm still using a teensy bit of ketchup). Yogurt, granola, and fruit when I get to work. Home made chili for lunch with some bread. Fruit snack and water in the afternoon (I also had a coke zero.... I know I need to stop with those chemicals, but damn they taste so good. I'll get there).
Then it went a bit downhill. Had an event with pizza and I decided not to have any, but changed my mind (I think my willpower lasted for about 3 minutes... need to get stronger) and got not one but two pieces (umm.. they were small?). In retrospect, they weren't even that good. What a waste!
Anyway... after the pizza - I also grabbed a cookie on the way out. They were taunting me all day.... I have to admit the cookie tasted damn good.
Got home, went for a run, and went to "Dragon Circuit" (I think circuit training for dragon boat paddlers) for an hour (running, lifting... high intensity stuff with only a little rest in between. I didn't do PCP today because I heard it was super intense, but I'm going to do both next week... figure if I do PCP in the morning, I can do the circuit after work. Patrick / anyone - thoughts on that? I want to be careful not to overdo it (I've been injured before and it's not fun). I want to make sure that I'm following the exercise component of PCP, but it's also really fun to change it up and workout with people.
People in Hong Kong, maybe we can occasionally get together in one of the parks (we met today at the park along Bowen road - it was the perfect space), and do the PCP workouts as a group? Always more fun to do it with people than by yourself.
Following the class, a few of the people said they were going out to dinner. Although I wasn't particularly hungry, I decided to go (always good to get to know people). Went with a miso soup and some pieces of beef. Also tried a piece of salmon and tuna (both raw). I actually don't eat fish / seafood - so this is big for me... I'd love to eat fish because I know it's a healthy option - so was pleasantly surprised when they didn't taste too bad at all. Finished off with frozen yogurt and mango.
Needless to say, things fell apart in the later part of the day - but it did (strangely) help with motivation (at least earlier on), to know that I would have to admit all the mistakes that I made throughout the day.
OK - time to get ready for bed. Up early tomorrow for a 7 mile run.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Day 23 - For real, for real (aka help and support from home)
So – I finally did it (probably about 3 weeks too late), but passed along my blog to my best friends and family. I had told most people about it, but hadn’t actually encouraged them to read and to follow what I was doing…. But figured I needed some kind of way to make sure that I stayed on track (motivation and will power on their own just didn’t seem to be doing the trick). I may send it out to a larger group eventually… but I’m waiting for the weekly picture to look a little better first J.
I made them a promise to blog every day from here on out (and to admit when I’ve gotten off track). You see that gap of about a week in my blog? That was because I was more or less not following the plan at all (or not very closely), so I decided not to write anything at all (figured it was better than lying?). I’m hoping that knowing that every time I give into a craving that I will have to write about it and tell my friends and family, that hopefully, that will help keep me on track. I have a tin of DELICIOUS looking cookies sitting on the ledge in my office (people have this really annoying habit of bringing back the best foods / snacks every time they go on a trip… it seems that people are always traveling). Anyway – these cookies are small and so crispy and so delicious (kind of like almond cookies, maybe?), and I have to walk by the full tin of them about 20 times per day… and they look so little and harmless, but I’m going to resist!
For those of you who asked what was on the diet plan… the main tenant is that you can’t have processed foods (nothing from a factory). So basically, fruits, vegetables and meat. There are carbs at breakfast and lunch (which may eventually decrease at some point)? You’re also supposed to stay away from sugar and salt, and make sure you get enough sleep. I guess if one follows this plan… it’s pretty foolproof… eat real foods, exercise at an increasing intensity, and rest… sounds about right. I’ll send through the specific meal plan for this week, but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Happy to report that today, so far is going well. asparagus and red ionion with an egg for breakfast (home). Plain yogurt, granola (bran-type) cereal (with a few berries mixed in), and then am going to have the chili I made this weekend for lunch. Chili was pretty healthy, but probably a bit high on salt (they didn't have sodium-free diced tomatoes... will get some from the other store before next time).
Tonight, I'm going to an outdoor bootcamp with some friends, and will do the rest of the PCP workout after that. More updates to come !
Thanks again guys for your support! Love you all xx
Day 22 - The Compliment!
So, it happened... as predicted. A colleague (technically a client), made a comment in passing that I was losing weight (he said something about the marathon training maying off - I didn't go into specifics as we were actually just passing in the hallway). Needless to say, just found my new favorite client hahaha :)
In all seriousness, I actually don't think I have lost too much weight (have been naughty with the food and not great with the sleep - but now have a renewed sense of vigor), but I will take the compliment nevertheless. Enjoyed the workout tonight, and also got in an hour of tennis. I'm in bed before midnight (which is HUGE for me), and am planning on going to a bootcamp tomorrow night. Should be fun to workout with some other people.
