Andy - Week of 2/20/11 Stats

Week Starting Weight: 369.0 lbs
Week Ending Weight:  363.0 lbs
Lost Since Last Week:    6.0 lbs

Exercise
Sunday: .32 miles x 6:00 minutes Treadmill warm-up, 80 lbs x 30 reps on Lat bar, 30 lbs (each hand) x 30 reps Squats, 3 sets x 30 second incline planks, 70 lbs x 30 reps on Bench Press, 1.06 miles x 7:00 minutes Elliptical Cardio
Monday:  4.0 miles in 26:30 minutes on Elliptical
Tuesday: None
Wednesday: 1 mile x 6:37 minutes Elliptical Warm-up, 80 lbs x 30 reps on Lat bar, 70 lbs x 30 reps on Bench Press, 30 lbs (each hand) x 30 reps Squats, 3 sets x 30 second incline planks, 2.o miles x 13:00 minutes H.I.I.T. Elliptical Cardio
Thursday: None
Friday: None
Saturday: 30 minutes of dancing with my son, 45 minutes of house cleaning

Reflections
My weight continues to make me laugh.  I realize now why it is so important to keep track of my exercise.  Before writing this, I thought I had practically did nothing as far as fitness goes.  As always, food was a constant battle this week.  It's also good for some to keep in mind that just because a hot dog is made of turkey, does not make it a "paleo" style dog.  It's still processed meat.

Goals for Next Week
I still haven't mastered exercising at a routine time, nor have I really did much to fix my pre and post-fitness nutrition.  These are going to be goals once again.

This week, I have a couple of new allies in the fitness fight.  I bought some really nice Vibrams, which I'll talk about later.  I also got some compression tees, which I'll also talk about... later...

Andy - Week of 2/13/11 Stats

Week Starting Weight: 366.0 lbs
Week Ending Weight:  369.0 lbs
Lost Since Last Week:    0.0 lbs

Exercise
Sunday: Sick Day
Monday:  Light outdoor workout - 30 min of slow walking, 20 incline pull-ups, 20 incline push-ups, 20 free squats, 2 sets x 30 second incline planks
Tuesday: None
Wednesday: 1 mile x 6:10 minutes Elliptical Warm-up, 90 lbs x 30 reps on Lat bar, 80 lbs x 30 reps on Bench Press, 30 lbs (each hand) x 30 reps Squats, 3 sets x 30 second incline planks
Thursday: 1 mile x 5:42 minutes Elliptical Warm-up, 80 lbs x 30 reps on Lat bar, 30 lbs (each hand) x 30 reps Squats, 3 sets x 30 second incline planks, 70 lbs x 30 reps on Bench Press, 2.0 miles x 14:40 minutes Elliptical Cardio
Friday: 4.0 miles in 26:10 minutes on Elliptical
Saturday: None

Reflections
First off, I want to point out one little thing:  I actually weighed myself for the "beginning" of the week on Thursday night, because it was the first time that I could get to the scales that I use.  Josh and I decided a long time ago to use the same scale to weigh ourselves with every time so as to get the most accurate results.  We use the scales at the hospital we work for.  I'm really not surprised that I ended the week a little heavier than when I started.  I usually weigh myself every Sunday night, and before I went to the gym at the end of this week, I had a bigger than usual dinner, ate closer to work time, and then worked out before going to work.  Of course I was heavier than normal.

There isn't much that can be done about sick days.  Especially if those sick days are devoted to stomach viruses.  I think I pushed myself a little too hard on Monday, so Tuesday was a big rest day.  What I did on Wednesday and Thursday are no more than I normally do, but when they're typed out they look huge!  I was really proud of my cardio workout on Friday.  When I first started going to my local gym, I couldn't even stay on an elliptical for more than 5 minutes at a time, and it took me 14 minutes to get in a mile on it!  I just can't believe that I'm up to 4 miles in less than 30 minutes!

Goals for Next Week
I obviously expect big results this coming week.  I'm going to work my ass of for them.  For this next week, I also want to change a couple of things.  I want to see if I can push myself into exercising at the same time each day or near it.  Some weeks, my exercises can happen at any time of the day.  Strength training with cardio in the afternoons/evenings and/or cardio in the mornings seems to work the best.  I feel the best after both of these times as well.

