Forging the Physique

Shut down

2005-03-21T10:49:00.000-08:00

This blog has been discontinued. Please update your links to my main blog, Words, Weights, Whatever. Thanks! I plan to shut down this blog in the next few weeks.

Knocked out

2005-02-14T09:58:00.000-08:00

As noted in my regular blog, I was sick last week. Though feeling much better now (except for the persistant cough), I've decided to hold off working out in any form until March.

Grrr. There are disadvantages of being married to a physician.

New month resolution: fitness

2005-02-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

Unlike my writing (see Way), I've been hitting the gym more or less regularly. Unfortunately, "hitting the gym" has amounted to average one a week. Not good: as one gets older, it takes more effort just to maintain one's body to its youthful level ("youthful" being relative. I can never have a fit twenty-year old body again.)

Fortunately, I have experience behind me, having successfully lost weight and reshaped my body a few years ago. I'm scheduling to increase cardio workouts to at least four times a week. Weights are more problematic: more planning has to go into them since I have to deal with crowds hoarding...er...using the weightroom. Current plan is to hit the gym during my lunch hour starting at least twice a week and, hopefully, move up to four or even five times a week.

Huh. Maybe I should start including one weekend day in my weight-training. I'm already including a cardio class.

Changing one's eating habits have been more difficult. I originally planned to basically have soup and salad for dinner with my day meals consisting primarily of soups and (healthy) fixings such as sandwiches. Not too successful in either technique. I have kept my weight down, though, making up in quantity (or lack of food) in the afternoon and evening even when consumed food is not too healthy (i.e., egg, cheese, and bacon bagel sandwich.)

Aid has come from some unlikely sources, though. Since our kitchen is being remodeled, I have no stove to cook with. And most of our bowls that I can use with our microwave are boxed away. Thus, I now look for healthy foods that can remain in the refridgerator (like salad) or packaged (like power bars.) And we have plenty of zero-cal "sugar" waters which I drink like a dehydrated man. Finally, I bought plenty of soups that can be quickly heated in the microwave and eaten from the can itself.

Finally, I have one more trick up my sleeve. (Well, I have several, but can't share them all at once, can I?) I read somewhere that consuming very hot and very cold food items can temporary sate one's appetite. I've tried it and it has worked: I have drunk a hot cup of (decaf) coffee many times at work while hungry and felt full. Later, I'd follow up with a long drink of the very cold water from the drinking fountain. While neither surpresses my hunger-induced headache (when one's hungry, the body tells you!), I can deal with that (usually with some trailmix).

Goal by year's end: reduce waist size to 36 or less, reduce fat percentage to 10% or less, and bigger and stronger upper body. (Pecs would be nice.)

Return to the fold

2005-02-01T08:50:00.000-08:00

Attended the Monday step class last night. A few minutes late due to traffic. Saw several folks there whom I hadn't seen over a year.

While not a difficult class step-wise, the instructor ratched up the intensity. Seems someone had given her grief last week and she was still venting the issue. Ab exercises are still tough!

Side note: My weight has stabilized around 206, a loss of four pounds. Yes!

Lookin' good

2005-01-26T13:57:00.000-08:00

I hit the gym yesterday for the first time in a couple of weeks. Not only did I do cardio, but some (limited) weight training as well. Back to back. Ugh. Haven't done that in a while and my body let me know that. I can't believe my upper body is so weak. Bench press, here I come!

Despite the lack of air-conditioning in the classroom (which should be fixed by next week. Here's hoping), I realized I was infected with a bit of narcissism (sp?) while moving, spinning, flipping, and turning through the routine. I work out in front of a large mirror: I could readily see my sweaty body reacting to the effort. And I used to be much bigger and defined.

I want the latter back and there's nothing motivating of seeing (or being teased) of what one used to be. And I'm willing to work to get it back and then some.

Stalled

2005-01-20T08:45:00.000-08:00

Though I made some promising headway, I've had to curtail all workouts this week. We're remodeling the house which means moving lots of furniture, appliances, and other knick-knacks accumulated over seven plus years. We easily have over six thousand hardback books alone.

Thus, all physical efforts will be the traditional "grunt and brunt" variety with BSB (or whatevers playing on the radio) providing the only music.

Sigh. I can't wait to get back to the gym.

Returning to the fold

2005-01-14T08:13:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night I participated in another step class, the second one this week. Afterwards, I joined my friends for our weekly night out. I discovered that I wouldn't eat more than half of my meal at the restaurant.

Good. That means my eating habits are changing. I already noted at the gym I lost at least a pound (possibly more) partially due to the workouts but more due to my eating habits during the day and evening.

Salad, anyone?