Going on a junk trip in a little under 2 weeks - so a bathing suit occasion. Going to break down my motivation into little pieces... so focus like whoa for the next 2 weeks... and then take it from there. Hopefully by that time, my new (hard-core, fully PCP) diet will be in place, and my sleeping habits will be on track, and I can start to see some real changes.
Off to sleep. 11:58 - score! :)
In all seriousness, I actually don't think I have lost too much weight (have been naughty with the food and not great with the sleep - but now have a renewed sense of vigor), but I will take the compliment nevertheless. Enjoyed the workout tonight, and also got in an hour of tennis. I'm in bed before midnight (which is HUGE for me), and am planning on going to a bootcamp tomorrow night. Should be fun to workout with some other people.
Going on a junk trip in a little under 2 weeks - so a bathing suit occasion. Going to break down my motivation into little pieces... so focus like whoa for the next 2 weeks... and then take it from there. Hopefully by that time, my new (hard-core, fully PCP) diet will be in place, and my sleeping habits will be on track, and I can start to see some real changes.
Off to sleep. 11:58 - score! :)
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Day 21 - Weekends are hard
Ahhh - 3 weeks in, and to be honest, I'm not quite seeing the same results that others are seeing. Probably because I'm not following the plan exactly... completely okay with the exercises (and I think maybe seeing some more tone in the arms, although not quite sure), but just okay with the diet. The weekdays are easy enough, but the weekends get a little trickier. For some reason - I make up excuses and tell myself that it's only small - but obviously that I can have just 1 of it... that I've been working hard, so I deserve it, like of like a mini weekend free pass (which obviously doesn't make sense, and then is counter productive).
Obviously, that kind of mentality needs to go, because 1 turns into 2, and then I completely forget about the rules that I have set for myself.
Anyway, back to the routine of work tomorrow... sort of strangely looking forward to the Monday - Friday, because it's a little easier to stick with it. I made up some chili tonight... couldn't find any low sodium diced tomatoes, but otherwise, everything is pretty legitimate. It's mostly vegetables (tomatoes, zucchini, onions, carrots, peppers), with some meat and spices. Not quite sure how to weigh it... maybe just add the protein + vegetables together, and go with that?
In terms of the weekend, not too bad. Friday night low key, Saturday was my day for my long training run. Meant to run 2.5 hours... ended up getting lost in the middle of hong kong parks and went for 3 hours and 20 minutes (didn't run the whole thing.... sooo many hills!). Came back and PCP'd (except the skipping and I also skipped the lunges... figured there was at least an hour of up hill running which gave my legs / knees enough of a workout).
In the evening, my roommate hosted a BBQ, and this is where things went awry. I decided it was fine to just have 1 drink (it was a watermelon-based drink with fresh watermelon, so that kind of counts as my evening fruit, right?), which of course turned into several drinks (a vodka soda, a chocolate martini and a glass of wine... thought I'd hit up everything?). Not the worst night I've had, but realized in retrospect that I could have had just as much fun sans drinking, and would have felt much better about it today. Woke up with a headache.
Anyway - once again - I'm up late, so really going to focus on making sleep a priority this week. Will also try to blog a little more consistently, which will also (hopefully) keep me on track. I'm back home to NYC in 10 weeks and 4 days - need to keep that in my head as I'm considering wavering... would love to be looking great when I see my friends for the first time in 9 months. Time to put my game face on!
Obviously, that kind of mentality needs to go, because 1 turns into 2, and then I completely forget about the rules that I have set for myself.
Anyway, back to the routine of work tomorrow... sort of strangely looking forward to the Monday - Friday, because it's a little easier to stick with it. I made up some chili tonight... couldn't find any low sodium diced tomatoes, but otherwise, everything is pretty legitimate. It's mostly vegetables (tomatoes, zucchini, onions, carrots, peppers), with some meat and spices. Not quite sure how to weigh it... maybe just add the protein + vegetables together, and go with that?
In terms of the weekend, not too bad. Friday night low key, Saturday was my day for my long training run. Meant to run 2.5 hours... ended up getting lost in the middle of hong kong parks and went for 3 hours and 20 minutes (didn't run the whole thing.... sooo many hills!). Came back and PCP'd (except the skipping and I also skipped the lunges... figured there was at least an hour of up hill running which gave my legs / knees enough of a workout).
In the evening, my roommate hosted a BBQ, and this is where things went awry. I decided it was fine to just have 1 drink (it was a watermelon-based drink with fresh watermelon, so that kind of counts as my evening fruit, right?), which of course turned into several drinks (a vodka soda, a chocolate martini and a glass of wine... thought I'd hit up everything?). Not the worst night I've had, but realized in retrospect that I could have had just as much fun sans drinking, and would have felt much better about it today. Woke up with a headache.
