It’s been sometime since my last workout update. Almost two years ago. Damn, that’s a long time. Too much time has passed and we need an update to my workout “progress”.

The last gym I went to closed down in December 2008. That’s three years ago. I’ve since bought a walking treadmill for home, but it doesn’t get used as often as I should be using it [it's in an awkward place that's not proficient for working out easily].

So they opened a Planet Fitness 5 blocks from my house. And they had a $10 a month special. Which I took advantage of on November 30th (one month ago).

Has it helped? Yes, I’ve gone to the gym at least 6 times since then and am going to push myself to go at least 3 times a week for the next few months, making it a true habit for me. It’s the only way I am going to get fit and in shape before summer arrives. And hoping my double chin and belly go away in the process.

Since We Last Updated

Way back in November of 2008, I updated my progress on how my workout plan was going.

But then something happened. My gym closed in early December 2008. Not a problem. 24 Hour Fitness was offering Bally’s members to work out for free for the rest of the month, which I continued to do. But when it came time to sign up for a regular membership, their payment plan wasn’t something I wanted to do. They required first and last months up front and took the monthly dues from a checking or credit card account [I have some serious issues with gyms in this area] and didn’t have a pay up front plan that worked for me. So as of January 1, 2009, I was without a place to work out.

No problem. I’ll go over to my wife’s sister’s house three days a week. They have a treadmill, elliptical and free weights. But even though they were gracious hosts, after a few visits, it wasn’t what I was looking for.

And so the year ended up being me not working out.

The Food

For the most part of 2009, I kept to my diet, but by the end of August, I reintroduced hamburgers and other messy treats into my weekly intake of carbs. Drinking alcohol was still moderated well, so I had that going for me [except for the occasional party]. But eating what I wanted and not doing any formal exercising, I was back to where I was at the end of September 2008.

My basic stats through Dec 31, 2008

As you can see from above, when I was regularly working out, my stats were showing results and a healthy drop in weight in just a couple of months. My weight today is 185. I gained 13 lbs over the course of a year. Nothing extremely bad, but for me, a sore disappointment.

same as it ever was

The photos that were in my first workout post still reflect what I look like. The little bit of loss and toning that happened came back. I’m sure there is a bit more on my chin since then, but in the end, I’m in the same place I was. Frustrating, but it’s the result of doing pretty much nothing.

From Nothing To Something

Now four days into 2010 and I’ve done nothing, until now. I am making a plan for both diet and exercise, heavier on the exercise side of things. It’s time that I got myself back into shape. I’ve had all I can take of myself feeling tired and out of shape.

Does this mean I’ve joined a gym? Not at this time, but I am open to that. Most of it involves finding one that has multiple payment options, including pre-paid. Until then, I am starting with the basics: walking, stretching and using an exercise ball. In discussing this matter of getting me back into shape with a medical professional, it was suggested that I start with simple exercises before I go full on into running 30 mins a day. Work up to it over the next four weeks, building some stamina and then working in more cardio. I also have something fun I’m going to add in here and will reveal it in a future update [no, it's not Wii Fit Plus, but maybe down the road].

On the diet side of things, soups and salads, veggies for snacks and an increase of water are part of this first 4 weeks. Also, a couple nights a week, some protein in the form of meat or soy [which I am not a fan of, but will try it as was suggested] and minimal starches like rice and potatoes. One positive that I did in 2009 was to start eating smaller portions, so that habit is set. It’s rare that I eat any big meals as I get full pretty quick. When my wife and I go out to eat, we almost always share a meal. So the diet will not be that difficult to stick to.

The Challenge

I went back to my previous posts throughout the year to see if there was anything that I did that tried to kick me back into gear. I found a post by Nilsa where she challenged her readers to some form of exercise. I accepted that challenge, made whatever efforts I did, and then let it go. Not that I did it on purpose, mind you. But it was just something that happened.

So I’m reinvigorating the challenge from Nilsa and am going to make this work. There are other pieces to my life that need some attention, which I will cover in a separate blog post. But for this one, I think getting more energy and starting to get fit again will help the other lacking parts.

As before, my wife is doing her own workout schedule, but wishes for me to not include her in updates. But I’m sure at some point, she’ll allow me to do some sort of update out here. At least a photo showing some progress.