Hittin' the gym despite the rain

2005-01-11T09:49:00.000-08:00

Attended a step (cardio) class last night.

It would have been easy not to go. Rain made visibility poor and SoCal drivers made it dangerous. I passed two accidents that I bet would have been preventable if the drivers would have remembered that it was raining. Fortunately no one looked like they were hurt.

I'm glad I went to the workout. The instructor was not up to snuff (being distracted) which turned out to be a good thing; I was suffering a stomach cramp from dinner (NOTE: no eating an hour before a workout!) and had to stop several times. Also, there were several newbies in the class. If the instructor had gone her regular pace, they would have been slaughtered. As it was, we were all drenched in sweat when the class was finished.

Then ab exercises. Groan!

The instructor and I talked after class. We both agreed that we were sick and tired of holiday foods: rich and fatty stuff, sweets, etc. Ah, the clean taste of salads. And soup. Non-creamy, that is. I drank a lot of fluids that evening.

Thus I stumble towards getting back in shape. Now, where are those weights?

Ten pounds

2005-01-03T16:31:00.000-08:00

That's how much I gained over the latter part of the year. Thus, I did slip from my weight maintenance of four years ago. I was conscious of it the whole time, though, and have only to blame myself for the ripped pairs of pants and the tightening belt.

But I have a secret weapon against this weight loss. That is...success.

Five years ago I lost thirty pounds in six months. And I never forgot how I did it. The process--and the fact that it worked--adds to the courage in this newest round for optimal weight.

Whew.

Now that the goals have been established, the projects--monthly, weekly, and daily--are easy to plan out. And the drive to accomplish all this? Courage. (And the desire to see my abs again.)

Ripped pants

2004-12-30T09:04:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, while on the Africa to Greece cruise, all my pants tore apart due to my increasing weight. I swore at that time never to allow that to happen again.

I just tossed two worn pairs of Dockers due to the same reason. I'm currently at 210 pounds, the heaviest I've been since 2000. Aargh! Must...work out...and...eat...lots...of...salad...and soup....

2005 goal...this year!

2004-12-09T11:32:00.000-08:00

I reduced my workouts to nothing during NaNoWriMo and am now paying for it. Last week's lone workout (cardio on Tuesday) barely dented the five pound gain. And my eating habits are worsening the situation.

Goal: lose not only those five pounds, but get my muscles back by my b-day next year.

Blah

2004-11-22T09:38:00.000-08:00

How bad did I get? I didn't attend the Fame Expo on any day and slept in on Sunday instead of hitting the gym as originally planned. (Which turned out to be a good thing.)

Current plan is work out this Tuesday.

Jumpstart

2004-11-18T09:17:00.000-08:00

Fame Expo start tomorrow. I'm hoping that, by attending the event, the sight of all those fitness models will jumpstart my sagging fitness energies when I resume workouts over the weekend and next week.

Image found on the Internet and all rights belong to its owner.

Mood swings

2004-11-17T09:29:00.000-08:00

I know I've not been nice to the spouse recently and attribute it solely to bad eating habits and lack of exercise.

Signs

2004-11-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

Getting certain indicators that my less than healthy eating habits are catching up with me.

Progress report...or lack of

2004-11-12T09:23:00.000-08:00

This always happens after vacation. No workout and forget sensible eating. At least I'm eating only half* what I was eating during vacation.

Sigh. Scheduling to hit the gym Saturday and Sunday. I'd be afraid of the scale except there's been no noticable tightening in my clothes.

Image found on the Internet and all rights belong to its owner.

*I use water, metamucil, and protein bars to substitute for the rest.

Punishment

2004-11-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

Because I didn't write yesterday, I'm forced to skip workout tonight. While to most folks would jump at the prospect, I like working out: it's my "drug" of choice next to caffeine. Grrr. I need to schedule watching HDTV after I finish writing in the evening.

No workouts

2004-11-03T11:31:00.000-08:00

As stated previously, I've decided no workouts of any kind for the entire week while R.'s on vacation. And forget the diet.

Bad boy

2004-11-01T09:04:00.000-08:00

Skipped every opportune to work out. And forget the diet. Sigh.

I think I'll skip any workout this week. R.'s on vacation and will want the evenings together. We're also going out of town. I don't want to risk any form of injury.

Done. Will resume workouts on the 8th.

Two hours

2004-10-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

Image found on the Internet and all rights belong to its owner.

That's the amount of time I spent working out yesterday evening. Cardio followed by weight training. I used to do such regimens a few years ago but that was...a few years ago. And I'd usually do weights first followed by cardio. Both were hard when I first started them. But the effects have already been marked: I lost two pounds since last week. To be fair, I'm getting better at controlling my eating habits. But the double whammy--intense exercise and cutting back on food--does not make me happy in the short term. Soup works wonders, though. And lots of fluids.

