So, at this point, (11:45 on new year's eve) I'll admit it. I'm heading into 2015 with mixed emotions. I'm not particularly happy with the progress I've made during 2014; as I feel like I'm ending the year where I started in many ways (or in some cases, behind). I'm also not as energized for 2015 as I'd like to be, and I'm anticipating a very tough month at work to start the year.
A tough month means early days, late nights, weekends, and very little time for family, community work, or personal priorities. I've got my goals for 2015, but without a lot of really careful planning and persistence, I won't accomplish them. Getting a fast start is going to be really important, but I'm just not confident that's going to happen, and I'm concerned about the effect that's going to have on my overall year.
This may just be my learned pessimism showing through (I'm actually a natural optimist, I think). Or maybe it's fear, or advance excuses for when I don't hit my 2015 goals. It's been the way I've felt for three or four months now, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NO REASON TO FEEL THIS WAY! The last quarter of 2014 resulted in a lot of personal successes for me, and I can head into the new year with a few successes.
Maybe I just need to adjust my perspective and get the new year started with a bang. Perhaps in a few days I'll have some more recent successes to point to.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
New Year coming - the blank slate returns
Well, I'll admit it; I was a victim of the holidays and of vacation this year. It's not the first time, and it won't be the last.
But tomorrow is New Year's Eve, which brings with it the promise of resolutions and new starts. I don't make resolutions, though - I set goals. And I've set my goals for the new year already, in areas of personal fitness, professional success, and social engagement with my family and my community. These are all aligned with my personal mission statement, although some of my goals which should be 'maintains' are actually 'improves'.
I'm actually okay with that, as I had a banner year this year (2014). While I did not fully accomplish all of my goals, I did really well on them, and I believe I made more progress than I would have otherwise. I got a new job in my company, finished a religious education program, worked as an Assistant Scoutmaster, and met many of my fitness challenges. This last category, though, is where I fell the most short, as a few of my longer-term objectives (being able to do pull-ups, for example) just didn't happen. In the big picture, these were less-important to me, and when time became crunched, they were eliminated.
For 2015, I need to keep my goals realistic. Time is my most limited resource, so that's going to be the constraint I have to address the whole year. Having been on vacation for a few days, I am already falling into the trap of thinking I can do more than I really can once work and other engagements creep back into my daily life. What I need to do better in this year, more than anything else, is to manage my time and my priorities better. Especially at work, I need to focus on the important, not just the urgent, and really discriminate the things that only I can do, versus those that others can do (especially if they can do them better). That's always been hard for me, as I tend to think that I'm the only one who can do many things the 'right' way, when really, it's just 'my' way. There are more right ways than I usually think of, and I need to accept that 90% of 'my way' may actually be better, especially if it trains someone else to think about how to do things differently.
That's a lot to think about, but my other objective for 2015 is to be more engaged. I've spent the last six months sleepwalking, it seems, and I need to be done with that. If I focus my time on the task at hand, it will probably get done better than if I'm constantly multitasking. And the only way to stop trying to do everything is to distribute authority with responsibility more often, and to the right, talented people I work with. How to do that best - I haven't figured out yet, but with some changes coming, and some quiet time scheduled every day to just think, I will figure it out.
On to 2015, a year of new engagement, new ideals, and hopefully, a better me.
But tomorrow is New Year's Eve, which brings with it the promise of resolutions and new starts. I don't make resolutions, though - I set goals. And I've set my goals for the new year already, in areas of personal fitness, professional success, and social engagement with my family and my community. These are all aligned with my personal mission statement, although some of my goals which should be 'maintains' are actually 'improves'.
I'm actually okay with that, as I had a banner year this year (2014). While I did not fully accomplish all of my goals, I did really well on them, and I believe I made more progress than I would have otherwise. I got a new job in my company, finished a religious education program, worked as an Assistant Scoutmaster, and met many of my fitness challenges. This last category, though, is where I fell the most short, as a few of my longer-term objectives (being able to do pull-ups, for example) just didn't happen. In the big picture, these were less-important to me, and when time became crunched, they were eliminated.
