Immersion Worship

Current Weight: 186.5 lbs
This Week’s Loss: 2.0 lbs
Total Loss So Far: 13.9 lbs

And the wagon starts rolling again…after changing up my workout routine and increasing my caloric intake to about 2200 calories per day, I’ve lost weight again, to the tune of 2 lbs. Result.

This week I need to get in an extra workout; I only worked out twice last week, and did just a few minutes of cardio in amongst that. Tomorrow morning I’m going to get me down to the gym and start burning off more pounds.

I’d also like to say this as well: as well as generally feeling healthier and sleeping better, I’m feeling better about myself from an esteem point of view. I didn’t like that certain shirts and t-shirts could/would draw attention to my beer belly and man-boobs. Now that those are both disappearing in to the void of weight loss, there are clothes that I am wearing again and feeling good about. That does wonders for confidence. And a great example came yesterday; I preached yesterday morning, and after my wife and I got home, she casually remarked “you looked thin up there today”. That made me feel good.

Brent, Kristen, Joe, Buddy, Dan, Rick, Brandy, Deborah, Joel, Theresa, Steven, Tawny, Kelly, Jen, Ron, Darla, Theresa, Heidi, Lynn, Natalie, and Love? How did all y’all do?

Current Weight:188.5 lbs
This Week’s Loss:0.0 lbs
Total Loss So Far:11.9 lbs

Bummer. I didn’t move at all this week in either direction. I had expected, after some serious work outs this week (including a 7 mile run inside an hour) that I would have shifted some weight. So when I stepped on the scales and saw that I hadn’t lost anything, I was kind of bummed out.

The lead guitarist in my band had a stint as a personal trainer for a while and his girlfriend is pre-med and knows about metabolism and stuff, so I brought this issue up with them for discussion. After going through the details of my workout routine and my diet, they told me something that made no sense to start with: I need to eat more. Say again?

Then they began to explain that the body will reach a stalling point in any weight loss effort where it gets somewhat used to the physical exertion and goes in to a bit of a protection mode. The result is that it starts to break down muscle instead of burning fat. Not a good thing. So they made some recommendations and I said I’d see how it goes over the next week or so.

Then today I rolled up to the gym to see a table in the lobby manned by a couple of personal trainers, touting their services at a healthy premium. They were, however, offering a free session today with a nutritional analysis in an effort to entice me in to signing up for regular sessions with a trainer. That wasn’t going to happen, but I took the free session anyway.

Garrit (yes, I spelled that correctly) took me through a workout that absolutely kicked my arse. And here’s the crazy part: It involved absolutely zero cardiovascular workout. It also didn’t involve any of the machines in the gym. Instead he had me working floor exercises and resistance training with resistance bands in front of a mirror and crunches while balancing precariously atop a giant green ball and squats that made my legs burn like they’ve never burned before. It was seriously hard work. The result is that I now ache in places that I didn’t know I could ache, but I feel amazing.

The nutritional analysis confirmed what my friends had recommended; I need to be eating more calories. I came away with recommended menus and breakdowns of protein, carb, and fat content, and complete caloric breakdowns etc. For a free session, this is really useful stuff.

So today, even though I haven’t lost any weight, I feel like I’m back on the right track. I’ve learned a whole set of new exercises that I can incorporate in to my work out and still do the cardio stuff that I enjoy (I know, I must be a bit twisted, but I really enjoy running). My new goal is to drop 2 lbs per week until I hit 175 lbs. After that I’ll reevaluate. This is a good stuff.

What about Brent, Kristen, Joe, Buddy, Dan, Rick, Brandy, Deborah, Joel, Theresa, Steven, Tawny, Kelly, Jen, Ron, Darla, Theresa, Heidi, Lynn, Natalie, and Love? How did all y’all do?

Current Weight:188.5 lbs
This Week’s Loss:0.5 lbs
Total Loss So Far:11.9 lbs

Better than nothing. Even better than putting weight on, which I had half expected considering the way I ignored my intentions and ate like a king for most of the week.

With the Saddleback conference came various lunches and dinners and snacks that put me way over my calorie count every day, and I didn’t find the time to work any of it off, so I’m putting this one down to metabolism.