Two weekends in a row

2004-10-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

As stated in a previous post, I worked out Saturday morning. My appetite used it as an opportunity to severely pig-out the entire weekend. Sigh.

Beyond the Blog

2004-10-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

Jack LaLanne celebrates 90th birthday.

I hope I'm in as good as shape as he is now when I'm half his age.

Workout

2004-10-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

Step class this morning. Replenished the two pounds loss way too quickly with the meal afterwards. At least I only ate half the dessert this time.

Decisions

2004-10-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

I originally planned to work out this evening after work. (KwandoSpar). Decided against the idea for the most basic (and necessary) of reason (and, no, it's not because I'm lazy): my shoes are worn out. If you've ever done heavy cardio and suffered shin splits, you know why good shoes are important.

Another (minor) reason is that I decided to devote (near) equal time to writing in preparation for NaNoWriMo.

Pies, pies, everywhere, and all for sale

2004-10-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

So-called boysenberry pie last week. Now a pecan pie this week. A whole pie under $7. I blame the restaurants for such offerings and forcing me to buy and eat them.

Image found on the Internet and all rights belong to its owner.

KwandoFlex

2004-10-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

Last night I took my first KwandoFlex class. I mistook one of the students as the instructor and kept wondering what the routine would be like. Then the true instructor arrived and I breathed of relief: I knew him by reputation and would get a good, if thorough, trashing.

I broke into a sweat during the warm up. I quickly saw there was no way I could match the instructor's speed or the pace of the more experienced (or regular) students. I slowed down, lowered the angle of my strikes and--sometimes--didn't even use my arms. I learned from years of taking step not to burn myself out too early. I applied the same principle in selecting the weights for the barbell and dumbell routines. While, 2 1/2 pounds per each weight for the barbell sounds ridiculous for a six-foot, two-hundred plus pound guy, I had no idea when we'd be using them or in what capacity. And I'm glad of my decision: we did lunges, squats (and how!), overhead press, lats, and others I can't remember at the moment. And all this weight-lifting was between the cardio routine: front, back, roundhouse kicks; fist and elbow strikes. Thankfully I still remembered most of my martial arts training from college though I found the fist/kick combos difficult to coordinate.

We won't discuss abs. Ugh.

Image found on the Internet and all rights belong to its owner.

Overall, I liked the class and am looking forward to the KwandoSpar class on Thursday.

Workouts: 1; Diet: bad

2004-10-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

For the past couple of weeks I've been average a cardio class a week. Finally broke that record by hitting the gym Saturday morning. The instructor had subbed the Tuesday class and I liked her music (despite the routine being relatively simple.) That's another 500 calories burned off.

Unfortunately, though, the victory may have been short-lived. I dined a lot that afternoon: appetizer, entree, and dessert for lunch; foot-long sub for a late-afternoon snack; and a huge special for dinner after the play (see Words). And a snack at 2 AM. I'll be surprised this week if my weight stays the same.

I originally had planned to work out Sunday morning. But Morpheus took over and I finally crawled out of bed around 11 AM. I controlled my eating throughout the day consuming mostly leftovers.

Reminders:

Drink lots of fluids after a workout. The sensation of hunger is very similar to the sensation of dehydration.

Future appetizers will be soup.

Desserts, if any, are to go.

Order veggies subs next time. And only a half-foot. And watch the condiments, especially extras like sauces.

Dinners shall be the smallest--not the largest--meal of the day.

I'm still debating if I want to go for mass or tone as my goal over the next few months. Maybe I'll come to a decision after Fame2004 this month.

Restraint next time

2004-10-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

Part of dieting is watching what you eat in uncontrollable situs. Last night was a case in point: when the proprietor of the comic store offered pizza , I should have taken only one piece instead of four slices.

Sigh. Back to the gym. And lots more fluids.

Brain dead.

2004-10-13T23:46:00.000-07:00

I decided to hit the gym after work. I did put in all that effort this afternoon to pick up my bag and contacts after all.

I get to the gym. I spend several minutes finding parking. I then look in the backseats and see...nothing.

Oh, no. I rummaged around the piles back there. Nothing. I get out of the car and check the trunk in the offbeat chance I actually put it there and forgot about it. Nothing.

Sigh.

So I go and eat after picking up my comic books. I find the bag later that evening where I had left it: in the laundry room.

I so need to get more sleep.

Should I or should I not? Or exercise versus sleep

2004-10-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

Debating if I want to attend the combined cardio/sculpting class tonight. I find it hard to attend it since Wednesdays are R.'s half days and we like to spend the evening together. I do enjoy the class, though.