Anyway - once again - I'm up late, so really going to focus on making sleep a priority this week. Will also try to blog a little more consistently, which will also (hopefully) keep me on track. I'm back home to NYC in 10 weeks and 4 days - need to keep that in my head as I'm considering wavering... would love to be looking great when I see my friends for the first time in 9 months. Time to put my game face on!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Day 17 - Improvement!
Better day today... started off feeling exhausted (got up early to run),but felt a bit better as the day went on. Managed to make my own breakfast (egg with asparagus and tomato + yogurt with granola), packed my own lunch (chicken + vegetables + toast) and only snacked on fruits today... said no to the office snacks (baby steps). Made up some pasta for tomorrow's lunch, and I'm all set!
The exercises are feeling okay... the skipping actually really hurts my feet. Once I stop skipping, they start to cramp up (the bottom of my feet). Slightly worried about that, because a foot injury actually kept me away from the NYC last year (plantar fasciitis), and since I've already booked my ticket from HK --> NY (as have my parents), I really need to make sure the marathon happens. If it continues to hurt, I may just switch off and try to do some other activities (spinning, swimming, etc.). The good news is that the shin splints that were starting have mostly gone away (started jumping on a mat).
Otherwise, the squats feel fine (I guess I should do more? or maybe add on some small weights?), the incline pull-ups were near impossible (I struggled to get to 5 reps... my body refused to budge after 4), the chest / biceps / shoulders were hard, but good, and the abs felt okay. NOT looking forward to the lunges tomorrow. God, I hate lunges.
Feeling good about getting back on track! Now I just need to come up with a few other recipes to keep things interesting, and also need to work on getting more sleep. Speaking of, time to hit the sack!
The exercises are feeling okay... the skipping actually really hurts my feet. Once I stop skipping, they start to cramp up (the bottom of my feet). Slightly worried about that, because a foot injury actually kept me away from the NYC last year (plantar fasciitis), and since I've already booked my ticket from HK --> NY (as have my parents), I really need to make sure the marathon happens. If it continues to hurt, I may just switch off and try to do some other activities (spinning, swimming, etc.). The good news is that the shin splints that were starting have mostly gone away (started jumping on a mat).
Otherwise, the squats feel fine (I guess I should do more? or maybe add on some small weights?), the incline pull-ups were near impossible (I struggled to get to 5 reps... my body refused to budge after 4), the chest / biceps / shoulders were hard, but good, and the abs felt okay. NOT looking forward to the lunges tomorrow. God, I hate lunges.
Feeling good about getting back on track! Now I just need to come up with a few other recipes to keep things interesting, and also need to work on getting more sleep. Speaking of, time to hit the sack!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Day 16 - Back on track...
OK - here I go. Second wind.
I'll just admit... the last week has been less than stellar. I am at work, and just haven't figured out how to say no to the candies and chocolates and the snacks that are constantly out. And once I start snacking, it's like a floodgate of bad behavior. Then, I feel bad about it, so don't really want to blog / admit that I've been sucking at staying on track, so I don't blog, which ends up in a vicious circle of unhealthiness.
The good news is that I have gotten on the cooking train. I've stocked up with chicken and made good use of my steamer. I've made plans for the weekend that specifically involve getting up early and being active (i.e., not drinking), so I am headed in the right direction. I don't eat fish though, and I'm pretty sure that I'm going to get sick of chicken eventually, so any suggestions on other meats would be greatly appreciated.
I need to follow Patrick's directions and try to adopt the PCP plan as a rule with no exceptions. Just tell myself that the answer is no when I start thinking about snacking on something other than my fruit (but the problem is then getting that thing out of my head... it's usually stuck there until I satisfy the craving). Any hints or suggestions here are also appreciated!
I also haven't been able to get the 8 hours of sleep... after the cooking, that'll be the next thing on my list to master. Speaking off... off to bed - need to wake up early tomorrow! New, hard-core PCP starts tomorrow. No more snacking! NO MEANS NO!!!
I'll just admit... the last week has been less than stellar. I am at work, and just haven't figured out how to say no to the candies and chocolates and the snacks that are constantly out. And once I start snacking, it's like a floodgate of bad behavior. Then, I feel bad about it, so don't really want to blog / admit that I've been sucking at staying on track, so I don't blog, which ends up in a vicious circle of unhealthiness.