For 2015, I need to keep my goals realistic. Time is my most limited resource, so that's going to be the constraint I have to address the whole year. Having been on vacation for a few days, I am already falling into the trap of thinking I can do more than I really can once work and other engagements creep back into my daily life. What I need to do better in this year, more than anything else, is to manage my time and my priorities better. Especially at work, I need to focus on the important, not just the urgent, and really discriminate the things that only I can do, versus those that others can do (especially if they can do them better). That's always been hard for me, as I tend to think that I'm the only one who can do many things the 'right' way, when really, it's just 'my' way. There are more right ways than I usually think of, and I need to accept that 90% of 'my way' may actually be better, especially if it trains someone else to think about how to do things differently.
That's a lot to think about, but my other objective for 2015 is to be more engaged. I've spent the last six months sleepwalking, it seems, and I need to be done with that. If I focus my time on the task at hand, it will probably get done better than if I'm constantly multitasking. And the only way to stop trying to do everything is to distribute authority with responsibility more often, and to the right, talented people I work with. How to do that best - I haven't figured out yet, but with some changes coming, and some quiet time scheduled every day to just think, I will figure it out.
On to 2015, a year of new engagement, new ideals, and hopefully, a better me.
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Christmas, Overdone.
Well, it's Christmas day, and I've just finished the last of three (food-centric) celebrations of the holiday. Boy, am I finished, too.
I'm not where I wanted to be at the end of the year, in a lot of ways. Frankly, I'm not surprised, nor am I too upset. There's another year coming, and another opportunity to set my life on the course that I want it to be on.
I'll spend the next week focused on setting my objectives for the new year. If you've been reading, clearly one of these is weight loss. But there's more to it than that - a lot more. I have career objectives, personal fitness objectives, and goals for my relationships both socially and pseudo-professionally.
I'll also spend the next week relaxing. I'm on vacation next week, and going skiing / snowboarding with my family. This will be followed by an all-out, every day full day at work for about six weeks. As with every year, the first six weeks of the year equates to a lot of work closing the books for my company and locking in our company plans for the coming year. Add to this a round of transformation and reorganization (some of which happens every year, it seems), and it's shaping up to be a tough beginning to the year.
I'm going to continue to blog, and in 2015, I plan to actually blog on relevant stuff, and write these as if they would be interesting to read. I'm working on habits, starting and stopping, good and bad. Hope to see you here next year.
Current weight: 195.2 lbs. In essence, no progress this quarter, other than quitting soda (which has REALLY taken hold - it doesn't even smell good to me now). My immediate goal: get below 192 lbs by the end of January.
Thought of the day: I may be the product of my past, but I am the framer of my future.
I'm not where I wanted to be at the end of the year, in a lot of ways. Frankly, I'm not surprised, nor am I too upset. There's another year coming, and another opportunity to set my life on the course that I want it to be on.
I'll spend the next week focused on setting my objectives for the new year. If you've been reading, clearly one of these is weight loss. But there's more to it than that - a lot more. I have career objectives, personal fitness objectives, and goals for my relationships both socially and pseudo-professionally.
I'll also spend the next week relaxing. I'm on vacation next week, and going skiing / snowboarding with my family. This will be followed by an all-out, every day full day at work for about six weeks. As with every year, the first six weeks of the year equates to a lot of work closing the books for my company and locking in our company plans for the coming year. Add to this a round of transformation and reorganization (some of which happens every year, it seems), and it's shaping up to be a tough beginning to the year.
I'm going to continue to blog, and in 2015, I plan to actually blog on relevant stuff, and write these as if they would be interesting to read. I'm working on habits, starting and stopping, good and bad. Hope to see you here next year.
Current weight: 195.2 lbs. In essence, no progress this quarter, other than quitting soda (which has REALLY taken hold - it doesn't even smell good to me now). My immediate goal: get below 192 lbs by the end of January.
Thought of the day: I may be the product of my past, but I am the framer of my future.
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Rough Week Over
Ah. the Christmas party. The antithesis of what people look for when they are trying to lose weight and maintain fitness. It's been that kind of week for me, with four Christmas parties to attend, due to my participation in work, Scouts, and my church. I realize that I have control over what I eat at these events, but at the same time, it's good to cut loose once in a while.
Of course, it's also better to save up some room before you cut loose, which didn't happen much this week.. A rough schedule at work prevented both decently-long morning workouts and evening workouts until Friday, and the parties didn't help on the intake end. That said, I did drop about a half pound this week, and feel like I've got some momentum.