And I did hit the gym for cardio last night. I don't like to attend two cardio classes two days in a row due to knee considerations. Yet I did stop by home during lunch to pick up my gym bag and contacts.

Hmmm. Decisions, decisions...

My drug of choice

2004-10-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

I so did not want to hit the gym yesterday evening. I wanted, after arriving home, to eat, fall asleep, watch television after I woke up, and surf the Internet until my spouse came home.

So of course I went to the gym. I had no excuse: the gym bag had been packed, I had plenty of time to get to the gym, and I really do enjoy the work out.

What?

I read in a fitness mag a long time ago (before 2000) an article where the writer--a personal trainer, of course--stated one should select exercises one enjoys before branching out. This is especially true when starting a new program. This reduces the chances of "slipping": of stopping one's workout routine. (Which apparently occurs between 1-3 months after starting the program.)

I chose step aerobics as my exercise of choice when I started hitting the gym hardcore back in 2001. I enjoyed the routines and, especially, the music. While I can't dance worth diddlely-squat (no comments from the peanut gallery, y'all), I have enough rhythm and lack of embarrassment to keep up with the instructor. (Usually. Unless they're teaching true dance. Then it's either the pool or the elliptical trainer with a mental note to drop that class.)

Music thrills me, hitting my emotions in an almost sexual manner. I'm amazed more guys don't take the class for that reason alone. The rational side of the brain drops as my senses focus on the instructor's calls. The body--especially breathing, the arms, and the legs--respond to the beats. Nature loves routine and repetition and designed humans the same way. And all this provokes that sweet rush of andrenaline which dulls old and constant aches and heightens one's senses. No wonder one can't sleep for a while after a good workout.

What a rush!

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Another sign.

2004-10-11T10:19:00.000-07:00

I'm having difficulty writing this post. The three middle fingers of my left hand are very stiff; I find I cannot straighten or close them without difficulty. I've encountered this condition in the past and know it will soon fade.

Typing--specifically, quickly--has been affected. Also, I had planned to do weights this afternoon during my lunch hour but definitely have to cancel that plan. One does not do bench press when you can't get a solid grip on the bar. Argh. I may do some cardio even though I had not originally planned to do so.

The condition is definitely nerve-based. I've taken Celebrex(tm) to reduce the swelling around whatever nerves are getting "pinched". R. recommends I see my primary physician since I've been experiencing similar problems with my hands and joints elsewhere. I promised that I would since I also have to refill my meds to deal with my acne.

Sigh. Another sign of getting older.

Mood is fleeting; food and sleep are forever...or we wish.

2004-10-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

Several years ago--after Mom had recovered from her first heart attack--I became aware how food affected my mood for the first time in my life. A couple of years later I discovered how a steady lack of sleep hours (for me, preferably eight hours a night) affects my mood. When you combine both...well, let's just say I haven't been of right mind for the past couple of weeks.

But mood is temporary. Now that my body's beginning to stabilize to my lesser food intake (I'm still working on the sleep part) I'm finally beginning to feel normal again. I don't want to snap at everyone or think pessimistic thoughts every time I'm driving. As I type this post I'm actually feeling quite happy at the moment.

Hmmm. Anything else? Oh yeah. Another "convert" to the exercise cause.

Why

2004-10-07T10:20:00.000-07:00

"I've found people often convince themselves they're losing weight for one reason, when clearly it's about something else," says Richard Ryan, a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester in New York.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/food/2002054849_platkin06.html

Joel: 2 (as in two pounds down)

2004-10-05T09:17:00.000-07:00

I'm still working on my eating habits to help me to continue to lose weight. I started what
I call the "hourly diet": I eat a meal literally every hour. However, each meal can be no
more than 200 calories and the wetter (i.e., high water contents like vegetables, fruits,
soups, shakes, etc.) the better. It's been actually difficult in preparing such meals and
I'll have to pay even more attention to this week's shopping.

Still working on my workout schedule. While I've started off strong in cardio, I've only
been averaging a class a week. Definitely need to increase if I want to average 3-4 classes. A couple of weeks ago I added a strength-training class after cardio for the first time. Yikes! My
tri's and arse (from lunges and squats) definitely felt the workout for the next few days.

The efforts from both dieting and workouts (limited as they are) have paid off. Weights
already dropped by at least four pounds, averaging a couple of pounds a week. And even
better: my new pants are fitting well though I have yet to get into that one pair.

Bodybuilder of the Week

2004-10-03T23:27:00.000-07:00

From Bodybuilders.com:

(Image found on the Internet and all rights belong to its owner.)

Marcus Dungen

2004-09-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

Zero Hour

On sabbatical. See you next month!?!