The good news is that I have gotten on the cooking train. I've stocked up with chicken and made good use of my steamer. I've made plans for the weekend that specifically involve getting up early and being active (i.e., not drinking), so I am headed in the right direction. I don't eat fish though, and I'm pretty sure that I'm going to get sick of chicken eventually, so any suggestions on other meats would be greatly appreciated.
I need to follow Patrick's directions and try to adopt the PCP plan as a rule with no exceptions. Just tell myself that the answer is no when I start thinking about snacking on something other than my fruit (but the problem is then getting that thing out of my head... it's usually stuck there until I satisfy the craving). Any hints or suggestions here are also appreciated!
I also haven't been able to get the 8 hours of sleep... after the cooking, that'll be the next thing on my list to master. Speaking off... off to bed - need to wake up early tomorrow! New, hard-core PCP starts tomorrow. No more snacking! NO MEANS NO!!!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Day 9 - Tuesday and 10% done!
Hahaha, somehow 10% doesn't feel like it's too significant… but we're making progress, and I think as I start to get more comfortable with the diet, it'll get even better.
I'm still feeling a little lost with the diet… I am okay with breakfast and lunch… but still have a few questions that I'm trying to sort out. I grilled up some chicken (not a fish eater), and will have to figure out how to use my new steamer over the next few days. Dinner has been a little tricky since I'm not always at home right after work in the evenings… going to have to figure out how to make that work from a timing perspective.
Really struggling with cutting out the caffeine... definitely hit that afternoon lull. I'm not a coffee or a tea drinker, and I know that coke isn't natural, but definitely helps to keep me awake (not good to sleep at your desk, I don't think? :) ). An overall goal in life... and maybe I should add it specifically to my PCP goals (might as well since I'm making all these other changes) is to get more sleep.
I can definitely feel a bunch of new muscles in my back… trying to figure out if that's from the new exercises or from playing squash yesterday. Also starting also to get shin splints… not sure if it's the running or the skipping, but hoping that it will pass because marathon training is no fun with shin splints.
Off to sleep - up early tomorrow for the mid-week training run (7 miles). Yipee!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Day 8 - Monday NoFunday
Back to work today. Ugh. I started off with my egg and vegetables, but couldn't really figure out the carbs / dairy. I ended up with a honey and granola pot from Pret, justifying that the Greek-style yogurt was the dairy, and the granola and the honey were the carbs… not quite sure it's a go or not, so may have to find some other dairy / carb combo. Suggestions? Or could this work if I had my own low-fat yogurt (have a feeling theirs is the real deal).
Got a little tripped up at lunch too… I suppose that I really should have cooked / measured my food at home, but we have a pretty great salad bar at work, so I figured I could estimate, and as long as it was only vegetables (I usually go with tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, and peppers - all raw, plus whatever meat they have out - today it was ham), that it shouldn't be too much of an issue. Also wasn't quite sure about the dressing… I usually eat it with balsamic vinegar - not sure if that's on the yay or nay list. Still trying to figure out how to make it work… I bought a bunch of groceries tonight, so maybe I'll just give it a go at cooking some of this stuff up and bringing it with me so I don't have to be guessing along the way.
Overall, enjoyed the new workout today, but wondering if I'm supposed to be able to do 600 skips in a row…. not quite there yet :) Also, what was Patrick saying about not being winded? Definitely not there yet either. Am enjoying the fruit snacks - will measure out a couple for work tomorrow. Finished off the day with an hour or so of squash. I love that game. Hoping to get playing somewhat regularly - definitely lots of room for improvement!
Finally was a bit lost again with the PM meal… got home a bit late after squash, and wasn't sure if I should eat, or just go to sleep (isn't it bad to eat late at night?). Lots to learn about the diet component, so looking forward to learning more and more about what to do (and not do), and when!
Day 7 - SundayFunday
Had an awesome day on Sunday. Woke up early (it wasn't a problem because I didn't drink Saturday… unheard of!) and took a taxi to a speed boat, and eventually ended up at Tai Long Won, an island in and around Sai Kung.
It was a (near-)perfect day… gorgeous weather, crystal clear waters, beautiful landscape, and it was pretty remote, so we more or less had the place to ourselves. I say near-perfect, because I really don't feel great walking around in my bikini. It would be great to feel fully confident in my body (on the beach in particular), and not even think twice when I take off the cover up. Definitely some good motivation to keep in mind as I'm going through the next 3 months.
The day ended with dinner with a friend (had pasta, and took most of it home), and a foot massage. Got to bed relatively early, ready to get started with PCP-hardcore!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Day 6 - 13 miles, BBQ and board games
Tried to wake up early, but my body refused. Normally, I don't mind sleeping in, but this meant that I had my 13-mile training run in the peak of the afternoon (Silly Nicole). Training for a marathon in the middle of HK summer is probably not the best idea I've ever had, but hopefully training in the crazy heat / humidity will make running in cool weather a little easier?