Why, you ask? Well, for one thing, I gave up soda and have been substituting water, and frankly, it hasn't been hard. Also, my running is still improving, and although I'm only getting in a few miles of running or biking a day, I am still getting it done.
Now that I've kicked soda, my next target is sugar, mainly in the form of desserts and sweets. This one is going to be a bit harder, for a lot of reasons. For one thing, I'm a cookie monster - I just love them, and even started a blog last year centered on cookies. For another, I find that there aren't many substitutes for sweets, especially in the first few days of forming a new habit. The last time I tried this, I switched to nuts, but they're high in fat, which isn't much better.
But hey - now I'm off for Christmas vacation, including a trip down to my mother's house (the source of another food fiesta) and then up to Vermont for a week of skiing, snowshoeing, At the end of this, I may choose to run a 50K before I go into a month-long intense period at work. This period was the cause of a 10-pound gain in October, so my defenses need to be up and strong, and I need a good head start
Of course, it's also better to save up some room before you cut loose, which didn't happen much this week.. A rough schedule at work prevented both decently-long morning workouts and evening workouts until Friday, and the parties didn't help on the intake end. That said, I did drop about a half pound this week, and feel like I've got some momentum.
Why, you ask? Well, for one thing, I gave up soda and have been substituting water, and frankly, it hasn't been hard. Also, my running is still improving, and although I'm only getting in a few miles of running or biking a day, I am still getting it done.
Now that I've kicked soda, my next target is sugar, mainly in the form of desserts and sweets. This one is going to be a bit harder, for a lot of reasons. For one thing, I'm a cookie monster - I just love them, and even started a blog last year centered on cookies. For another, I find that there aren't many substitutes for sweets, especially in the first few days of forming a new habit. The last time I tried this, I switched to nuts, but they're high in fat, which isn't much better.
But hey - now I'm off for Christmas vacation, including a trip down to my mother's house (the source of another food fiesta) and then up to Vermont for a week of skiing, snowshoeing, At the end of this, I may choose to run a 50K before I go into a month-long intense period at work. This period was the cause of a 10-pound gain in October, so my defenses need to be up and strong, and I need a good head start
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Turning the Corner? No, into a circle
I was hopeful after my last post. I woke up Wednesday with the thought "Is this the day I turn it around?" By now, you likely know what 'it' is. It's my nutrition, my exercise plan, my attitude toward many things, notably work, which has been a constant source of stress for weeks months now.
And Wednesday was a good day, in so many ways. My nutrition was on, my diet soda consumption was low (believe me, I need to kick that habit too), and I got in a workout that helped reduce my stress levels a bit. I was really hopeful that I had turned that corner.
But Thursday came. After a VERY late night at work on Wednesday, Thursday was an early start, so I could only get a little under 5 hours of sleep. Fine to do once, but this was the third time in a few days for me to get less than 7. Cue the suspenseful horror music as I look at the day's plan.
Wednesday hadn't been a corner, it was a traffic circle. I had a tailwind for a day, but then turned again into the headwinds of stress and fatigue. Thursday didn't go well. Friday was worse, and at the end of the workday, I did something I really really shouldn't have with some Pepperidge Farm cookies that will not be spoken of again. I hit bottom right then, I think.
So today (Saturday), I woke up with that same feeling from Wednesday - "will this be the day?". Only this time, as I lay in bed to doze and catch up on some rest, I realized that it can't be a question. It needs to be a full-bodied, self-driven commitment that "This WILL be the day", or else I'm handing over my power to the whims of the universe (insert your own religious perspective here).
Today was a good day. An hour long run this morning, compounded by another hour in the cardio gym later in the day (which I had to drag myself to a bit, but out of dread, not tiredness). Found that they activated the wi-fi in the gym, so I got to listen to a podcast and watch a Netflix TV show while working out (The Killing, if you're interested). Nutrition was okay (the day isn't over yet), and I went soda-less, replacing my drinks with water successfully.
Moreover, I am pledging to cut out junk food from my diet for the next six weeks. (Please note that I use the word diet to mean my overalll nutrition regimen, not a temporary, reduced calorie eating plan). And to me, junk food isn't Mcdonalds or pizza or potato chips; I gave those up a long time ago for the most part. What I'm referring to is low-nutrition-density foods, including things like bagels and pretzels, as well as the candy and cookies that, frankly, I love. I am a cookie lover, but they really have to go, in favor of better foods. That's how I'm going to get myself out of this condition, and into a mode where I feel better, which I know I will.