High

2004-09-25T06:41:00.000-07:00

Image found on the Internet and all rights belong to its owner.

Though I haven't worked out in any capacity either Thursday or Friday, I'm still enjoying the afterglow of Monday and Wednesday's cardio workouts, the high. I've scheduled a workout routine for the next month that will dramatically impact my cardiovascular system, physical strength, and--possibly--increased that wonderful afterglow.

However, there's the food intake component. I've already felt the effects: my appetite is increasing with the higher activity level. And I know the new schedule will bring an onslaught of hunger pangs. I'm pulling old strategies to the forefront to deal with my stomach and mental status: fiber, more salads and veggies, bagels, peanut butter, lots of fluids, and trail mix. I'm debating if I want to bring back protein shakes. More small meals.

I will forge my physique. But first: by year's end, I will fit those pants!

Countdown: one day before blog change....

I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll...get off the treadmill...

2004-09-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

Frank and Ernest

Who said you can't laugh while lifting weights/dieting?

Countdown: two day before blog change....

Revelation from new pants

2004-09-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

I was suppose to start weight-training on Tuesday. Note to operative word suppose. Note to self: 1) coffee when one gets home after work to avoid naps; 2) small meal preferably with minimal protein; and 3) do not turn to the Science Channel.

What's that cliche about paying the piper? Well, it's time to pay.

One of the benefits of getting older is that one's clothing sizes don't change as often compared to adolescence. This was true for me in both my pre and post-fitness days (circa 2000). For the past couple of years I've enjoyed size 34 (length), size 36 (waist) pants.

On Sunday I purchased several new pairs of pants with the above measurements and didn't bother to try them on at the store. Tried on a pair this morning...

Oops! I'm hittin' cardio classes and drinking mass quantities of appetite-surpressing fluids (zero calories, of course) hard over the next few months. I will fit in those fu#@&$% new pairs of pants by year's end, if not earlier!

Then I discovered...the lie!

Clothing's been a bit low this week since I didn't do the full wash last week. I checked the other new pants Wednesday morn and discovered they fitted fine (though a bit snug.) Miffed, I checked the size of the first pair (see above) and it's the same size. So now I know who to blame: it's the clothier's fault!

Still motivated by Tuesday's horrifying discover, I hit the gym that evening. Ugh! Cardio mixed with weights. Dangerous combo*. I'm gonna be sore tomorrow!

*What was really interesting was to see many long-time members at the gym, including the aerobic instructor. We seemed to have all simultaneously vanished from the workout scene roughly the same time last year and started again this month. Wow! Very encouraging.

Countdown: three days before blog change....

Yes, there are some tall (over 5'5") body builders....

2004-09-22T06:21:00.000-07:00

Our Amateur Bodybuilder of the Week is...

Image found on the Internet and all rights belong to its owner.

James Kohler

Finally someone who is at least six feet. Now I don't feel so awkward...

Countdown: four days before blog change....

Ugh....

2004-09-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

Getting better in controlling my eating habits but still ate a sig amount on Sunday. Continuing to work on it.

Hit the gym hard on Monday. Cardio. Really need to get new shoes; I can feel my feet, ankles, shins, and knees affected by my worn-out sneaks.

Weight continues to hover around 204. But more telling are my clothes: pants are feeling way too snug in the morning, which is the time of day one one is most thin.

Countdown: five days before blog change....

2004-09-20T23:48:00.000-07:00

For all you ladies in the house....

Image found on the Internet and all rights belong to its owner.

Great Women's Fitness Web Sites
(thanks, Jamie!)

Countdown: six days before blog change....

2004-09-19T23:33:00.000-07:00

Commitment

Continued to change my diet. I’m (again) making a cursory glance at the calorie amount of what I eat. I’m aiming to change from eating three large meals per day (and evening snack) to a small meal every 2-3 hours. Developed a workout schedule for next week alternating between cardio and basic weight training (e.g., cardio on Monday; weights on Tuesday; etc.)

Image found on the Internet and rights belong to its owner.

NOTE: You may stop reading. The following are my upcoming goals and barely relevant to the above post.

Among my goals, fitness is the most nebulous. Do I work out/diet for general health? Reshape my body? For athletics? For sheer strength? Or just to look good in speedos? All require different strategies.

Next week’s schedule is basically a warm-up in preparing my body for its new routine. And when will I be starting that routine? The countdown (see below) on all my blogs was not written on a whim.

Countdown: seven days before blog change....

2004-09-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

It's Never Too Late to Shape Up

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A good article and a good mantra to remember (and, more importantly, DO) throughout life.

Countdown: eight days before blog change....