I also want to put more focus into pre and post-fitness nutrition.  A lot of fitness experts recommend consuming protein supplements/bars/shakes before and after workouts.  I want to look into what else is recommended.

Try the Local World Gym - FOR FREE

So you just can't make it out to the gym in town.  The prices are too high, the people are snobs, and the business hours are crap.  It could be worse than that, and you may not have a gym in your town at all.  The nearest gym may not be worth the drive and you might just not have the time to get there and back.

I think a lot of people have a lot of excuses for not going to the gym.  I know that I did for too many years.  Were my excuses valid?  Of course not.  I was afraid of going in and looking like a fool.  I mean, who wants to be the fat guy at the gym?  I never had the right clothes, never owned an MP3 player, or drove the right car.  Besides, those prices were too damned high.

Of course, I had to have a reality check a while back, and that changed my perception of the gym.  I guess when you scare yourself after getting off of a scale as badly as I did, things like clothes, MP3 players, fitness freaks, and looking good before I went in the doors didn't matter as much.

Still yet, there are those of us who do have valid excuses for not having a gym membership.  But not to fret, because there is still one gym that gives out a free membership.  They're open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, although there are some months where those hours may not be so appealing.

I welcome you to the Local World Gym.


You may think that I'm crazy, but I promise you that I'm not.  You want to work out your back?  Do some pull-ups on a low hanging branch or the beam of a swing set.  Pump your chest with some push-ups.  Grab something heavy and do some squats to work your legs and core.  Sprint through a field or down your road.  Burn some quick calories by doing step-ups on any platform.  It isn't going to cost you a dime.

No, that's not me.

  

If you're in a park, look around some of the trails, or better yet hike them, and you might find an actual outdoor gym built for joggers.  A lot of city parks have also started to build them for their residents.

An example of an outdoor gym at a park

Whatever you do, do something!  And remember that the world is our playground.

Andy - Week of 2/6/11 Stats

Week Starting Weight:  369.4 lbs
Week Ending Weight:   366.0 lbs
Lost Since Last Week:   3.4 lbs

Exercise
Sunday: None
Monday: 30 min Elliptical, Chest/Back Workout
Tuesday: 10 min Steps, Low Impact Strength/Cardio
Wednesday: None
Thursday: 7 min Elliptical Warmup, Big Muscle Groups Workout, 30 min Elliptical
Friday: None
Saturday: Walked for 45 minutes with son!

Reflections
I was happy with my performance for this week.  I had a chance to change up my workout routine, and I am already seeing the benefits.  This was also a good week for restoring the food supply and getting more sleep.  One note that I was especially proud of was Saturday when I got to go out with my son and do some Geocaching.  If you've not tried it yet, it's (usually) low impact hiking combined with a treasure hunt!


Goals for Next Week
From now on, I'm going to post what my strength training routine consists of.  Eating better and getting a better variety of food is always a priority.  I still want to work on getting in some cardio every day.

A Confession to Make

When I started this blog with Josh, I may have weighed 382.4 pounds.  But I actually weighed more than that before starting the site.

What started me back on trying to lose weight and become a healthier person was this:

On October 14th, 2010, I weighed myself.  My weight on that night that scared me more than anything else was 400.7 pounds.  I lost 18.3 pounds before I ever started the blog.

Christopher Poe - Did you Know? Cardio isn't Exercise

The following is a small quiz question posted by Christopher Poe on his Facebook fan page, Christopher Fitness Pro.  Christopher Poe is an ISSA Certified Fitness, Physique & Performance Nutrition Specialist  I responded to his question, and he responded back!  This is what was said.  Words followed with a "*" are defined at the bottom.


Christopher: DID YOU KNOW...that "cardio" in itself isn't really an exercise! "Getting in your cardio" is actually a TRAINING EFFECT that certain actions have on the cardiovascular system. With that said, is it better on your body to get this effect MORE through anaerobic* training or aerobic* aerobic training to optimize body composition and why?


Me:  I would say it depends on what your personal goal is for your body. If you want to have a faster (leaner) body, you would need aerobic training. If you want your body to be stronger (muscular), you would need anaerobic training. "Cardio" is just a form of aerobic exercise, is it not?

Although, my understanding of aerobic and anaerobic could be off...