So my official weigh in today was 194.7 lbs. which was up slightly from last week. Not a surprise, nor a disaster. And if I don't make my "under 190" goal by 1/1/15, so be it. I'll work hard for the next three weeks, but I don't believe in miracles. I am realistic about this, and know the direction in which I need to head - speed is not that important.
And Wednesday was a good day, in so many ways. My nutrition was on, my diet soda consumption was low (believe me, I need to kick that habit too), and I got in a workout that helped reduce my stress levels a bit. I was really hopeful that I had turned that corner.
But Thursday came. After a VERY late night at work on Wednesday, Thursday was an early start, so I could only get a little under 5 hours of sleep. Fine to do once, but this was the third time in a few days for me to get less than 7. Cue the suspenseful horror music as I look at the day's plan.
Wednesday hadn't been a corner, it was a traffic circle. I had a tailwind for a day, but then turned again into the headwinds of stress and fatigue. Thursday didn't go well. Friday was worse, and at the end of the workday, I did something I really really shouldn't have with some Pepperidge Farm cookies that will not be spoken of again. I hit bottom right then, I think.
So today (Saturday), I woke up with that same feeling from Wednesday - "will this be the day?". Only this time, as I lay in bed to doze and catch up on some rest, I realized that it can't be a question. It needs to be a full-bodied, self-driven commitment that "This WILL be the day", or else I'm handing over my power to the whims of the universe (insert your own religious perspective here).
Today was a good day. An hour long run this morning, compounded by another hour in the cardio gym later in the day (which I had to drag myself to a bit, but out of dread, not tiredness). Found that they activated the wi-fi in the gym, so I got to listen to a podcast and watch a Netflix TV show while working out (The Killing, if you're interested). Nutrition was okay (the day isn't over yet), and I went soda-less, replacing my drinks with water successfully.
Moreover, I am pledging to cut out junk food from my diet for the next six weeks. (Please note that I use the word diet to mean my overalll nutrition regimen, not a temporary, reduced calorie eating plan). And to me, junk food isn't Mcdonalds or pizza or potato chips; I gave those up a long time ago for the most part. What I'm referring to is low-nutrition-density foods, including things like bagels and pretzels, as well as the candy and cookies that, frankly, I love. I am a cookie lover, but they really have to go, in favor of better foods. That's how I'm going to get myself out of this condition, and into a mode where I feel better, which I know I will.
So my official weigh in today was 194.7 lbs. which was up slightly from last week. Not a surprise, nor a disaster. And if I don't make my "under 190" goal by 1/1/15, so be it. I'll work hard for the next three weeks, but I don't believe in miracles. I am realistic about this, and know the direction in which I need to head - speed is not that important.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Mid-week doldrums
Not the best couple of days for diet and exercise this week. Yesterday, a football banquet for my older son ended in a bad cookie fest, and tonight, a party for the Parish Council on which I serve. Don't get me wrong - I didn't go crazy, and indeed I expect I ate fewer calories than most people do in a typical day (certainly any day involving McDonald's), but it's still more than I want to indulge in, given my goals.
And there's the rub. I know what to do and how to do it, but getting myself to actually do it (or not do it, in the case of eating large cookie volumes) is the hard bit. I expect it has something to do with poor self-control, or maybe emotional eating, or even that I really don't care for my goal as much as I want to. I'm not sure just yet, but that's part of the process of self-psychoanalysis. The reality is that reasons and psychology change over time, and what was the answer in a previous instance is not the same as the current one.
So the bad news was that I weighed in at 195.2 lbs this morning. There was naturally a brief moment of panic, but as I mentioned earlier, my weight fluctuates a few pounds in either direction, so I'm not freaking out. That said, my progress for the last week may not have been as good as I was hoping. Bummer for now.
I also know that I have a two week cycle - changes in behavior take about two weeks to show up in my physique. My problem now is that my behavior has not radically changed. I'm sure that once I see progress, I will get motivated again; it's the first few weeks without seeing the scale budge that gets me demotivated. Once it starts, though, it happens fast, so I just need to hold on. Which I will.
