Five weeks into this contest and I'm just about where I wanted (and expected) to be.  It has been a TON of work, but worth it so far. 

The "easy" pounds have been lost.  Muscle is getting built up, but my "six-pack" still has a small keg around it.  Eating regular, healthy meals and completing a rigorous workout is getting to be the norm, not the exception, to my day.  I just need to keep this up, but...

SOME DAYS I feel a little sore because I rarely take a day off.  I need a rest, but life gets in the way.  Tough day at the office.  Lousy weather to drive through.  Home projects.  Not to mention day-to-day cooking, grocery shopping, laundry, and washing the dishes.  Chances are, another workout won't make me any more sore.  On those days, I might as well do my workout anyway.

SOME DAYS my weight isn't where I expect it to be.  On those days, I chalk that up to "I must be getting even more muscle" since muscle weighs more than fat.

SOME DAYS I am tempted to eat something that is not the best for my diet.  On those days, I think: "When I'm in REALLY good shape, an extra mile or two of running will burn that off easily".  But I'm not even to the "running" stage yet, so I forget that and plug along on the treadmill at my brisk walking pace until I am in running shape.

SOME DAYS there is actually something good on TV or there are "non-aerobic" projects to do around the house.  On those days, mindless diversions of my time can wait because there is no more important use of my time than working out these next 5 months.

I'm able to keep my drive and maintain my focus because I can already see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Quitting is not an option.  I'm a serious player in a poker game where the stakes are 6 months of my time.  I know that I can make a better hand out of what I got so far, just through diligent diet and exercise, so I'm "all in".

In this Lighten Up poker game, if I win the game, I get to feel 30 again.  If I lose the game, I probably get to try this whole fitness/diet routine again.  No doubt, I will be older, heavier, wider, lazier, more cranky and more stiff then.  I might as well do it now and be happier with myself for the rest of my life.

Well, I sure feel good today.

Not from Boot Camp.  As usual, that pit-bull of fitness instructors, Jessica, was brutal.  I only get about 12 hours to recover from my Friday treadmill work before Boot Camp rears its ugly head at 8 am.  Sympathy is not one of the things I get Saturday mornings.  Not even a card.  Yet, through all of this adversity and abuse, only two things keep me from giving it 100%:  my flexibility has not had a chance to wake up by 8 am and, believe-it-or-not, I still have a considerable gut.  Crunches or any ab-related exercises are just not easy yet.

What DID make me feel good were these things, in no particular order of importance:

NUMBER 1:  My health assessment numbers.  Cori at the Lake County General Health District was great.  We discussed my progress and my diet.  My only concern was what I feel is a "glitch" in Vitabot:  I always get a bad report card for "excessive vitamins".  What?  I can accept a bad grade for throwing erasers in class or not handing in my homework on time.  But, excessive vitamins from eating Total cereal every day?  Most of those vitamins are water-soluble, which in excess, are not harmful.  They only lead to a colorful, almost psychedelic, bathroom experience.  Total gives me everything I need vitamin-wise before I walk out the door in the morning, so I will stick with it - at least until I have accumulated the full set of toys - one each found in every box.

To make a long story even longer, my body fat percentage was down to 23.7% from 34.6% - a 30% decrease!  My BMI went from 34.3 to 30.1 - a 12% decrease.  The BMI number would have been even lower if I was able to find a way to gain a few inches in height.

NUMBER 2:  The weigh-in.  Even before the all-important number was revealed, it was certainly my pleasure to put faces and personalities on some of the names of the other contestants.  All of these people I previously knew only through their blogs and Facebook.  I spoke with about 12 of you, all interesting stuff.  And sincere thanks to all who complimented me on my blogs.  I discovered that we are all truly united with one common goal - getting up off the couch and finding the person who hid the Doritos.

NUMBER 3:  The "number".  All of my hard work and commitment is paying big dividends.  My official weight was 193.2 - a 19.4 pound loss representing over 9% of my overall body weight.  I'll take it.  We can argue about the scale's accuracy later, because believe it or not, I thought the loss would be closer to 21 pounds.

The REALLY good news is that crunching the numbers, I lost 27 pounds of fat, yet my weight "only" dropped 19 pounds.  This means I built up the difference (8 pounds) in muscle.  This means more fat-burning, even as I sleep.

To celebrate, I had a healthy Subway sandwich for lunch before I went home to cut up and pack my veggie snacks for the week:  broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, and grape tomatoes.  I eat this stuff like candy.  Since my girlfriend is working today, I also prepared dinner - pork tenderloin, roasted acorn squash, and salad fixin's.

