End of June is Coming too Soon

Wow, two more days in the month of June, I cannot believe it. It seems like just yesterday that I was posting my May stats.

I am still getting used to the new bike, however I must say that I love riding it. I am not 100% comfortable on it yet, but the thrill is all good. Aero position is coming along quite well, I am still a little shaky going around turns though. I am also surprised at the amount of vibrations it picks up from the road. Coming from a mountain bike, where I feel very little, to a tri bike where its like I feel every crack, it can be a little nerve racking.

When I was getting fit, I remember a video getting played, from a cycling race in Belgium. These guys were riding on cobblestone for part of the race. While I didn't think much of it at the time, looking back, holy crap! Its amazing these guys could even see straight after all that!

I have two more days to run, and in all honesty, the running is getting me frustrated. My runs recently have been horrible. I ran today, and felt good heading out, my legs didnt cramp up, I made sure to hydrate, but at about mile 1 (thats right, mile one...) muscles in my legs stopped working. I know now what was happening, well, I believe I do that is. I have never really warmed up before running. I shut the door behind me, and hit the ground running... literally.

This is where I see the utmost value in having a coach. Its the stupid things that I do, that an experienced athlete could point out and tell me it was dumb, before actually doing it. Knowing this mistake has assisted in other ways though. Amy had a great run today, she made sure to warm up before her run, after hearing of my pains. I have learned my lesson, and plan warm ups in the future. I also need to work on stretching, thats another area that I heve never liked doing.

All in all, I am happy with my stats in cycling this month, but do feel disappointed with my run. I was really hoping to beat my milage from last month. In a way, I guess I have, because last month I didnt run. I considered the elliptical my run, but totalled 37 or 38 miles, thats somethign I wont be beating this month, well, it will be close..

I will post my totals at the end of the month, and we shall see what my run totals turn out to be.

Wishes, Dreams, Goals, and Missions

I remember writing a post about how I would be successful at losing weight, and my good friend Timm left me a comment suggesting my attitude to be "a little condescending".

As I look back on the article "Master the Conscious" it was the beginning of May. I had decided that my dream was going to become a goal (already moving up from a wish). More than just a goal, I made it my mission.

Joe Friel says it best, in his book "The Triathletes Training Bible":Most of us go through life never coming close to our limits and living only on wishes. But wishes are important; they're the start of great feats. Wishes grow into dreams when mentally "seeing" yourself accomplish the wish is possible. Dreams turn into goals when a plan for attaining them is defined. Goals become a mission when unwavering self-belief and purposeful zeal are realized. Big challenges require a mission status. The difference between a goal and a mission is attitude. Missions are evident by an accompanying commitment. With proper attitude, almost anything is possible. What you believe, you will achieve."

The attitude I expressed in my former post carries the weight of the mission. I no longer want to considered overweight, a battle I am still fighting. I want to prevent diseases that are easily preventable, I wanted the active lifestyle of my youth back.

Throughout my journey of living an active lifestyle, one area above the rest, I struggle with: motivation. For those that follow my blog, or that might work with me, you might say that I am taking this lifestyle change to the extreme. I am, however like nearly everything I get excited about, my motivation dies out, and I quit. Sometimes it takes a week, sometimes a couple months.

Often times I feel that I can not completed anything in life. I feel as though I give up; when things get difficult, I dont mind changing course. It is in my opinion, that I have not succeeded in meeting or achieving any significant goal. I have never pushed myself to the limit, and continued on to finish. Thats not to say I have never finished anything, but when you hit the wall, and everything in you tells you to stop, you have to make a choice: I picked no.

This is my motivation: I will finish, I will succeed, I will have one area in my life that I can say, I didnt quit. Something I can point to when things in life get hard, something that reminds me, I can carry on, I can finish my race.

Today, I turned 28 years old. I drove to Dearborn, Michigan, and purchased my triathlon bike. I am committed to my training, and it is that commitment that makes my goal a mission.