The later part of the run involves going downhill for about 25 minutes, which also means that you need to go uphill that same distance. I did not / could not run up the whole way - definitely took some breathers on the way up. This is a new goal for myself - to be able to run up Tai Hang road from the bottom all the way to Bowen road without stopping. Stretch goal :)
Otherwise, nothing crazy to report. Definitely was pretty tired after the run (managed to finish 2litres of water during the run), but got through the PCP exercises anyway. I only did 3 of the 5 sets (x70) of the skipping…. my knees weren't particularly happy with me, so I showed mercy on them. In the evening, I had some people over, we BBQ'd (I went with 1/2 a burger, and a hotdog no bun), and hung out and played Apples to Apples (like a board game, but there isn't actually a board… it's played with cards).
I stayed away from the drinks, so now I am going to have non-hungover weekend day #2! Craziness!!!
Day 5 - Good times with Water
Pretty solid day overall. Went spinning at lunch, did the PCP, and met up with friends after work for dinner / drinks.
Managed to eat halves at dinner (went with a piece of bruschetta, a quarter slice of lasagna and a slice of thin crust pizza), and managed to pass on the wine (went with water instead). Afterwards, we went to a number of bars, and I just kept up with the water (part of this is PCP, part is that, with training for the marathon, my long runs are on Saturday morning, so I can't drink the night before).
Went to a few different bars, and while it felt a little weird to be abstaining from the Jello shots, and the drinks, etc., I actually had a really good time. Seeing my friends get progressively more drunk was quite amusing, and I realized I could still dance and hang out and be social even if I'm going with bottles of water instead of bottles of vodka. If I'm being honest, at first I felt a little self conscious about dancing sans alcohol (I am not blessed with a particularly good sense of rhythm or dancing abilities :) ), but once I got into it (and remembered that everyone else around me was wasted and couldn't tell the difference), I had a blast. All the fun (ok, fine, not ALL of the fun, but a good amount of fun nevertheless), and none of the hangover. Good deal.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Day 4 - Tennis!!
Today is the day I re-discovered my love for tennis. I didn't play too much in NY (free courts were hard to come by, and tennis club memberships were expensive), so I only got to play a few times. I think it's been about a year and a half since I've played - and I forgot what a thrill it is to run around the court, chasing after balls. Following the lesson, I sat in the change room, and was dripping sweat for about 10 minutes. Not going to lie, I looked like a wet cat, but I felt fantastic. Since courts are relatively cheap in HK, definitely want to get back into the swing of things with tennis.
In other news, had a pretty standard day. Got up early for my 7mile run (marathon training - woooo!). As a side note, I've recently started running with my camelbak, and definitely makes a difference to have water on you at all times. Huge. Did the run, finished my PCP workout (really need to get a better skipping rope... I can blame the trips on the bad rope, right? :) ), and had half a peanut butter and soy protein shake. Lunch, I'll admit, I had the whole salad (I initially split it in half, but I was in a meeting, and I kept on going), and then for dinner, I had the remainder of my saved pulled pork from Tuesday + the veggies I grilled on the BBQ yesterday. There may or may not have been some chocolate in the mid afternoon. It's a habit I'm going to need to break soon.
Another side note... in Patrick's email, he noted that skipping is supposed to be a low intensity exercise. I don't know about you guys, but I am winded every time. I expect (/ hope) that it will get easier as time goes on. The legs hurt, but not too much. The abs and the lunges hurt, but I can push through, but the pushups are still a struggle.
Going to try a little harder to actually only eat half of my lunch tomorrow. Also, we're getting to the weekend, so there will be a host of temptations out there. I have no problem on Friday night to take it easy (training run Sat AM), but Saturday night is always a little more challenging. Especially after a long week - there's something gratifying about going out and having a few drinks. I guess I can still go out sans drinks?
Am also hoping to get my equipment tomorrow / this weekend. Can anyone recommend where to get the equipment in Hong Kong?
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Day 3 - the day I found out my body fat percentage
Day 3, was, all in all, not too bad. Workout-wise, I got in a 3 mile run and the PCP workout. Legs were feeling it from the lunges yesterday, but I kind of like the feeling.
I also got my body composition tested. I'm not sure what everything means, but I'll throw it all out there, and use it as a benchmark for improvement. I'm debating how often I should get it re-done (the body composition analysis). I was thinking every 2 weeks or so - do you think that's enough time to see changes, or should I make it 3 weeks, or a month?