Saturday, I get ALL of my numbers.  Although the WEIGHT may sound most important, as I keep saying: "There's a lotta game left in this contest."  This is only the FIRST of several milestones.

I've made better-than-average progress in a month, about 20 pounds lost - over 9% of my total body weight.  At the first weigh-in I wore jeans, so the "official" number may be closer to 16 or 17 pounds.  The numbers I really want to see are the ones from my assessment at the Lake County General Health District that will be taken just before the weigh-in:  body measurements and body fat percentage.  I'm already proud of my heart numbers.  My blood pressure is 107/66 and my rest pulse rate is about 60.

So far, I attribute my progress to several factors:

1) Eating breakfast 30-some days in a row WITHOUT SKIPPING ONCE.

2) Eating out only a few times. And when I did, it was Cabanas (of course), Subway, or Aladdin's Eatery.  All healthy choices.

3) NO beer (not even at bowling)

4) NO fried ANYTHING - especially chicken wings

5) Red meat only three times

6) Limited amounts of pasta and potatoes (and only eaten infrequently)

7) Sweets only ONCE (on Super Bowl Sunday - two cookies & "Death by Chocolate")

8) Adequate amounts of sleep - at least 8 hours per night

9) MAKING time to work-out.  This allows me to log ungodly amounts of miles on the treadmill.  I get that thing cranking like when George is on one at the end of the Jetson's cartoon.  (Remember, "Jane, stop this crazy thing?")  Without fail, I also MAKE myself get to 8 am Boot Camp on Saturdays (my day "off" on the treadmill).

10) The thought of reaching 55 years of age and realizing that I can (and will) erase 30 years of bad habits and get back to the physical condition I experienced in my twenties - all in 6 months.  Failure means embarrassment in the local newspaper on a monthly basis.

11) Last, but not least, a girlfriend who is completely supportive of me and on-board with my diet and exercise routine.

Now, I just need to keep this routine up!

To kill some time while I work my plan of the same workouts and the same diet for the rest of the month, I would like to pass along something I have found to be helpful so far.  (For me, at least)

WARNING:  Some of what I believe contradicts what most (or perhaps all) fitness experts believe.  In my humble opinion, my view of this topic has its merits.  At least it seems to be working for me.

Today's topic is: "Frequency of Weighing".

I have a digital scale that measures to within 0.2 pounds.  I have weighed myself every morning for years, right before I take my shower, even when I was in my "larger body" days.  No health expert I have ever read says to pay any attention to weighing yourself this frequently.  This may make you feel depressed or discouraged, and give you a reason to quit.  They advocate a weekly weigh-in, at the most.

So, why do I advocate subjecting myself to this reminder of my weight issues on a day-to-day basis?

FOR EXACTLY THAT REASON!  TO REMIND MYSELF RIGHT NOW!

When I gain even a half-pound today compared to yesterday, it makes me in-tune to my choices on a daily, not weekly basis.  I think: "Hmmmm, maybe that cookie or glass of wine last night or missing my workout MAY be affecting my fitness plan, even if only a trivial amount."  or "Maybe I should consider MAKING an extra 15 minutes in my day to extend tonight's workout." or "Maybe missing Boot Camp this week is NOT an option."  (Even though I have been working hard after all and "deserve" a break, don't I?)

We are all adults here.  The possibility of a little bad news that might make me dread the weekly weigh-in is not on my radar.  I want to know CONSTANTLY that anything I do will have consequences.  Do I beat myself up when I do gain a pound?  No.  A little bad news just makes me keep positive thoughts about any future action I should be taking, both short-term and long-term.  And I know it sure will influence my choices TODAY.

My progress so far:

Day 30

19.6 pounds lost (9.22% of total body weight)

13 pounds to lose before start of distance training

163.25 miles toward 1,000 mile goal

41.5 hours in the gym

(Saturday's upcoming weigh-in weight might not be this good since that is done fully-clothed.)

I'm going to ignore my short-lived Wednesday/Sunday blog schedule and throw in an extra one, just because I think this problem hits home to many of us.  The problem:  Eating out, but keeping it healthy.

Last night, for Valentine's Day, my girlfriend and I decided to eat at Aladdin's Eatery on Mentor Avenue in front of Heinen's.

My girlfriend has always been an advocate of the healthiness of Middle Eastern cuisine.  As usual, she was right.  The menu listed many healthy choices, including vegan and vegetarian selections.  I sounded like Meg Ryan in "When Harry Met Sally" when I ordered: "Hold the feta cheese, dressing on the side..."  We left there content from the amounts and everything was healthy and fresh tasting.

