This is just a mid-month update on my fitness goals! It was just about two weeks ago when I posted "Fatty McFat" with the proclamation that I was going to lose my gut and get healthier so help me God. These two weeks have had their ups and downs but overall I've been pretty successful. I just hope I can continue on with the same dedication. In a couple of weeks I'm posting another set of photos, so I hope I look sexier in time for the photo shoot! Ha ha, highly doubtful but a boy can dream, can't he?
The first day of exercise was torture. All the heavy breathing and sweating left me exhausted and sick. And what's worse, for the next three days I was so incredibly sore that I thought I might never work out again. My arms couldn't straighten all the way, so I walked around with my arms hanging slightly bent at the elbow. It was very odd to walk around like a chimpanzee, hoping nobody would notice. I'd try to reach for things only to fail because I couldn't extend my arm as far as I was used to.
My legs were just as sore as my arms. On the morning of my first day of work I went to the closet to get my work shoes and they were just sitting on the floor, taunting me. "Why don't you bend down here and pick us up? Come on, Jack... just squat. Get down on one knee. We're right here in front of you." But I couldn't! My legs just couldn't bend anymore. I had become a broken old man after a mere half hour of exercise two days previously! Eventually I just flopped onto the bed, rolled off it onto the floor, and then wormed my way over to where my shoes were. After putting them on I couldn't get back up again so I had to call 911 and have someone come over and put me back on my feet.
Part of that story might have been an exaggeration, but I was seriously aching all over and it was limiting my ability to function. I asked Courtney what I should do about it and she just said to keep exercising. "Just push through it and eventually your body will stop feeling so sore." So I started doing the exercises she taught me again, and I've been doing them pretty regularly ever since. Some days I just don't have time, but usually on those days I walk to and from work, which is good exercise in itself.
I've also been trying to eat a bit better. At first, I was using SparkPeople to track my calories, but I soon found it almost impossible to stay within the recommended calorie intake. I would have a granola bar for breakfast, pack a sandwich with some carrots or applesauce for lunch, and then have like a salad with tuna for dinner and still wind up eating too many calories! One of my friends told me not to worry so much about the calories, but to cut out sugar. And I have been for the most part. One day I had a chocolate candy bar, but I think that's the only really sugary thing I've had since starting this healthy quest. I've been eating a lot more fruits and vegetables than I used to and I've been drinking lots more water.
Speaking of drinking water, it has replaced my beloved soda and the transition has been fairly easy but I still miss my Coca-Cola. And I am surrounded by temptation. At work we are allowed to have free soda and popcorn on our breaks, and it's hard to deny this work perk and just have my carrot sticks and water! Sometimes I'll just be filling up a large soda for somebody at the concession stand and just really crave it. I'm surrounded by unhealthy snack foods for eight hours at a time, but so far I am still going strong! I kind of feel like a hypocrite telling myself that I can't have soda or popcorn while telling the customer, "Are you sure you don't want a large popcorn for just 75 cents more? Let's add a large Coke and make it a combo!" I'm contributing to the obesity of America. Jamie Oliver would be so mad at me!
Anyway, here are my numbers so far. I started this weighing 153 lbs, and now I weigh 148. So I've lost five pounds in sixteen days. But more importantly, my body fat has gone from 15.2% to 13.8%. That's almost two percent! I've realized that I don't necessarily want to lose pounds, just convert fat into muscle. So I'm more concerned about the body fat percentage than actual weight, but I'm still keeping track of both.
Stay tuned for more Fatty McFat updates!
4 comments:
If you had any idea how much harder is it is for women to lose weight compared to men, you would have a lot more hope and be much less hard on yourself. From my obesrvations of males, cutting out sugar is really quite enough for them to shed 20-30 pounds within a few months. You're doing great!
Awesome Jack! You know I think Coke every once and a while isn't going to ruin your plan as long as it is Diet. Diet removes the sugar and although artificial sweeteners still make a slight rise in your blood sugar they don't send calories to your fat cells much. So if you are looking for the flavor treat yourself to a diet coke.
Although I haven't made any progress I just got out of school for the whole summer so now I will have more time to improve my health. I also just signed myself up for a mock biggest loser activity here at the University. They use Health Students to be personal trainers to 36 people who are assigned to different teams. We work out together and report our meal plans to our trainer. I hope that will help my activity level. Thanks for working hard to keep me motivated.
Jack, about the soreness issue. Try drinking a recovery drink, some kind of protein drink. You will be surprised at how it will take care of the soreness. As soon as I started drinking the stuff (you need to drink it up to one hour after the workout for it to have the maximum effect)and was just amazed at just how it affected me. No, the soreness did not go away completely, but it did really help.
Let me know when you are ready for P90X ;)
Thanks for the comments everyone!
To Mishqueen: I used to watch 'Biggest Loser' with my mom and I noticed how the men always seemed to lose weight quicker than the women. Luckily you are so slim and beautiful! :)
To Andrew: That program at your university sounds amazing!! I think that will be really really good for you! So good luck! Oh, and what about Coke Zero? I think it tastes closer to regular Coke...
To Steve: The ridiculous soreness after the first workout went away and now I don't feel so sore anymore. I am interested in these protein shakes though... I'll have to look into them. Are you still working out these days?
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