Christopher: 

Not too bad Andy. If you were answering this on a more sport specific question you would be even closer. Let's look at it more from a physique view for the everyday person wanting to change their body composition.

The first overall objective of any good fitness nutrition program should be to preserve or build lean muscle tissue as this (combined with a healthy thyroid) is responsible for keeping your RMR* up. Your RMR burns more calories in the long run than ANY exercise can ever do. Therefore, fitness was NEVER meant to be a means of direct fat loss (weight loss), but as a means that creates a body to burn unwanted calories more effectively ALL THE TIME! With that being said, when the reduction of bodyfat is needed make sure most of the "cardio effect" you get comes through the modification of resistance training (like circuit training) to kill two birds with one stone...so to speak. Next, modify the aerobic training (cardio) you are doing from steady pace to interval training in order to stimualte muscle tissue during exercise and forcing you to decrease the duration. This places the odds in less favor of muscle wasting which in turn has a negative effect on your RMR. Lastly, if you fall into a clinical or chronic obese category stratigicly place steady pace aerobic training as supplemental in your overall fitness program combined with proper pre-training nutrition to protect muscle tissue during the workout.

I don't often give out this much good info, so I hope every body can can benefit from it for the up coming Sping/Summer seasons!

***

Aerobic exercise: physical exercise that intends to improve the oxygen system.  Aerobic means "with oxygen", and refers to the use of oxygen in the body's metabolic or energy-generating process.  It is basically another word for "cardio".  Examples of aerobic exercise include:

• Elliptical Trainers
• Treadmills
• Bikes (Stationary or Free)
• Jogging
• Jazzercise
• Zumba
• Richard Simmons and anything he does

(Source: Wikipedia.org)

Anaerobic exercise: exercise intense enough to trigger anaerobic metabolism. It is used by athletes in non-endurance sports to promote strength, speed and power and by body builders to build muscle mass.  Examples of anaerobic exercise include:

• Weightlifting
• Pushups
• Pullups
• Planks
• Squats
• Interval Training
• High Intensity Interval Training (like Interval Training, both of these can incorporate aerobic exercise, oddly enough!)

(Source: Wikipedia.org)

RMR: Basal metabolic rate (BMR), and the closely related resting metabolic rate (RMR), is the amount of daily energy expended while at rest in a neutrally temperate environment.

(Source: Wikipedia.org)

Oxy-ELITE Pro 10-Capsule Trial

OxyELITE-Pro

What it is

Super Thermogenic™
OxyELITE Pro™ is Pharmacist-formulated to deliver fast results.Therefore, it must be used with extreme caution, and only by healthy adults capable of handling its quick results and true power. It is mandatory that users get clearance from their physician before use.

          (Source: GNC - USPlabs OxyELITE Pro)
This supplement is advertised as a thermogenic, which is supposed to "produce heat and is commonly applied to drugs which increase heat through metabolic stimulation" (source Wikipedia.org).  It is also boasted by many to be an appetite suppressant, although I don't recall reading that on the bottle anywhere.  This supplement is one of the heaviest pushed at my local GNC store, and I would suspect that this is the same at most of them.

Directions on the bottle

As a dietary supplement, take 1-2 capsules on an empty stomach before breakfast. Take an additional 1 capsule six to eight hours later on an emptystomach, if needed. Due to extreme potency, begin by taking 1 capsule before breakfast and 1 capsule six to eight hours later to assess tolerance. DO NO USE PRODUCT FOR LONGER THAN 8 WEEKS FOLLOWED BY A SUBSEQUENT 4 WEEK BREAK. DO NOT EXCEED 3 CAPSULES IN ANY 24 HOUR PERIOD.

          (Source: GNC - USPlabs OxyELITE Pro)


Controls Used While on the Trial
During this trial, I kept up most of my daily routines.  Regardless of other factors, such as daily diet and exercise, I took my normal supplements which include a GNC Mega Men Sport Multivitamin and 2,000 mg of Flaxseed Oil daily.  On days that I exercised, I also took two capsules (recommended dose) of Everlast Energy.

Pre-Trial Thoughts

I was never too crazy about OxyELITE Pro after the first time that I tried it.  After being on it for one day, I had overwhelming nausea and slight jitters.  I couldn't imagine how this could be beneficial to anyone wanting to lose weight.