What makes me different from the many others out there? Commitment. For over a month and a half, I have logged my diet, and my exercises. I have learned how to guesstimate my caloric intake for every meal, even without a calculator. I eat 5 meals a day, and I exercise at least 4 times in a week. I am constantly seeking new information to incorporate into my routine, but maintain an attitude so I dont burn out. I push myself, and reward myself.

My strongest support has been my wife, who is fighting forward on her own similar mission. Her progress reminds me that our system is working, even when I dont always see it in my own progress. We get excited to share new information and what we are learning.

My co-workers put up with a lot because they listen to me talk about it every day... literally. I hope that my zeal and drive to become physically fit helps to motivate them. I pray that I encourage those around me, and never diminish thier own dreams, goals or missions.

In closing, I go back to Dearborn on Thursday to pick up my bike, after my final fitting. Once the bike is built, and I return, they tweak the bike to properly fit my body. It is quite the experience, and I would highly recommend BikesportMichigan.com to any and all triathletes.

Oh yah, after getting fit, it turns out that the Felt S32 was in fact the best fit for my body. The next best bike for my body, would have cost an extra $3800, and would be a better fit by 7 milimeters. :)

Mid Month Stats

Tonight, I decided to check out my stats for the month. I expected them to be lower than last month, or maybe about the same, just because I am separating my "Run Time" from my "Elliptical Time".

While going over my monthly food/exercise log, I rediscovered a few things. First off, I had forgotten that this month was the month I decided to start running outside... Last month, all my running was on the elliptical. So on day one (or June 1st) of running, I was only able to run 1.5 miles without stopping and walking. I could run 2.6 miles, but I had to stop at least twice to recover. Only two weeks later, I am currently running 3.1 miles without stopping; and I am able to do it in 32 minutes!! Today, I actually beat my former best time, by 49 seconds.

I have tossed around the idea to stop keeping my food/exercise log, but after using it to look back, I see once again, the greatness of having it; something I had forgotten.

I still have my bad days occasionally, where I give in to my cravings on my non-zag days, but knowing that I burn off the calories I take in, makes me feel less guilty. However on my zag days, I have gotten a little carried away at times. My eldest niece had an open house last Saturday, and she had these wonderful cupcakes with too much frosting on top... I ate two... and some M&M's. It was a zag day however, so I am not going to beat myself up over it, after all, I am not trying to eliminate the good stuff in life, just limit it.

That being said, I am encouraged by my fat loss so far this month, yet discouraged by my weight loss. Yes, yes, I know muscle weighs more than fat, and all that good stuff, but I really did have my heart set on meeting my goal to lose 30lbs by the 33nd of June. This just doesn't seem possible. I am currently floating around the 216 lbs mark (give or take 1.5lbs), and I am having trouble getting under it. I am losing fat however, and nearing the last set of holes on my belt!

My newest pair of jeans, a size 38" waist, are way too big for me now; and my size 36" jeans are also showing some extra room. I can see significant fat loss in my legs, which is both encouraging and discouraging, because I have always considered my legs to be the most fit part of my body. Its great to see them seriously toning up, however it is a constant reminder that my stomach has a much longer way to go than I originally expected.

This month is special for me as it is my birth month, and that means birthday money! In my family (my wife & I) we set aside money for birthdays, allowing the person to purchase their own gifts. This means that I am seeking a new road/tri bike, and I think I know what I want.

My brother, Jeremy, suggested a store in Dearborn, Mi. called Bikesport Michigan. I was originally was looking at used bikes, as they fall inline with my budget, however they have a great sale, and I am hoping to partake in it. The bike I desire is the 2008 Felt S32. Normally, the bike costs somewhere about $1400-1500; way out of my price range... However the guys over at Bikesport have this sale, where the bike is half off.

Like I was saying, I was looking at used bikes, but I was preparing to wait until Christmas for a new bike, so that I could use my Christmas fund in combination with my birthday fund, to purchase a higher quality bike. This might still be the way I have to go, if I dont hear back from Bikesport Michigan. I sent them an email yesterday, asking if they still have the bike available, and if the sale is still good... I am crossing my fingers and praying it is. If it isn't, I will most likely wait until next year and look for sales then. I do hope I can get the bike this year however, as it would greatly improve my training.