Thought of the day: We are often too bound by our own histories, and letting go of the past is a very hard thing to do. I'm not saying that we should reject the past - in fact, our pasts were the only path to who we are today. I am saying, though, that our past defines only our present, not our future. While there is only one path that led us to where we are today, the paths ahead of us are multiple and infinite. There is only one path to the person we will be tomorrow, but who that person is, we get to decide.
And there's the rub. I know what to do and how to do it, but getting myself to actually do it (or not do it, in the case of eating large cookie volumes) is the hard bit. I expect it has something to do with poor self-control, or maybe emotional eating, or even that I really don't care for my goal as much as I want to. I'm not sure just yet, but that's part of the process of self-psychoanalysis. The reality is that reasons and psychology change over time, and what was the answer in a previous instance is not the same as the current one.
So the bad news was that I weighed in at 195.2 lbs this morning. There was naturally a brief moment of panic, but as I mentioned earlier, my weight fluctuates a few pounds in either direction, so I'm not freaking out. That said, my progress for the last week may not have been as good as I was hoping. Bummer for now.
I also know that I have a two week cycle - changes in behavior take about two weeks to show up in my physique. My problem now is that my behavior has not radically changed. I'm sure that once I see progress, I will get motivated again; it's the first few weeks without seeing the scale budge that gets me demotivated. Once it starts, though, it happens fast, so I just need to hold on. Which I will.
Thought of the day: We are often too bound by our own histories, and letting go of the past is a very hard thing to do. I'm not saying that we should reject the past - in fact, our pasts were the only path to who we are today. I am saying, though, that our past defines only our present, not our future. While there is only one path that led us to where we are today, the paths ahead of us are multiple and infinite. There is only one path to the person we will be tomorrow, but who that person is, we get to decide.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Long Run cut short - for good reason
As week one of this short endeavor comes to a close, my official weigh-in turned up......ZERO movement from last week. Now you might think that would make me upset, but NO! No weight loss this week isn't a tragedy - no weight gain is a success. Why, you ask? Because this was the result of Thanksgiving week, and for sure, this could have gone quite badly. It didn't, which gives me a lot of hope for next week and beyond.
The good thing is that my nutrition seems to be more under control than it has been in a long time, which will help, given that my exercise is a little below normal. My long run this week was 8 miles on a treadmill due to heavy rain that hit our area on Saturday. Eight miles isn't really long for me, but I was unusually tired (and for a treadmill, usually bored). It wasn't until after I finished the entire run (and a two mile walk) that I got undressed and noticed the venipunture site from where I gave blood on Thursday. For some reason, I always forget that my first long run after donation is just terrible. This one, comparatively, wasn't actually so bad. And this morning's run (sunday) was 3 miles at a sub-9:00 pace, which for me, is pretty speedy. All in all, I'll take what I can get.
So, my official weight is 194.3 pounds as of yesterday (down 0.1 from last week), so about 4 1/2 pounds to go in the next three and a half weeks. I can do this.
Thought of the day: I went to see the movie Fury last night - the latest in what seems to be a string of books and movies that I've watched about WW II. It's not intentional, but I just keep tripping across these items. It's a period in our lives that I never studied much, as we always ran out of time in history class to get into the near-modern times other than current events, so the 50s and 60s are also a bit lost to me. I'm reading a book about Eisenhower which has been eye-opening, and has connected elements of recent history that have always seemed disjointed to me. I think it's a good project to understand from where we have most recently come, not just where we are.
The good thing is that my nutrition seems to be more under control than it has been in a long time, which will help, given that my exercise is a little below normal. My long run this week was 8 miles on a treadmill due to heavy rain that hit our area on Saturday. Eight miles isn't really long for me, but I was unusually tired (and for a treadmill, usually bored). It wasn't until after I finished the entire run (and a two mile walk) that I got undressed and noticed the venipunture site from where I gave blood on Thursday. For some reason, I always forget that my first long run after donation is just terrible. This one, comparatively, wasn't actually so bad. And this morning's run (sunday) was 3 miles at a sub-9:00 pace, which for me, is pretty speedy. All in all, I'll take what I can get.
So, my official weight is 194.3 pounds as of yesterday (down 0.1 from last week), so about 4 1/2 pounds to go in the next three and a half weeks. I can do this.