I intend to hit things hard this week. Spurred on by my wife’s significant weight loss (she doesn’t have a blog so hasn’t officialized her NMFA journey), I’m counting my cals and I’m working them off. A late night gym session on Sunday night told me that my stamina is beginning to drop, so I need to get working at it again. I’ll pay another visit to the gym this morning and try again to break the 5 mile mark.

I’m going to give myself a little margin on Friday as there will be a family lunch of some description for 4th July, but other than that I am determined to be strict this week. I am motivated; yesterday I wore a shirt that I’ve not worn in over 3 years. That’s pretty pleasing.

Over to you, Brent, Kristen, Joe, Buddy, Dan, Rick, Brandy, Deborah, Joel, Theresa, Steven, Tawny, Kelly, Jen, Ron, Darla, Theresa, Heidi, Lynn, Natalie, and Love

Current Weight:189.0 lbs
This Week’s Loss:1.6 lbs
Total Loss So Far:11.4 lbs

Yes! I lost weight while managing to completely abuse my diet and with no exercise. Don’t ask me how. Last week there was a McDonald’s fest while waiting at the ER for my wife to be seen (two quarterpounders with cheese, fries, a yoghurt parfait, and a large coke), and various other none-NMFA items. Plus, with my ankle all jacked up, I didn’t work out.

The ankle is doing much better. The X-Rays showed no damage and I’ve rested it for a week. I worked out on it today and gave it a good 4 mile run, and it felt fine.

This week I’m at the Saddleback conference, but I’ll do my best to be good and to work out. Hopefully I can get to 185 by next Monday.

Brent, Kristen, Joe, Buddy, Dan, Rick, Brandy, Deborah, Joel, Theresa, Steven, Tawny, Kelly, Jen, Ron, Darla, Theresa, Heidi, Lynn, Natalie, and Love, how did you all do this week?

Current Weight:190.6 lbs
This Week’s Loss:0.0 lbs
Total Loss So Far:9.8 lbs

Sorry I missed my Monday update this week. Monday was such an unbelievably weird and persecuting day that I just didn’t have time. But anyway, here’s this week’s update.

First off, you’ll notice that I’ve remained completely static this week. No loss and no gain. At first I was a bit disappointed, as I’d worked out really quite hard last Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. But then I remember the pints of Boddington’s and the rhubarb crumble with custard that I had on Friday night, and the Father’s Day lunch at Fuddrucker’s (yeah, you read that right) on Sunday, and I realized that actually I should celebrate the fact that I pigged out twice in a week and didn’t put on any weight.

This week is going to be tough. Last night I chowed down on some McDonald’s while waiting at the ER for hours. After going for ages without any fast food, it tasted SO D*MN GOOD, but it was an instant intake of a bajillion calories. And the problem with that is that I have to rest up from workouts for most of this week. Read on…

When I was 14 I suffered a triple break in my right ankle playing football (soccer). It’s normally okay and only gets a little sore when the weather is cold and/or wet. I’ve never had a problem working out on it before. But a couple of times last week it started to swell and get really sore after a workout. I went to see the doctor yesterday and he said the medial ligament that I tore when I broke the ankle is just sprained and bruised. I had some x-rays done but essentially I just have to give it time to heal. And that means not working out on it for a few more days. And that sucks because I’ve found that I’m really starting to enjoy running.

Speaking dietarily for a moment, I’ll just keep on doing what I was doing and what was working; limiting myself to around 1500 calories a day, give or take, and pacing my eating throughout the day to keep my metabolism up.

My goal for this week is to not put on any weight. If I can get to next Monday and still be at 190.6 lbs, I’ll be happy. By then the ankle should be workable again and I’ll start burning the pounds once more.

Hey, Brent, Kristen, Joe, Buddy, Dan, Rick, Brandy, Deborah, Joel, Theresa, Steven, Tawny, Kelly, Jen, Ron, Darla, Theresa, Heidi, Lynn, Natalie, and Love, how did you all do this week?