The Trial
Day 1: One capsule, taken 30 minutes before breakfast.  I seemed to be more alert than usual.  No nausea like the first time I tried it. 

Day 2: One capsule, taken 30 minutes before breakfast.  The boost from the capsule was enough to carry me through a boring day of classes, and then on to work for another 12 hours.  For me to be awake that long, I was impressed by the ability of the capsule and the effect that it had on my appetite.  I didn't have the urge to eat nearly as much as normal.  I almost had to remind myself to eat dinner.

Day 3: One capsule, taken 30 minutes before my first meal.  I actually took this meal when I woke up, but I slept late that day after being up for so long.  I went to work right after waking up, and then back to sleep that night after working six hours.  I finally felt that nasty old nausea that I first got when trying it.

Day 4:  One capsule, taken 30 minutes before breakfast. This was the point when the supplement directions recommend that the user take one capsule in the morning, 30 minutes before breakfast, and then -if needed- another in the afternoon.  I did not take the second capsule and I could feel it.  I'm curious to know if the body is supposed to feel like it's adjusting to the affects of the supplement.

Day 5: One capsule, taken 30 minutes before lunch.  This time, I prolonged taking the supplement.  I noticed that I was back to eating bigger portions.  I wasn't thrilled about this and I had to look to alternative ways to compensate for it the next day.  This was also a long day and late night for me.

Day 6: One capsule, taken 30 minutes before breakfast. I had actually intended to take this supplement twice, but forgot the second set.  I'm okay with this though, because it would have left me with a day with just one supplement.  This is the second day that I went to the gym while taking the capsule.  I honestly didn't feel any difference between these days and normal days in terms of performance.

Day 7: One capsule, taken 30 minutes before breakfast, another, taken 30 minutes before dinner.  This was my first day of taking two capsules in the same day.  I could feel the pick-up after the second capsule in the evening.

Day 8: One capsule, taken 30 minutes before breakfast, another, taken 30 minutes before dinner.  This was the second day of taking two capsules in one day.  This time, I did not feel the boost from the supplement.  This was also the last day with the supplement.

Day 9: No capsules.  I felt like I had the same amount of energy as all the previous days.  I also felt like my appetite was the same as all the days before.  I was surprised because I thought I would return to eating more.

Post-Trial Thoughts

My end-result feelings about Oxy-ELITE Pro are mixed.  I feel the supplement is both effective and ineffective.  The first few days that I was taking the capsules I could feel all of their effects.  I felt the energy boost as well as the appetite suppression.  However, after a few days had passed I could no longer feel those effects.  To verify this, I added in a day without the supplement in my system.  Not to my surprise, I could feel no difference between this day and all of the previous days.

I have to wonder now if the Oxy-ELITE isn't a very effective placebo.  I suggest that maybe, this drug is something that has been created to help people achieve what they cannot on their own, which is more control over their appetite and exercise routines.  It is possibly an expensive, albeit effective, way of convincing people that it is helping them not eat that extra portion of dinner and to go that extra mile of the treadmill.

On the other hand, if the Oxy-ELITE does actually do what it is supposed to, maybe it is something that certain bodies (say mine, for instance) can grow immune to.  The label does say that is not supposed to be taken longer than a period of eight weeks.  Is this because our bodies build a tolerance to it?

In the end, I do not think that I will be recommending this supplement to my friends.  However, I will not discourage anybody from taking it, especially if it is helping them to achieve their goals.  

Cheat Day!

I had originally intended to post this over a week ago, but was having some issues with my ISP at the time.  Now that they have saw fit to restore my service, I now submit it for your entertainment:

Eating healthy and getting exercise are great things.  You feel great after you do them.  But sometimes, the world doesn't know how great you're feeling, and it decides to dump on you anyway.  Stress and frustration come at you from every angle.

So when you're going through these times, it's okay to have a weak moment.  You go to the fridge and you get out the things you've really been craving for the last few days, and you have a go at them.

Everybody should have a cheat day.  One day every once in a while where they have some of their comfort or feel good foods.  It's fine to have a day where you don't think about calories or getting out to the gym.  Don't punish yourself afterwards.  Guilt-free is the theme of the day.