Height: 165.0 cm
Weight: 68.60 kg
Fat %: 32.2%
Fat Mass: 22.1 kg
FFM (fat free mass, or so I learned today): 46.50 kg
Muscle Mass: 43.60 kg
TBW % (total body water): 49.9%
BMI: 25.2
Bone mass: 2.9 kg
Visceral fat rating: 5
BMR: 1425 kcal
Muscle Mass (kg) / Fat Mass (kg) / Fat %
Trunk: 22.85 / 11.65 / 32.3%
Left arm: 2.00 / 0.95 / 30.4%
Right arm: 2.15 / 0.95 / 29.2%
Left leg: 8.30 / 4.25 / 32.5%
Right leg: 8.25 / 4.30 / 32.7%
GOALS:
1) Weight: Arbitrarily picked my lucky softball number as my goal for how much weight I'd like to lose: 7.3 kg (my number was 73). That would bring me from 68.6 to 61.3. Eventually, would love to see that number dip below 60 (even 59.9 will do). Let's see how this goes. Any thoughts on what is realistic to expect?
2) Body Fat %: Fat makes up almost a third of my mass? Seriously?? Yikes. My little sheet of paper says it's in the normal range, but I can't live with that. Going to aim for 25% (so down 7.2.... actually, while I'm setting arbitrary goals, I might as well make it 7.3% again, with a goal of 24.9%). My scale actually has a different (lower) bf%, so I'll have to stick with the reading at the gym to be consistent.
Not really sure if there are other things I should be focusing on (suggestions welcome), so I'll stick with those two for now.
In terms of the food today - not too bad (although admittedly, I did have some chocolate in the afternoon...). Protein shake, salad, (insert chocolate here), leftover pulled pork (mmm), and grilled up some veggies on the bbq (peppers, onions and asparagus). Normally (and by normally, that includes tonight), I'd put oil on them before grilling them... any thoughts on alternative ways to grill veggies on a bbq without oil? Also invested in a steamer so I can start doing veggies that way as well.
Off to sleep soon... 7 mile run tomorrow morning, PCP workout #4, followed by a tennis lesson (weather-permitting) in the evening. 3 days down... 87 to go! :)
I also got my body composition tested. I'm not sure what everything means, but I'll throw it all out there, and use it as a benchmark for improvement. I'm debating how often I should get it re-done (the body composition analysis). I was thinking every 2 weeks or so - do you think that's enough time to see changes, or should I make it 3 weeks, or a month?
Height: 165.0 cm
Weight: 68.60 kg
Fat %: 32.2%
Fat Mass: 22.1 kg
FFM (fat free mass, or so I learned today): 46.50 kg
Muscle Mass: 43.60 kg
TBW % (total body water): 49.9%
BMI: 25.2
Bone mass: 2.9 kg
Visceral fat rating: 5
BMR: 1425 kcal
Muscle Mass (kg) / Fat Mass (kg) / Fat %
Trunk: 22.85 / 11.65 / 32.3%
Left arm: 2.00 / 0.95 / 30.4%
Right arm: 2.15 / 0.95 / 29.2%
Left leg: 8.30 / 4.25 / 32.5%
Right leg: 8.25 / 4.30 / 32.7%
GOALS:
1) Weight: Arbitrarily picked my lucky softball number as my goal for how much weight I'd like to lose: 7.3 kg (my number was 73). That would bring me from 68.6 to 61.3. Eventually, would love to see that number dip below 60 (even 59.9 will do). Let's see how this goes. Any thoughts on what is realistic to expect?
2) Body Fat %: Fat makes up almost a third of my mass? Seriously?? Yikes. My little sheet of paper says it's in the normal range, but I can't live with that. Going to aim for 25% (so down 7.2.... actually, while I'm setting arbitrary goals, I might as well make it 7.3% again, with a goal of 24.9%). My scale actually has a different (lower) bf%, so I'll have to stick with the reading at the gym to be consistent.
Not really sure if there are other things I should be focusing on (suggestions welcome), so I'll stick with those two for now.
In terms of the food today - not too bad (although admittedly, I did have some chocolate in the afternoon...). Protein shake, salad, (insert chocolate here), leftover pulled pork (mmm), and grilled up some veggies on the bbq (peppers, onions and asparagus). Normally (and by normally, that includes tonight), I'd put oil on them before grilling them... any thoughts on alternative ways to grill veggies on a bbq without oil? Also invested in a steamer so I can start doing veggies that way as well.
Off to sleep soon... 7 mile run tomorrow morning, PCP workout #4, followed by a tennis lesson (weather-permitting) in the evening. 3 days down... 87 to go! :)
Day Two - Blue Smoke deliciousness (and quasi-victory over cheesecake)
So - I've made it through the first few days... not too bad.