Current Weight:190.6 lbs
This Week’s Loss:2.6 lbs
Total Loss So Far:9.8 lbs

First of all, apologies that I skipped a week #4 update. For those of you that keep up with this blog, you’ll know that last Monday was my mum’s funeral. Weighing in was the last thing on my mind. But that might have been a saving grace, since I had pretty much been pigging out and not exercising for most of the week prior to that and I know I put a pound or two back on. So with that in mind, I think this week’s reported loss of 2.6 lbs is actually higher than that, but since I didn’t weigh myself for a couple of weeks, I have no idea what the figure should actually be.

Also worth bearing in mind is that the 2.6 lbs reported loss of weight this week has been achieved in 4 days. I flew back to LA from London last Tuesday, arriving in the evening. I ate incredibly well on the plane. On Wednesday, since I had no idea what time zone I should be operating in, I pretty much just ate what I wanted; there was tri-tip on the grill, there was grilled cheese, there was a big bowl of tomato soup with grated English cheddar in it; my calorie count on Wednesday must have been through the roof.

Thursday was when I got back in to the swing of things (although I did break the rules a little by having a couple of my wife’s homemade brownies). Early on Friday morning, Rhonda and I hit the gym for an hour and I managed to get in a good cardio workout; 4 miles or so of HIIT. I went back on Saturday afternoon for a punishing 90 minute session that involved a full round of weight training (biceps, triceps, upper back, lower back, abs, calves, and hamstrings) and a full hour of HIIT cardio. I had set myself an aim of 6 miles HIIT, but fell just short; 5.6 miles. This week I plan to up the speed of both the walk and the run intervals from 3.5mph and 6.5mph to 3.8mph and 6.8mph respectively, and if I work at it for an hour that should push me through the 6 mile barrier.

This week I aim for an ‘every other day’ routine with the gym, and alternating my weight training. Today I will focus on my abs and leg muscles and put in 30 minutes of HIIT, on Wednesday I will focus on back and arm muscles and put in 60 minutes of cardio, then rinse and repeat.

I’m back on the wagon, people, and I’m picking up speed. Good luck to Brent, Kristen, Joe, Buddy, Dan, Rick, Brandy, Deborah, Joel, Theresa, Steven, Tawny, Kelly, Jen, Ron, Darla, Theresa, Heidi, Lynn, Natalie, and Love

Current Weight:193.0 lbs
This Week’s Loss:1.2 lbs
Total Loss So Far:7.2 lbs

I’m really surprised that I lost any weight at all this week. In fact, I was kind of expecting to have put some back on. Since the death of my mum last Tuesday, the whole diet thing has really been temporarily put on hold. In fact I broke it just a few hours after she had passed away, with a full rack of ribs, french fries, a molten chocolate cake with an extra scoop of ice cream, and a large margarita. Thanks, Chili’s.

Since then my diet hasn’t been unhealthy, but I’ve not been watching my calories. Since I got to England last Thursday, the jet lag has had me feeling hungry at weird times of the day, but I’m just about settling down now and getting used to this time zone. Friday was probably my biggest calorie intake day as I went out to the pub with my friend Kieran and we were drinking Guinness, which is really quite high in calories.

And to be honest, with all that’s going on, I’m not too concerned about it this week. It’s just really nice to be around my family, even in the current circumstances. Already this week I can see I’m going to have a hard time working off the extra food; there will be fish and chips for lunch today followed by an Indian feast tonight. On Wednesday I’m going to lunch with an old school friend, and then on Thursday one of my sisters is doing a full roast dinner with Yorkshire Pudding and roast potatoes and the rest of the trimmings. And I bet there’s apple crumble and custard for desert. Not exactly conducive to weight loss. Frankly, I’m not exactly concerned.

In terms of exercise, I’ve been going for a pretty long run every other day since I’ve been here; about 5 miles. The problem is that when I was 14 I suffered a triple break in my right ankle, and for the last several years it becomes quite painful when the weather is cold and damp. And this is England. It’s famous for being cold and damp. So it’s hard to run on it. The 5 mile run might turn in to a 5 mile walk before the end of the week. Either way, I’m determined to do my best to keep exercising.

Right now the plan is be back in the good old US of A by the evening of June 3rd; that’s one week tomorrow. I don’t expect much in the weight loss department this week, but when I get back I’ll be hitting it hard again to shed the pounds.