Now my healthy short-list of places to eat out includes Cabanas (of course), Subway (great for lunch or bowling night), and now Aladdin's, which has several Cleveland-area locations in addition to Mentor.  I will also keep Middle Eastern restaurants on my radar next time I travel since every city seems to have them.

As I mentioned in my last blog, my plan for awhile is to be consistent and patient.  (Read: BORING)  At least eight miles on the treadmill most days, Boot Camp Saturdays, mall walk Sundays - all sandwiched in between healthy eating.  Get to 180 pounds and the running begins.  I'm too old to get injured by pushing it.

Lately, when I'm doing my miles on the treadmill, my mind starts to wander.  I visualize my angel-self on one shoulder complimenting me on my patience.  On my other shoulder are two people: my devil-self telling me to push it HARD and Jessica, who runs the 8am LEAN Living Boot Camp who suggests that I add more intensity to my workout for faster results.  (In Jessica's defense, she's no devil.  She just doesn't know how heavy I am - about 12 to 15 pounds too heavy to run very well.)

I have been true to what my angel-self says, upholding the voice of reason and avoiding the temptation of pushing too hard, too soon.  There's a lotta game left to go here.  I want to be the skinniest guy on the scale at the very end, not the lame horse they shoot and send to the glue factory.

My progress so far:

26 days
18 pounds lost (8.47% of total body weight)
14.6 pounds to lose before start of distance training (running)
137.25 miles toward 1,000 mile goal
34.5 hours in the gym

My weekly 9 mile mall walk is done.  The rest of the day I will relax.  Today's walk took a lot out of me because I also made the effort to go to 8am Boot Camp yesterday at LEAN Living.  That session worked muscles I didn't know I had, but was well worth it.

My blogging frequency will be reduced to two a week - probably Wednesdays and Sundays for now since I am putting my fitness program on auto-pilot.  By that, I mean the eating will continue as it has for the last three weeks - about 1,800 to 2,000 calories per day of healthy food and the workouts will remain about the same with the addition of the Saturday morning Boot Camp.

My girlfriend and I have decided to add more complicated dishes to our diet since grilled salmon or chicken over spinach is getting a little boring.  Thursday night, she made peppers stuffed with ground turkey, brown rice, and herbs with a low-sodium tomato puree spooned over it.  This was accompanied by sliced tomatoes and avocados.

Similar to the Cabanas healthy menu items, this made a generous, satisfying portion.  To paraphrase the quote from "The Most Interesting Man in the World" (a beer commercial, no less) - "Stay full, my friends".

Occasionally, I am have been treating myself to a glass or two of red wine in the evening.  I have decided to cut back on this since I "discovered"that over 250 calories a day are creeping their way into my life.  This was due entirely to a wrong estimate on my part.

While tinkering online with some of Vitabot's features, I found yet another calculator for Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).  This is the amount of calories burned in a day at full rest.  The Vitabot calculator takes into account "percentage of body fat", which I happen to know from my assessment.  From other online resources, I had estimated my BMR to be 1,885 calories, based only on height and weight.  With my fat percentage considered, Vitabot puts my BMR at 1,634 calories right now - 251 calories less than I thought it was.

We will see where that number is at the next health assessment in two weeks.

Another consideration is that BMR decreases as weight decreases, but INCREASES as fat percentage decreases.  I'm thinking this will make BMR constant throughout the contest because the decrease from weight loss will cancel the increase from lower body fat.   (Don't let your head explode doing the math)

So now, since I have the food part under control, it's the other side of the equation that gets tougher... perhaps longer walks and walks at lunchtime on days I bowl and would otherwise pass.

My progress so far:

22 days

17.8 pounds lost (8.37% of total body weight)

14.8 pounds to lose before start of distance training (running)

121 miles toward 1,000 mile goal

30.5 hours in the gym

(If you followed my other blog entries, you may notice that my gym hours are lower than last time.  This is because I had been including other, less-strenuous activities in the count.  My new formula counts only rigorous "REAL" workout time.)

First, I wanted to thank Mike Good for the wonderful, gracious meal offered to us at Cabanas.  My girlfriend and I went there last night and we each ordered a shrimp dish.  She tried the Chipotle Lime Shrimp.  I went with the Shrimp Italiano (or was it Italiano Shrimp?).  Anyway, both dishes were perfect examples of healthy eating: reasonable serving size - mostly full of veggies, enough protein to satisfy, starch used sparingly, and spices used for flavor - not heavy sauces.  I shied away from the dish my girlfriend got because I have been avoiding potatoes during this contest.  The way Cabanas' roasted potatoes were presented was certainly diet-friendly, so I will try a dish with potatoes next week.