2004-09-17T19:11:00.000-07:00

You don't lose weight by splitting the food one day then eating a meal for six the next.

Wednesday
As part of our efforts to lose weight (and to cut cost), R. and I split our dinner tonight. Yet we were still pleasantly plump. The restaurants--demanded by the customer--really do make that single-person meal for two (or more!) people.

Thursday
As a general rule, I don’t like to work out on the day of a major event. I was to meet R.’s family up in the valley and didn’t want to risk any possible injuries from a workout. Thus, no workout of any type.

I’ll have to remind myself, though, to restrain my eating habit on such days as well. One of my favorite restaurants is Islands and the company had built a new restaurant up there and—of course—I just had to give it a try. (Service was slow and okay; the fried onion rings and burger were delicious as I remembered it.)

R.'s family served a fine feast. Well, back to ramen soup....

Countdown: nine days before blog change....

2004-09-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

Strength Journal

Wow! Lots of varied information posted 3 to 5 times daily!

2004-09-15T06:33:00.000-07:00

My feet hurt. And my knees. And...

Monday
I wanted to schedule a workout routine the rest of the week. That involved class schedules. Unfortunately they were not available on-line. (System down or something.)

Thus I drove to a couple of nearby gyms and picked them up. I hit the gym in the evening for an hour of cardio. Despite the efforts, I was not surprised when I weighed myself afterwards and found I had gained four pounds over the past couple of weeks.

Dietary efforts were more of preparation. I do the householding shopping and specifically tried to avoid more fatty, fried, meaty products. There were still a lot of good choices (though the store was out of the flavored "fizzy" water. The recent humidity and heat must have increased sales.)

Tuesday
Well, there went the diet. Ate at the Japanese restaurant I frequented when when working at the city hall. Didn't do much better when with friends that evening.

However, did another cardio workout. My feet and ankles do not like me at the moment. I want a massage.

Image found on the Internet and all rights belong to its owner.

2004-09-14T01:10:00.000-07:00

Vegan bodybuilding role-model

Image found on the Internet and all rights belong to its owner.

YOU tell this guy that vegetarianism is for wimps...!

2004-09-13T23:22:00.000-07:00

No workout this morn though one of my favorite instructors was teaching. Instead I'm still working on changing the diet thingie. I'm actually stopping when I feel full; ordering more wisely and taking half home; and NO dessert. (For the latter, I simply have to ask R. who tends not to want dessert.) However, the ice cream and cookies negated a lot of my effort. Hrrr. Well, a new week coming up.

2004-09-12T01:28:00.000-07:00

Amateur Bodybuilder of the Week

This site, to me, is a source of inspiration and knowledge. It's amazing what people can achieve and how they do it.

2004-09-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

Few words

A rare same-day second posting.

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I haven't been posting much on this blog because there's been no new development in pursuit of my fitness goals. Well, actually, that's not quite true. However, I don't like to whine so I'll state it short and succinct: have not hit the gym for either cardio or weights and while I've changed my diet to include more vegetables (namely soy), I'm not made any significant inroads at this point.

2004-09-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

Grrr

Image found on the Internet and all rights belong to its owner.

Bally Fitness apparently is updating their class schedules. Again. I actually had to call to find out group exercises were available this morn. Can you imagine?

2004-09-06T01:44:00.000-07:00

Going towards the goal

Image found on the Internet and all rights belong to its owner.

While at R.'s place of work (see Words), I worked on my fitness goals for the rest of the year. So far I have:

Reduce body fat percentage to 13%. (I'm currently around 15%.)
Work up to four cardio hours weekly.
Work up to five weigh-training hours weekly.
Move towards a primary vegetable/fruit/nuts diet.
Supplementation: protein, creatine, glutamine (which is new to me.)

2004-09-03T15:43:00.000-07:00

Three for the price of one...and in my backyard!

Image found the WWW and all rights belong to its owners.

2004 Fame World

Guess which events I'll be attending? (Strictly for motivation, of course.)

2004-09-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

Blog update ("blogdate"?)

Changed the template to the same used by Words and Way. Difference is in the focus of each blog, not looks.

Image was found on the WWW and all rights belong to its owners.

2004-08-30T23:29:00.000-07:00

Laboring up for Labor Day feast

Cardio tonight. Slammed through and gave myself muscle ache. But it was worth it.

2004-08-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

Another notch in the workout belt

Hit the gym for cardio. Maybe this will snowball into becoming trim, slim, and ready to be at the rim...of a pool, that is.

Image found on the Internet and all rights belong to their owner.

Yeah, right. It'll be spring 2005 when that happens.

2004-08-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

And so it begins...again.

(Image was found on the Internet and all rights belong to their owners.)