Finally, I am still excited about my progress. I wish I could drop a few more pounds, but I suppose I should be content with my improvements. Speaking, here they are for my mid month stats:

Run total: 19 Miles
Elliptical total: 8.7 Miles
Bike total: 29.65 Miles


To recap last month, I had:

Run total: 0 miles
Elliptical total: 38.55 miles
Bike total: 57.6 miles

Created to be like God

As many of us have read in Genesis, we are created in God's image. This has been the center for many arguments on whether God is a man or woman, or both or neither. Personally, I don't really care one way or the other, but find it interesting that later on we learn that we are created to be like God also.

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:22-24.

Once we have become children of Light, we are to shed our old clothes, "put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor" as the verse goes on to say. "He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Timm wrote an article on his blog, The Bench Stone, on a man named George Tiller. Apparently Mr. Tiller was a physician in Kansas, Women's Health Care Services, one of only three nationwide which self-identified as providing abortions after the 21st week of pregnancy.

George Tiller was shot on Sunday, May 31, 2009, during worship services at the Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita. He was an Usher, and was handing out bulletins when it happened.

This was not the first attempt on his life, however this time the shooter succeeded in their task. Many "Christians" have voice praise in this mans death, many believe the world is a better place since he has left it; I believe they are wrong.

Every life is created by God, every life has value, even the life that is used to destroy another. How can a person fight against abortion, yet be content in killing another person?

For those who are silly enough to believe that this act, the death of one man, has prevented abortions... you are wrong. The clinic is scheduled to re-open on June 8th.

Ephesians tells us that once we have become children of the Lord, we are created to be like God, not be God. Did George Tiller do something useful with his hands? I would argue he did not.

I never knew the man, in fact I never even knew his name until last week, however those who are so quick to jump for joy at this mans death, ought to seek forgiveness. Christ did not come to kill, but to bring life, everlasting life. "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

I guess my final thought comes down to this: Does God forgive someone who sins, even if they don't believe their act is a sin?

Did George Tiller believe that his job was an act of sin? I find it difficult to believe that he did, or else I dont think he would have done it. Thats between him and God.

Another Step Forward

The month of June brings me closer to my goal's finish line, which means its time to turn up the heat. During the month of May, I decided to keep a log of all my food intake, and space my eating out through the day, into five meals. I learned how many calories my body burns on its own (BMR), as well as how many it burns through my activities (TDEE) To read this post, and the mathematics behind it, click here.

Beginning this month, I have decided that keeping a log has been helpful in controlling my portions, but hasn't been used to its full potential. I have heard when you perform an act for 31 consecutive days, it becomes a habit, so I knew if I could maintain the log for a month, it wouldnt be difficult to use it later, for counting calories.

So this month I am going to be planning my meals, and counting my calories and adding that into my food log. I didnt do this at first because it sounds like a lot of work, which it is... at first. As I searched the all knowing internet, I have found a few pages that made this process much easier.

The first page is called The Daily Plate. You can enter the food your eating, and it will give you the nutritional facts your seeking. Let me tell you however, this alone can be tedious; I highly suggest planning your meals ahead of time.

The next page, which I already used occasionally, is iGoogle. iGoogle is a page you can customize, with different tabs, that ties in many features Google offers. It has different layout designs, and color schemes, as well as many widgets you can use... one of which, is a calorie counter.

Now there are many different counters you can use, the one I use is made by LabPixies, and can be found here. I chose this one because it allows you to build your own list of foods you use often, and will save them, making it easier to add up calories later.

A down side to this counter is that it only has 4 meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Misc. This isnt a big problem in my opinion. Some others might not like this widget because it doesnt log your entries past the current day, it would require you to reset the tool at the beginning of the day, to start over. This also doesn't bother me, because I have my own food log, and just need a simple tool to keep a library of the foods I eat, and add them up. Its very easy to use, and does what I want it to do, I'm happy with it.