Of course, having a few pre-determined rules about these days should come first.  Rules like:

• Cheat days should only last ONE day
• Having no more than "X" number of cheat days in the month (I choose 3 for myself)
• Having some moderation on the cheat day.  You aren't going to feel good after eating that whole tub of ice cream.
• Getting right back on track after the cheat day is over.
• One additional rule to think about is the holidays.  Do you really need that many cheat days between Thanksgiving and Christmas?

You can use your cheat days to taper off your weak moments as well.  Something that really helps is not bringing a lot of your cheat day home with you (i.e. leftover chinese in the fridge).  Another good idea to think about is pre-planning your cheat day.  Think about where you really want to go, what you really want to eat, and take care of as much of those things ahead of time.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go and finish my cheat day.  I've had some pita chips with hummus, a couple slices of pizza, and I've still got an ice-cold beer to enjoy!

Andy - Week of 1/30/11 Stats

Week Starting Weight:  372.0 lbs
Week Ending Weight:   369.4 lbs
Lost Since Last Week:   2.6 lbs

Exercise
Sunday: 30 min Elliptical, Back Workout
Monday: None
Tuesday: None
Wednesday: None
Thursday: 30 min Elliptical, Arms Workout
Friday: None
Saturday: 30 min Elliptical, 5 min Treadmill, Legs Workout

Reflections
This past week has been a little more difficult than normal.  Last minute preparations for a class needed to remain an EMT made money and time short to devote to diet and exercise.  Sleep was limited and scattered between the days.  Food was prepared from frozen veggies, chicken, and canned food that didn't look like it would kill me.  Also being out of town for the classes made sticking to Paleo harder because of limited resources. 

Goals for Next Week
Money flow will increase and return to normal this week.  I'm going to be taking advantage of this to buy some more fresh meat, veggies, and fruit to cook with and snack on.  The return to "the norm" will make all the difference and more pounds should shed themselves.  The thing I need to change the most and that I look forward to is getting more sleep!

Standard vs. Custom Installation

How many times do you install a program on your computer, and get the choice between the Standard and the Custom installation packages?  Most of us just choose the standard installation, because we don't want the hassle of dealing with customizing.  But is that always the best choice?  Sometimes, we get mini-programs that come along with the standard installation that we don't want or need.  Sometimes we need something different or better.

The same can be said about vitamins.  

For the past couple of months, I have been taking the GNC Mega Men Sport Vitapaks as my dietary supplement.  They are a great multivitamin package that gives an active man all of the nutrients he needs for a very active day.   But I decided that while they were a great vitamin regiment to be on, maybe they weren't the best for me. 

I did a little research, and found out the GNC Mega Men Sport Multivitamin (included in the vitapaks) is one of the highest rated men's multivitamins on the market.  I decided to start there and build my own custom package for supplements.  The package, as it stands at the time of this writing, includes the above mentioned multivitamin and the Everlast Energy supplement, which is used on a  purely pre-workout basis.

The bonus I got when I bought this bottle of multi's was the free 10-capsule supply of OxyELITE-Pro, which is a very highly-rated thermogenic for workouts and hunger suppression.  I haven't started taking them yet, but I plan to in the next few weeks on a strictly trial basis to see how I like them when used properly. 

I'll report back in about a month's time on my findings!

Andy - Week of 1/23/11 Stats

Week Starting Weight:  380.1 lbs
Week Ending Weight:   372.0 lbs
Lost Since Last Week:   8.1 lbs

Exercise:
Sunday: 25 min elliptical, 5 min treadmill, Legs workout
Monday: None
Tuesday: None
Wednesday:  25 min elliptical, Arms workout 
Thursday: 20 min elliptical, 5 min treadmill, Chest/Back workout
Friday: None
Saturday: 30 min cardio


Reflections
My exercise went a lot better for the week.  I was extremely happy to shed those 8 lbs.  I'm still trying to push for those exercise days when I'm not at the gym.  It's hard to do without a means of getting Madix involved or preoccupied while I do it, as three year olds are hard to keep preoccupied at all times.  It's still a work in progress.


Goals to Meet Next Week

• Exercise more at home
• Get up to 30 min of cardio at the gym
• Increase intensity of cardio at the gym
• Improve skills at Paleo eating