Thought of the day: I went to see the movie Fury last night - the latest in what seems to be a string of books and movies that I've watched about WW II. It's not intentional, but I just keep tripping across these items. It's a period in our lives that I never studied much, as we always ran out of time in history class to get into the near-modern times other than current events, so the 50s and 60s are also a bit lost to me. I'm reading a book about Eisenhower which has been eye-opening, and has connected elements of recent history that have always seemed disjointed to me. I think it's a good project to understand from where we have most recently come, not just where we are.
Friday, December 5, 2014
Poor start, but a decent day
Not a terribly interesting day today (as if the last few days had been). Did a quick run and a walk on Thursday, and gave blood, so I let myself go a bit on my diet (but really, only a bit).
Friday started with a very bad night's sleep, and then a surprise run - what was meant to be a mile turned into 3, and they were fast; really fast. I welcome those days when they come, 'cause they don't often stay. I am, though, thinking that good sleep is the biggest impediment to fast running - yet another example of how my life seems to work a bit backwards from normal.
Today's weigh-in was 193.4 pounds, but tomorrow is the day that matters, and I'm not feeling terribly optimistic. Yes, the last few days have been good for diet, but exercise was a bit light, and I don't have the energy on this Friday night to do a 'last chance' workout like they do on TV. It may come to that to get myself below 190 by new year's, but we'll have to wait and see.
Thought of the day: Not much. I've got goals to achieve this month, and I'm determined to achieve them, but my heart doesn't seem to be in it as much as I would like. That seems to have been my deal for the last few months, as it doesn't seem to be that I'm working on my passions. Hopefully achieving a few of the smaller goals that are necessary 'base' goals will set up a cascade reaction - when I don't have to spend time and energy achieving these, I'll redirect those energies toward activities I'm more emotionally connected with.
Friday started with a very bad night's sleep, and then a surprise run - what was meant to be a mile turned into 3, and they were fast; really fast. I welcome those days when they come, 'cause they don't often stay. I am, though, thinking that good sleep is the biggest impediment to fast running - yet another example of how my life seems to work a bit backwards from normal.
Today's weigh-in was 193.4 pounds, but tomorrow is the day that matters, and I'm not feeling terribly optimistic. Yes, the last few days have been good for diet, but exercise was a bit light, and I don't have the energy on this Friday night to do a 'last chance' workout like they do on TV. It may come to that to get myself below 190 by new year's, but we'll have to wait and see.
Thought of the day: Not much. I've got goals to achieve this month, and I'm determined to achieve them, but my heart doesn't seem to be in it as much as I would like. That seems to have been my deal for the last few months, as it doesn't seem to be that I'm working on my passions. Hopefully achieving a few of the smaller goals that are necessary 'base' goals will set up a cascade reaction - when I don't have to spend time and energy achieving these, I'll redirect those energies toward activities I'm more emotionally connected with.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Day 3 - the Journey continues
Day 3 behind me, and the first day that I made my calorie plan. Hopefully the first of many in a row, because consistency is the real key to weight loss - both on the diet and the exercise sides. At least that is the way it is for me, if not for everyone. The longer I stick to my plans, the easier it is to stick to my plans, 'cause who wants to give up when they have a good streak going?
I also got to run a bit more, although an early morning and late night at work put the kibosh on my 2nd workout for the day. That's just the way it goes with a job like mine, though.
Today's weigh-in - 193.9 lbs. Again, it fluctuates a good bit, so I'm neither excited or upset about this number. My target is 190 by the end of this month, and I will work my butt off to get there.
Thought of the day: Today is a blood drive at my company, and since I'm not running my scheduled marathon this weekend, i'm going to participate. I don't know a lot of people who do - some can't due to illness or other conditions, some can't because they are just too freaked out by the needles. I am neither of those things, I'm healthy, I'm strong, and I bleed well (phlebotomists love me - how many people can say that?), so I kinda think it's my duty. If you can donate, you should - your body will replenish. If you want to, but can't - find someone who can and get them to donate. I did that a few years ago when I was banned from donating, and got three people who are now regular donors. It costs you almost nothing, and could save someone else's life.
I also got to run a bit more, although an early morning and late night at work put the kibosh on my 2nd workout for the day. That's just the way it goes with a job like mine, though.
Today's weigh-in - 193.9 lbs. Again, it fluctuates a good bit, so I'm neither excited or upset about this number. My target is 190 by the end of this month, and I will work my butt off to get there.