Hit the gym tonight. Cardio. Step class, of course. Feel so good! (And everyone missed me. Talk about guilt ;-)

The damned scale was broken so I couldn't get a reading. However, noted one of my shirt's collar was a bit tight.

2004-08-04T07:08:00.000-07:00

Floogle it

Since it's been a while since I wrote anything in this blog, I thought I'd post a fictional entry from floogle:

I do not care for my nephew Junior. Occasionally he is very demented, but today he just disgusted me... I needed his years of training writing an essay about education in the Dark Ages, and he screamed:

"Get out! I was just learning about the Dark Ages in class!"

At first I started bitching "WHOA!" but just now I just ran away all of a sudden. After all, he *is* my nephew and he wants what is best for me...

Link of the day: All Your Oil... | Randomly generated by Flooble Instant Blog Post Generator

2004-07-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

Back!

Back from vacation. Update to follow.

2004-07-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

Gorging

I tend to drop my restrained eating habits during the weekends and vacation. The same is true in my family. When I joined my family Saturday afternoon, we finally decided on Japanese for dinner. For myself alone I had specialized rolls, Japanese soup, and iced tea. I shared foods with my family members as well. We ended the meal with carrot and cream cheese cakes back at my sister's place.

I ate leftovers from the Thai restaurant Sunday morn and didn't eat anything else until late in the evening. By the time I arrived at Romano's (of course), I had a headache. Feeling depressed from the water in our house (see Words), I ordered stuffed portobello mushrooms for an appetizer; spagetti and meatballs for the entree (with meat sauce!), and indulged the lemon passion cake for dessert. This time, I forced myself to finish the dessert. Groan!

2004-07-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

On Friday: It did the trick

Major meal of the day was at Romano's. After munching on half the wonderful herb bread, I ate half the chicken portobello mushroom entree. I could have eaten more but I wanted to save room for their delicious lemon passion dessert.

But...damn! The diet I have been on the last three weeks has finally shrunk my stomach enough that I stopped eating halfway through the dessert. The leftovers became dinner that evening.

2004-07-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

Thursday Table Talk

Since Thursday's my last day at work (for the week, not the assignment), I indulged in food intake as my habit. Ate at the nearby Japanese sitdown restaurant and had:

vegetable roll
California roll
salad
tempura
rice
iced tea
water
couple of slices of oranges

Note that the meal was all American-size portions. I felt quite full as one can image. Well, it made up for the coffee and pop tarts that morning.

Evening, of course, was Ramen soup and cookies. Oh! And lots of water.

Plans to swim went by the wayside. Friday will have to be my salvation.

2004-07-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

Cheat day

Planned first weight-training session got sidetracked by evening nap. Ugh!

Enjoyed a small bowl of chicken tortilla soup, meatloaf sandwich, and peach pie (all pressured by friends, of course). Yum!

2004-07-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

Back to The Grind*

After dropping off clothes at the drycleaners, I drove home and took a ten minute break before driving out to the gym. Fortunately I had already prepped my workout clothes.

Instructor started a new routine. Moves were easy but she and the rest of the class were less than enthusiastic. Weather-related. (Hot and humid amplified in the crowded gym.) So the instructor switched to last month's routine. Ouch! Though we were over that nightmare (in a good sense.) It's a fairly difficult one and I stopped a couple of times to catch my breath and reserve enough energy for ab work later.

Instructor will start the new routine next week.

Oh, yeah. Lost six pounds in three weeks. Should break the 200 pound barrier by next week. Yeah!

*So to speak. I don't actually do the video.

2004-07-12T15:47:00.000-07:00

Direction

Because it's been a while, I feel I'm starting over again in my weight training. But I have done training in the past and know enough to determine what direction I wish to go with it. (I'm classed as "intermediate" experienced.) Specifically, what is the purpose of weight-training to me.

Appearance or utilitarian
Do I want to lift weights primarily for looks (appearance) or health/strength reasons (utilitarian)? While there's some overlap (e.g., pull ups for back), both goals require different techniques, weight used, reps, and sets. High intensity push ups and chest press exercises really don't make sense for the latter, especially if one's job is primarily sitting in a chair.

Diet plays a far bigger role when working out for appearance versus utility.

Size or tone
Closely associated with the above question is whether I want to focus on large muscle growth or more "cut" muscles. The former requires heavier weight, low sets and reps, and longer rest periods between sets. The latter requires low weights, high reps, greater sets with little rest. I've always found the former far easier than the latter.

2004-07-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

Update

Added personal blogs to Links.

2004-07-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

Today's work

Planned: step class for cardio. Read latest workout mags and booklet.