I will post an update next week anyway, just to see if there’s been any movement either way. Until then, best of luck to Brent, Kristen, Joe, Ron, Dan, Rick, Brandy, Deborah, Joel, Theressa, Steven, Love, Tawny, Kelly, Lori, and Jen.

Current Weight: 194.2 lbs
This Week’s Loss: -6.6 lbs
Total Loss So Far: -6.6 lbs

It’s been a good first week! To say that I’m happy with losing 6.6 lbs in the first week would be an understatement. I had actually set myself a quiet goal of 3 lbs, and I figured if I could weigh in at around the 197 mark, I’d be happy. So to find myself losing double that amount is a real motivator. I can do this.

Diet wise, I’ve been limiting myself to 1400 calories a day, and I’ve found myself eating quite well on that limit. My vegetable consumption has increased, and I’ve been away from the junk food all week. I’ve taken advantage of Subway’s ‘6 grams of fat’ menu a couple of times and accompanied them with the baked potato chips, but otherwise it’s just been good food in sensible portions at the right time.

One thing I’ve really tried to do is keep my metabolism up by eating every two to three hours. For example, I’ll have some toast for breakfast at 7:00am, an apple at 10:00am, lunch at 1pm, a granola bar at 4pm, and dinner at 7pm. This seems to keep my energy up all day, and one good side effect is that I’m not experiencing the mid-afternoon need for a nap. Also, I’m drinking more water than I usually do. Perhaps my only indulgence has been a few beers over the course of the week, but I’ve substituted in Sam Adams Light, and I must say it’s rather tasty.

In terms of exercise, I made it four times last week. I’ve got myself in to a good routine that keeps me interested in the workout so I don’t get bored, works me hard, but doesn’t sap my stamina. I do a ten minute warm up walk on the treadmill, followed by a twenty to twenty five minute weight round, working the biceps, triceps, quads, chest and upper back, and I then finish things off with forty five minutes of HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training. I love that part; I run for 3 minutes at 7mph, then walk for 3 minutes at 3.8mph, and I do that until I’ve completed 4 miles; roughly 45 minutes.

A side effect to this, which is perhaps more important than the weight loss, is that I generally feel healthier. I’m sleeping well. I’m getting hungry at the right times. I’m alert and focused most of the time. There’s a general feeling of well being. I like it.

I weigh in only on Mondays. I don’t like the idea of weighing in daily, or every couple of days, because I’m so results-driven that seeing a drop of 6.6 lbs motivates me more than seeing half a pound a day. Also, I don’t want my focus to be on losing weight; I want it to be on eating healthy and exercising well, knowing that if I do those things then the weight loss will take of itself. I’m hoping for another good week this week.

Good luck again to Brent, Kristen, Joe, BuddyO, Dan, Rick, Brandy, Deborah, Mandy, Joel, Theresa, Steven, Love, Tawny, Kelly and any other NMFAPIMWLC-ers that I’m not aware of.

How did you do this week?

Current weight: 200.8 lbs

So I guess this is where it all starts. After committing to this last week, I had a few guilty pleasures over the weekend knowing full well that as of today those things must be dramatically reduced.

I was thinking about the way to approach this, and I remembered a couple of gems that I heard from KFI’s fitness guru Jillian Michaels several months ago.

Essentially, she broke down the idea of weight loss for men in to three separate categories - Exercise (working out, obviously), Diet (changing what you eat), and Behaviour (changing how you eat). But basically it came down to two simple approaches:

1. Eat less.
2. Move more.

And that’s basically the model I’m going to use to try and shed some pounds. The amount I eat at each meal will be smaller. I don’t need to pig out. But, I will eat more often to keep my metabolism up.

In terms of working out, I’m aiming for at least three days a week for at least an hour, with an even mix of cardio and weight training.

I’ve lost pounds before. I can do it again. No more fat arse.

Good luck to Brent, Kristen, Joe, BuddyO, Dan, Rick, Brandy, Deborah, Mandy, Joel, Theresa, Steven, Love, Tawny, Kelly, and anyone else who’s in on this as well.