Thought of the day: Today is a blood drive at my company, and since I'm not running my scheduled marathon this weekend, i'm going to participate. I don't know a lot of people who do - some can't due to illness or other conditions, some can't because they are just too freaked out by the needles. I am neither of those things, I'm healthy, I'm strong, and I bleed well (phlebotomists love me - how many people can say that?), so I kinda think it's my duty. If you can donate, you should - your body will replenish. If you want to, but can't - find someone who can and get them to donate. I did that a few years ago when I was banned from donating, and got three people who are now regular donors. It costs you almost nothing, and could save someone else's life.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Day 2 behind me
So day 2 (yesterday) was a marked improvement on Day 1, as I got in a half-decent run (4 miles) and kept my calorie intake to only slightly above my target. Didn't get a chance to do a night workout due to Boy Scouts, but hope to get one in today.
Today's Weight: 195.2 lbs, down 0.9 lbs. (but I fluctuate within a 2-3 pound range all the time, so I'm not taking this as real. Only my Saturday morning weigh-ins really count).
Thoughts of the day: Listened to Meet the Press this morning about race relations in light of the events in Ferguson, Missouri. Am painfully aware that we are looking at symptoms of problems, not root causes, so we're not talking about and addressing the right things. Also: history is history; we need to address the problems we have now, not constantly revisit the past. Racial discrimination exists, but the problems that our communities experience are socio-economic more than strictly racial/cultural. If minorities are disparately affected by socio-economic conditions, than addressing problems from that angle will disproportionately help racial/cultural minorities, and I think that's a better way to address the problem.
Today's Weight: 195.2 lbs, down 0.9 lbs. (but I fluctuate within a 2-3 pound range all the time, so I'm not taking this as real. Only my Saturday morning weigh-ins really count).
Thoughts of the day: Listened to Meet the Press this morning about race relations in light of the events in Ferguson, Missouri. Am painfully aware that we are looking at symptoms of problems, not root causes, so we're not talking about and addressing the right things. Also: history is history; we need to address the problems we have now, not constantly revisit the past. Racial discrimination exists, but the problems that our communities experience are socio-economic more than strictly racial/cultural. If minorities are disparately affected by socio-economic conditions, than addressing problems from that angle will disproportionately help racial/cultural minorities, and I think that's a better way to address the problem.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Fits and Starts
The one consistent thing about this blog is it's inconsistency. Frankly. I typically don't feel like I have a lot to say, or the ability (or willingness) to say it. Maybe that should be one of my new year's goals - to decide to have a voice.
So I'm writing now because I have a project. Specifically, to lose 10 pounds as fast as reasonable (and 6 pounds faster than is reasonable). Starting yesterday, I want to get below 190 pounds by the end of the year, and stay below that number through all of 2015; something I haven't done since 2009, when I was in China.
I was on a good tear in 2014, and was in the low 180's for much of the year, but a new job and a marathon threw all of that into disarray. I'm not blaming anyone else for that, and I'm accepting the facts as facts - there's no point in reliving the past today; my path is only forward. so I'm going to babble on this blog about whatever's on my mind, if nothing else to be an outlet for me.
Yesterday as Day one didn't go so well. Only about 15 minute workout due to an early work meeting, and not such a good food day; I wound up 200 calories above my target of 1500, again, no one's fault but my own, but it was a rough start after a not-so-healthy Thanksgiving week. Today will be better, and not as good as tomorrow.
So I'm writing now because I have a project. Specifically, to lose 10 pounds as fast as reasonable (and 6 pounds faster than is reasonable). Starting yesterday, I want to get below 190 pounds by the end of the year, and stay below that number through all of 2015; something I haven't done since 2009, when I was in China.
I was on a good tear in 2014, and was in the low 180's for much of the year, but a new job and a marathon threw all of that into disarray. I'm not blaming anyone else for that, and I'm accepting the facts as facts - there's no point in reliving the past today; my path is only forward. so I'm going to babble on this blog about whatever's on my mind, if nothing else to be an outlet for me.
Yesterday as Day one didn't go so well. Only about 15 minute workout due to an early work meeting, and not such a good food day; I wound up 200 calories above my target of 1500, again, no one's fault but my own, but it was a rough start after a not-so-healthy Thanksgiving week. Today will be better, and not as good as tomorrow.
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