Future Updates

All future updates [yes, there will be future updates... I'm holding my own feet to the fire this time.] will be under the Exercise category. I may title this set of posts going forward and get fancy with a logo.

And here we go….

Numbers and Stats

You’ve seen the pics, now let’s see some progress numbers.

The above chart that I am keeping shows how many times I went to the gym and my average weight that week. Last winter, I weighed in at just over 180 pounds. Now to get a perspective on how much that is, back in August of 2000, I weighed 155 pounds. That’s an extra 25 pounds that I found and collected over the last eight years. Doesn’t seem like a lot until you factor in that I’ve stayed the same height in those last eight years. Now look at those pictures from my first post and you can see where the extra poundage took up residence.

Since last year at this time, I’ve pretty much stayed around the 180 mark. I’ve gone down as low as 173, but nothing below. My target weight for my height – 5′ 9″ – is 165, according to my BMI and size. I’ve not done a BMI since August 2000 and that’s what I am going with since size, weight and fitness wise, that’s when I was the most comfortable with myself.

My target weight that I am shooting for in this first phase of my workout program is 165 pounds. That’s less than 15 pounds, which seems like an easy task given there’s two main spots that I can feel and see those extra pounds…. tummy and chin. As you can see from the weight column, I’m making some consistent progress. Starting at 179 and then going to 177 for the past couple of weeks [I weighted in at 175 this morning] shows that even just the minimal exercise I am doing is helping, given that I’ve not thrown any major diet changes into this as of yet. The proof will be when I see what the end result is at the end of November, adding more exercise and an third workout day a week.

Exercising

What am I doing to lose this weight and get back into shape?

I started off the first month slow. My main goal was to get some stamina back and to help reduce my “out of breath” concerns. So far, I can tie my shoes without too much effort and going out to get the newspaper in the morning produces less huffing and puffing. I’m not quite there yet, but making some minor progress, which is encouraging.

My minimal impact load of walking and stair stepping was a very smart start, as it didn’t overwhelm me, nor did it appear that I was doing nothing. I’m happy about this.

I should also clarify that even though I list the word “Daily”, my workouts are not everyday.

Month #2

I’ve taken away 15 minutes from my walking, but have added 15 minutes to the treadmill. My stamina feels strong enough to add that to the mix. My speed on the treadmill is at 3.5 [this is on one of those Lifecycle industrial treadmills] with no uphill impact at all…. just flat ground, like I’m running on flat pavement.

Free weights are 10 pound handheld dumbbells that I am doing low-impact curls and lifts with each one of my arms. Crunches are done on a leg-lift machine using 10 pounds of weights. I figured that 10 minutes to start out on each one of these wasn’t too tough and easy enough to get past, at the same time, making some steps towards muscle toning. The crunches are especially helpful to reduce my tummy. I can feel them pretty good as my stomach hurt the first week / three visits. It’s hurting less this week, but I know that’s a good sign, working out muscles that have been getting too much of a rest for too long.

How Do I Feel?

Overall, this is a good start. I feel good, I don’t have too many pains, with the exception of my right leg, lower calf. The walking and treadmill require me to stretch a bit more than normal. During my walking, if it’s really sore, I stop every 10 minutes to do a few stretches. This helps when I get back on the track to finish my walking. The treadmill doesn’t seem to produce the pain, which is most likely due to how my feet are positioned while running. Walking first then going to the treadmill is my method to keep my stamina going.

Further Progress

I will be updating the above charts in each blog post I do. I will also be adding in some diet changes, which I am working on now. I am making extreme exceptions for Thanksgiving and Christmas, as I don’t want to limit how much fun, food and adult beverages I can consume. That just means I need to work even harder during these next couple of weeks to get to a better place. I think I can accomplish that goal.

WORKOUT – The Beginning – Part 1

It takes balls to post semi-nude photos of one’s self on the interwebs – (but unlike other bloggers, I’m not showing you mine)

Huff and Puff

I knew I had to take action when I ran out of breath doing what seemed a mundane task…. tying my shoes… WHAT?? Since when does tying one’s shoes become that challenging?