A recap of day 2:
Yesterday (day 2) - not too bad. The halfsies mentality is a little hard to wrap my mind around... it really does feel like a waste - but very true that it's better in the garbage than on my wasteline. Had a protein shake for breakfast (soy milk, protein, a scoop of peanut butter, and cinnamon - yum)... actually - scratch that - I had half a protein shake for breakfast, half a salad for lunch (tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers, peppers, ham and feta), but I knew I was done for going to Blue Smoke for dinner (amazing BBQ place). I have only been to Blue Smoke a few times, but every time I have visited so far, I have left feeling ridiculously sick from eating too much. Everything is out of control amazing.
Anyway - happy to report that (for the first time) I left feeling really good. I had 1 wing, a little bit of mac and cheese, and a little bit of pulled pork (oh right... forgot about those sweet potato fries... oops). I happily wrapped up most of the pulled pork (it was dinner tonight, and will be tomorrow night too). It was a birthday dinner, so there was a birthday cheesecake, but I managed to have just a few (slow!) bites, and then move it away (as in, out of reach). I finished maybe a quarter of it. This, my friends, is progress, because the cheesecake was damn good. I can't remember a time that I had a delicious dessert and didn't finish the whole thing (and possibly have seconds... or thirds.. or maybe fourths if nobody was looking. Seriously.). The thing about desserts that I know mentally, but haven't been able to put into practice, is that to enjoy it, you really need 1 or 2 bites. After that - every bite is going to taste exactly the same. There are diminishing returns.
Oh, and I had a glass of wine. Justified to myself that I normally would have had two :). Red wine is going to be a hard one to drop... a good glass of red wine just puts me in my happy place. I guess, perhaps a fitter version of myself will put me in a permanent happy place?
Following dinner, we went out for a quick drink, and I managed to stick with water (despite a good amount of peer pressure). Went to bed feeling not too bad.
Day 2 = 3 mile run (part of my marathon training), PCP workout, spinning at lunch, and probably not the best food day, but had some mini successes in there. I'll take it.
A recap of day 2:
Yesterday (day 2) - not too bad. The halfsies mentality is a little hard to wrap my mind around... it really does feel like a waste - but very true that it's better in the garbage than on my wasteline. Had a protein shake for breakfast (soy milk, protein, a scoop of peanut butter, and cinnamon - yum)... actually - scratch that - I had half a protein shake for breakfast, half a salad for lunch (tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers, peppers, ham and feta), but I knew I was done for going to Blue Smoke for dinner (amazing BBQ place). I have only been to Blue Smoke a few times, but every time I have visited so far, I have left feeling ridiculously sick from eating too much. Everything is out of control amazing.
Anyway - happy to report that (for the first time) I left feeling really good. I had 1 wing, a little bit of mac and cheese, and a little bit of pulled pork (oh right... forgot about those sweet potato fries... oops). I happily wrapped up most of the pulled pork (it was dinner tonight, and will be tomorrow night too). It was a birthday dinner, so there was a birthday cheesecake, but I managed to have just a few (slow!) bites, and then move it away (as in, out of reach). I finished maybe a quarter of it. This, my friends, is progress, because the cheesecake was damn good. I can't remember a time that I had a delicious dessert and didn't finish the whole thing (and possibly have seconds... or thirds.. or maybe fourths if nobody was looking. Seriously.). The thing about desserts that I know mentally, but haven't been able to put into practice, is that to enjoy it, you really need 1 or 2 bites. After that - every bite is going to taste exactly the same. There are diminishing returns.
Oh, and I had a glass of wine. Justified to myself that I normally would have had two :). Red wine is going to be a hard one to drop... a good glass of red wine just puts me in my happy place. I guess, perhaps a fitter version of myself will put me in a permanent happy place?
Following dinner, we went out for a quick drink, and I managed to stick with water (despite a good amount of peer pressure). Went to bed feeling not too bad.
Day 2 = 3 mile run (part of my marathon training), PCP workout, spinning at lunch, and probably not the best food day, but had some mini successes in there. I'll take it.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Day 1... the beginning
So, here we go. Day 1.
This is a strange strange thing, taking photographs of your flaws and posting them on the internet for everyone to see. You see, I have spent many a year trying my best to hide what I am willingly putting up today.
You hide it by de-tagging the 'fat' pictures on Facebook, and by shopping for clothes that aren't too tight, but aren't too loose, that maybe are a little forgiving in those certain areas (or completely forgiving). So all these years, instead of making a change with my diet and fitness routine, I adapted these other aspects and tried to pretend that it wasn't a big deal, that I was fine with it. I slowly shopped for bigger and bigger clothes (the sizes are different in Asia... right?) - but at some point, it needed to stop (like now, for example).