As I said before, there are many other calorie counter widgets you can use, including some that will record your intakes over the month, I would recommend using your own log however, as it seems to hold me more accountable, and is readily available.

All in all, I have tried counting calories before, but it overwhelmed me, and I stopped. Be cautious if you decide to start doing this, as it can easily overwhelm, maybe start out small, recording your food first. Then, when that becomes habit, its easy to tweak your log, and then start your counting. Organization plays a significant role, and will make your life easier later on.

Lastly, once I decided upon LabPixies Calorie Counter, I went to my fridge and cupboards, and entered in the many foods I eat. I organized them by groups and names. For example, I decided against the option to use foods already in their database, and I entered my own items. After entering a few, I noticed it would be easier to label things in a manner that would save time when searching for them. I started labeling items as such: Nuts - Almonds, roasted; Nuts - Peanuts or Meats - Tuna; Meats - Chicken - Grilled.

I also suggest using a full measurement, like a cup of something, instead of the serving size on the container. For example, Oatmeal gives me the serving size of 1/4 cup equals 70 calories. So when I enter it into the counter, I enter it as Oatmeal, 1 cup, 280 calories. When I eat oatmeal for breakfast, I can then select the amount I want in the counter, and add that. (If you drink liquids besides water, dont forget to add those too.)

So I guess my lastly wasn't last, however I hope this helps you on your journey through counting calories, and if your experience is anything like mine, you will be surprised at how many your actually eating. I discoved I ate only half of what I should be for breakfast, and too many later in the day. I should be eating about 500 a meal, based on five meals a day on my workout days; I should be eating more on my "ZAG" days. This morning, my breakfast seemed HUGE, and it was difficult to eat it all.

Another thing, dont "carry over" your calories from one meal to the next, set a schedule of how many to eat, when to eat, and then follow it. Understand that for every minute after your scheduled eating time, your hindering your chances to lose weight. Determination to succeed is important, and your health should be a top priority in life, along with family and your personal walk with Christ. You should consult with your spouse before doing all this, because their support is important. Dont give up, but when you reached your limit and are ready to, sleep on it, God renews us daily.

My May Exercise Review

Start weight: 235 lbs. End of month weight: 219 lbs. Loss of: 16lbs.

Run total: 38.55 miles
Bike total: 57.6 miles

Thoughts:
I can see my improvement over the month, however in the last two weeks, specifically when work was picking up, I noticed a lack of desire to exercise. As long as weather permitted, I would ride my bike to work, however that was not always the case.

At work my diet suffers from lack of healthy food at times, as well as improper snack schedules; breakfast being the worse.

Specifically, at the end of the month, I noticed that I seemed stuck overcoming my weight at 219 lbs. When looking back over my log, I see that my lack of exercise most likely played a significant role. The major aspect that I was forgetting was my ab workout. From the 19th on, I never used the “Ab Ripper X” video.

I believe that since that is where most of my fat lies, that workout needs to be a top priority.

Overall:
I am still happy with my progress. Today, I am a bit downhearted because of my lack of motivation. This week starts “staff training” at work, which means that I will be working mostly every day; I have got to put my motivation in drive, and control it, otherwise I see myself slowly dying out; AKA quitting.

I feel the desire to succeed, and want to stimulate that through exercise. Knowing myself, I know I have great motivation in the beginning, yet it dies out if results are not met. I must focus on my achievements, and how they are propelling me to successfully reach my set goals.

I lost 16lbs this month, I can run over 5 miles without stopping; I can bike, I don’t know how far without stopping, never tried. I have 14 lbs. left to lose to meet my original goal, 19 lbs to lose to meet my gold medal; my deadline is June 22nd.

Conclusion:
I must maintain my schedule, and push myself to exercise even after a long day at work. My ab workout is a priority, and must be included more regularly. I have the tools for success, and I will succeed. 22 days to go, 19lbs to lose, knowing I got lazy the last two weeks in May, and correcting this, I can achieve my gold medal.