This was over a year ago. Obviously, not much action took place. Since then, I’ve gotten used to the “out of breath” while leaning over to put on my shoes. Walking up the stairs at work produces the same result. So does going outside to get the morning paper. And many more simple and effortless tasks. It’s now more than an annoyance. It’s something I am genuinely concerned about.

Let’s go back in time. August 2000 to be exact. I joined Bally’s gym and started going three days a week. Part of the motivation was caused by a bad breakup and I needed to fill my time doing something other than chain smoking and watching Jackass. After a couple of months, I was healthy [but still smoking and watching Jackass] and could easily run around at the park, climb stairs and be in a general fit state.

Fast forward to August 2003. My gym membership expired and I didn’t renew. It had been at least two months since my last visit and I barely made enough money to afford the renew option. I did stop smoking and had been smoke free for almost three months. Fit wise, I was still in good shape and didn’t have any issues.

From August 2003 to the present day, I’ve found an extra 22 pounds, I run out of breath doing most things and I lack the motivation to do much about it. Well, that’s not true. I made an attempt when I signed up at Bally’s in April 2007. Good you say… well, not really. In 18 months, I went to the gym maybe 40 times, and that’s being generous. That’s pretty common for people to join a gym and then not go [So that's how the gyms make their money]. But since then, the few attempts I have done at trying to be fit, have pretty much gone nowhere. Until now.

Changes

At various stages of my life, I tend to get motivated, which produces very good results for a short period of time. I excel at work, I have a lot of positive steps in completing projects and tasks. I get healthy and start to get in shape. It’s nice, but at some point I know it’s going to end. But something different happened this time. I realized I am 45 years old and I’m not getting any younger. I thought about family and friends that had parents with poor health. People I see in the public that carry way too many pounds, I think about their health. Then I would look at myself and think about my health. I don’t consider myself overweight, but there’s some shape issues that are obviously a factor, which is my second reason for wanting to start an exercise program. [as you can see from the photo above and the photos that will follow shortly with more details]

Taking this age concern and wanting to do something permanent, I sat down and started thinking of how I needed to push myself to get back into shape. The first step was already taken care of: I still had 18 months of gym membership paid for at Bally’s. Instead of focusing on the first 18 months that I didn’t go that often, I decided to look forward, considering I didn’t have to make an additional financial investment.

The Evaluation

Even with health being my first concern, looking at myself and seeing the out-of-shape person I’ve become is a very close second. I wanted to have photo proof that I need to trim down, so once I reached certain goals, I could look back to actually see some progress. This photo shows two things I want to reduce: my chin and my stomach. They are the things I pull on, suck in and try to hide every occasion I can.

“HEY… I’m working on it!!”

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Here I’m showing both left and right sides of me. You can really see the double chin and the protruding stomach here. This is the photo that should be posted where I can see it when I don’t feel motivated enough to go to the gym.

“uh.. no, I’m not going to do that tummy touch scene from WILL & GRACE”

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From the back side, it’s not so bad. I’ve got some love handles going on there, but it’s the part of me that needs the least amount of improvements. The plus side is that any exercise I do, this part will just firm up more. Yeah… Baby!

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Routine

The biggest issue for me in the past has always been getting into a regular schedule of going. I can always find a distraction, but this time, I’m looking for ways to stay on track. This first four weeks, I am doing just the following workouts:

• 45 minutes of brisk walking on the track at the gym
• 10 minutes on the stair stepper
• 10 minutes in the spa/hot tub

I have been going twice a week, but starting November 1st (that’s tomorrow), I add a third day per week and including some minor weight lifting and 20 minutes of treadmill to each workout session. After two weeks with the above, I will add in the crunches and the elliptical, reducing some of my walking time. My next blog post update will show a grid of what I’ve done and where I am. Each week, I will update my weight and how I am feeling about my progress and providing as many details as I can.

Some of you have asked if my wife is joining me and I am happy to say she is starting November 1st, but doing her own workout plan. I will not be detailing her progress, per her wishes [she doesn't get the blogging thing and doesn't want her details public], but at some point, I’m sure a general update will be posted in my posts.

Keep It Going

So that’s the start of it all. Next post will be numbers, details, grid, progress update and all that. On occasion, I will post new pictures and any other helpful hints I’ve found along the way. And I will be doing this each and every week, or at least working to make my best efforts. It’s a change that I want to happen and one that I think will bring some great results.