Along the way, I've tried to make rules for myself, but without even thinking (or with a little bit of thinking, and almost immediately forgetting / deciding I didn't care), I would grab the cookie, the cake, the chocolate bar, the can of pop, etc etc etc. I would (somewhat) happily eat or drink with abandon, not worrying about the consequences, because whatever I felt in the moment was what I wanted. I liked the feeling of instant gratification, and didn't really consider the long term implications (like one of Patrick's blogs said… it's a lot of little happy moments, but then generally being unhappy throughout the rest of the day). Of course, it's a tricky, vicious cycle… you feel a little down, so you grab a cookie, then you feel better, so you grab another one. But then you feel bad about eating two cookies, but boy you'd probably feel better if you just maybe just one more. Hahaha - it's the most non-sensical thing, but food can be tricky like that.
I'm not too worried about the fitness routine, and actually am looking forward to the challenge, and to having a prescribed set of things to do every day. I'm currently training for my second marathon (I ran the San Francisco marathon last summer, and am planning on running the NYC marathon in November of this year), so this will be great to go along with my training runs. When I go to the gym, I often do the same 4 or 5 activities, so I'm excited to change it up and to get skipping. I'm excited to get better at skipping. What I am more concerned about is the food… I'm definitely snacker, and while I actually do really enjoy vegetables and healthy food, I also enjoy eating out, and going out drinking with friends.
So, I know throughout this process, that's what I am going to have to focus on, and I know it's not going to be easy. I have recently moved to a new city (I moved to Hong Kong from NYC), and a lot of my socializing revolves around eating and drinking. I guess it's time to break out the sober dance moves! Wooooo!!! :)
Anyway, it's my first blogging experience, and first time to try anything official like this, so hoping that the embarrassment of putting up less-than-flattering pics, along with the support of the group will help get me through (and take care of those love handles… where did they come from btw?!?). Looking forward to the next 89 days and beyond!
Cheers,
Nic
Are you supposed to sign your blogs? How does this work, anyway? :)
(Ewww, ewww, ewww):
This is a strange strange thing, taking photographs of your flaws and posting them on the internet for everyone to see. You see, I have spent many a year trying my best to hide what I am willingly putting up today.
You hide it by de-tagging the 'fat' pictures on Facebook, and by shopping for clothes that aren't too tight, but aren't too loose, that maybe are a little forgiving in those certain areas (or completely forgiving). So all these years, instead of making a change with my diet and fitness routine, I adapted these other aspects and tried to pretend that it wasn't a big deal, that I was fine with it. I slowly shopped for bigger and bigger clothes (the sizes are different in Asia... right?) - but at some point, it needed to stop (like now, for example).
Along the way, I've tried to make rules for myself, but without even thinking (or with a little bit of thinking, and almost immediately forgetting / deciding I didn't care), I would grab the cookie, the cake, the chocolate bar, the can of pop, etc etc etc. I would (somewhat) happily eat or drink with abandon, not worrying about the consequences, because whatever I felt in the moment was what I wanted. I liked the feeling of instant gratification, and didn't really consider the long term implications (like one of Patrick's blogs said… it's a lot of little happy moments, but then generally being unhappy throughout the rest of the day). Of course, it's a tricky, vicious cycle… you feel a little down, so you grab a cookie, then you feel better, so you grab another one. But then you feel bad about eating two cookies, but boy you'd probably feel better if you just maybe just one more. Hahaha - it's the most non-sensical thing, but food can be tricky like that.
I'm not too worried about the fitness routine, and actually am looking forward to the challenge, and to having a prescribed set of things to do every day. I'm currently training for my second marathon (I ran the San Francisco marathon last summer, and am planning on running the NYC marathon in November of this year), so this will be great to go along with my training runs. When I go to the gym, I often do the same 4 or 5 activities, so I'm excited to change it up and to get skipping. I'm excited to get better at skipping. What I am more concerned about is the food… I'm definitely snacker, and while I actually do really enjoy vegetables and healthy food, I also enjoy eating out, and going out drinking with friends.
So, I know throughout this process, that's what I am going to have to focus on, and I know it's not going to be easy. I have recently moved to a new city (I moved to Hong Kong from NYC), and a lot of my socializing revolves around eating and drinking. I guess it's time to break out the sober dance moves! Wooooo!!! :)
Anyway, it's my first blogging experience, and first time to try anything official like this, so hoping that the embarrassment of putting up less-than-flattering pics, along with the support of the group will help get me through (and take care of those love handles… where did they come from btw?!?). Looking forward to the next 89 days and beyond!
Cheers,
Nic
Are you supposed to sign your blogs? How does this work, anyway? :)
(Ewww, ewww, ewww):
Sunday, July 31, 2011
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