I must confess that I love to cook.  But in a strange bit of irony (and irony can be so ironic), I hate to cook for just myself.  In situations where my girlfriend works late or works an odd shift, I typically eat out and that's not good.  However, based on my experience last night, Cabanas will be on my radar for any "bachelor" meals - and I have some coming up this weekend.

As far as my contest progress, I am patiently racking up brisk miles on the treadmill.   I have been sticking around at the gym late to do some weight training on the machines.  But again, I am at a plateau.  Although my weight is staying stable at just under 200 lbs, I am noticing my body changing - in good ways.   Clothes fit better and I am using belt notches never used before.  My workouts are feeling less strenuous, so I am increasing the intensity gradually to stay challenged.

Eating has been stable - almost no unhealthy food has been consumed.  I don't use Vitabot every day, but I do know that I am in a calorie deficit every day.

The Super Bowl Party I attended tempted me - and I gave in - to a couple of cookies and a small spoon of "Death by Chocolate".  My host and one of his guests are marathoners, so I drew a little inspiration from talking to them about running, so it wasn't all sinful.

My progress so far:

14.8 pounds lost (6.96% of initial body weight)

96 miles toward my 1,000 mile goal

31 hours spent in the gym

The short-term plan laid out in my last blog entry "Mix it Up" fell through in the respect that I neither made it to Boot Camp nor did I participate in any weight training this weekend.  Shortly after I posted it Friday, I ended up feeling really strong and did 10 miles on the treadmill.  Yes, 10 miles.  This was at a brisk walking pace and took 2-1/2 hours.

Saturday morning, I woke up early enough to go to Boot Camp, but my legs felt like rubber bands.  Instead, I spent half the day relaxing and half the day doing some chores.  One chore I will consider "weight training" because I dragged some really heavy items down to the basement.  My arms felt it when the work was done.

That night, after sticking to healthy food choices all day, I decided to reward myself and my dear, supportive girlfriend with a date.  We went to Molinari's and split a veggie pizza and a bottle of wine.  The pizza ingredients were as healthy as pizza ingredients can get, certainly not like something from a chain.  Grilled eggplant, goat cheese, roasted garlic, roasted red pepper, portobello mushrooms, herb olive oil, kalamata olives and fresh mozzarella - all on a thin, stone oven baked crust.

This was my first time visiting a restaurant since my initial weigh-in and the wine was a little more than usual for one day - 325 calories for a half-bottle.  Everything was GREAT! (Thanks, Chef Randal)  We even had two pieces of pizza left to take home since we didn't wolf it all down at once.

To keep me motivated, this kind of date will qualify as my occasional treat.  (READ: something I do maybe once a month)

Today being Super Bowl Sunday, I started out with a 9 mile walk.  I "opened" the mall at 9 am, and walked really briskly until around 11 am.  If any of you were at the mall walking, you may have recognized me by the back of my sweatshirt as I flew by.  It was difficult to keep my ankles, knees, and hips in joint the whole time at this pace.

Now for my Super Bowl Plan:  We are going to a party later today.  I plan to eat one slice of the leftover pizza with a huge salad BEFORE the party.  At the party, I will graze on the veggie trays and avoid the dips.  Chicken wings are out-of-the-question.  I will nurse a glass or two of red wine for the duration of the party and fill in with water in between.

This is about as healthy as I can do for a Super Bowl Party.

Time for some cross-training this weekend.  After working my way up to 8 miles a day on the treadmill for several days in a row, it is time to mix things up a bit.  Sprinkle of Boot Camp.  Perhaps some weight training.  This weekend, I still need to stick to the walking and occasional run/walk or I'll miss my 1,000 mile goal.

Failure isn't an option.  Not only that, I've grown to look forward to my time in the gym at the end of the work day.

Eating has been the easy part.  Keep it healthy and it is amazing how many 100 to 200 calorie foods you can graze on all day.  Haven't been hungry yet.

My progress so far:

13.8 pounds lost (includes heavy initial weigh-in with clothes) realistically 11 pounds

60.35 miles towards my 1,000 mile goal

22 hours spent in the gym

2 belt notches (now traveling on uncharted territory of leather)

Not bad for 2 weeks.

Hope to see some of you at the mall over the weekend for the morning walks.  The route I take passes Victoria's Secret three times each lap and the food court twice. (just kidding)

I also hope to see you all at Cabanas on Tuesday.  My plan is to stop in after my workout - probably around 8 pm.  I plan to sit at the bar and for two good reasons:  (1) no server will be able to run me enough water to my table to keep up with my thirst, but a bartender is within close reach, and (2) I just may reward myself at the end of my meal with a relatively low calorie adult beverage - red wine (25 calories per ounce).