2004-07-10T01:32:00.000-07:00

New techniques

Read an interesting article on-line recently. Apparently a reader asked why one rarely saw obese Americans of the colonial era. The response: the folks of that time were more physically active (and how!) than modern ones.

The reply also included suggestions on how to be more active. Work in the garden. Paint your house. In brief, be active.

I'm thinking of ways to apply the above advice (safely, of course.) Fortunately, I've started some major household work already. I was doing a lot of physical labor while between jobs as I prepped the house for the workmen to bring in the new furnace and A/C. Five years of accumulated paperwork take time to toss out.

Another possible workout technique is rock climbing. Not the real deal (at the moment), but those faux climbing places. Definitely build up my upper bod.

More immediate workout consideration is swimming. Got a taste of it a couple of months ago when one of my step instructors left. I didn't like her replacement's routine so I started to swim in the gym pool. Without using my legs. I felt the results the next day.

2004-07-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

To consider

Here are more blogs to consider adding:

Blog into Shape

Fat Boy: Losing it online

Under the Bar

Strength Journal

2004-07-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

Random* for the Day

Running towards Fitness

* Not quite random. I did a search on Blogwise to find this interesting and inspiring site.

2004-07-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

Why?

Why a separate blog for fitness? As I introduced on my main blog, I was inspired by the Xena: Warrior Princess episode, The Way. I realized shortly after watching that wonderful show that I had lost focus in two very important personal goals: writing and fitness.

Several years ago I started a major fitness program inspired by my mom's health probs at the time. The first (and easiest) change was going to the gym. I'd been a member of Ballys since college but rarely used visited any of the facilities. Fortunately for me, there was a branch within a mile from work and, due to my job duties, I was able to negotiate a one and a half hour lunch break with my boss.

In one of my (numerous) fitness mags was an article on motivation. The writer pointed out that many folks take fitness too seriously, performing exercises they hated. He wrote that folks, especially beginners, should try to select exercises they enjoyed first, then move to more difficult ones.

I took the advice to heart. I've always enjoyed step aerobics. I determined when each class was scheduled at what gym and started to attend those classes. At one point I attended six step classes a week! But I thoroughly enjoyed being at the gym: I never felt I was working out. (There was even a point where I actually scheduled classes back to back!)

Weight training would come later. (See below.)

The next major step was altering my diet. R. had tried for years but I ignored all advice. This time I listened and took many steps to alter nearly twenty years of bad habits. I ate salads, dropped (most) fried foods, learned to like healthier choices (like soy milk), etc. One of the biggest surprises was learning that I am hypoglycemic. Suddenly all the mood swings associated with food made sense.

The impact of this regimen was impressive. I lost thirty pounds in six months. My high cholesterol drastically dropped while the good cholesterol jumped up; my asthma practically vanished; and I lost two men's pants sizes (from a size 38 to a size 36). I was in the best shape I had been in my life (which later prove fortunate....)

I started weight training three months into my program. I was unsatisfied with the results and consulted with R. about hiring a personal training. Fortunately Ballys was running a special at the time. I hired one for three months and quickly learned why I had failed on my own: my weights were set way too low.

Weight training is dramatically different than cardio exercise. Unlike most men and some one, I don't enjoy lifting weights. But I quickly learned that while aerobic exercise and diet kept me healthy, they did little for my appearance. I wanted biceps, baby! So three times a day, during lunch, I worked out with the trainer. And watched, in amazement, as I finally began to manifest a chest, a broad back, and biceps. I even got a round arse! (Thank you, ladies, for those remarks. You know who you are.) There was even an interesting internal change: my size drive. I wouldn't discover the fact until years later, but apparently weight training triggers enough increase in testosterone that I felt I was nineteen years old again. (My spouse, who already thought I was over-sex, had mixed feelings about my new randiness.)

In the three months of training, I gained nearly fifteen pounds of muscle. While I've lost much of it over the past few years, enough has remained to permanently alter my physique.

These changes were put to the test nearly a couple of years later. After completing my time with the trainer, I developed my own programs, much of it based from fitness article. One article discussed using ibuprofen as a regular anti-inflammatory. I adopted the program and took the drug daily with my protein shakes and creatine.

Unfortunately, I had failed to read the warnings to use ibuprofen sparingly since it can cause stomach upset. Worse, for certain folks, the drug can cause ulcers.

And guess what happened to me.

I never forgot the day. I had gone to work feeling dizzy and light-headed. I attributed the condition to my diet. I thought lunch would solve the issue and drove out to my favorite restaurant at the time, Islands. But I never ate or even got seated. I collapsed in the lobby and woke to the concerned face of the manager. The ambulance then arrived.

The next four days were quite...unpleasant. Apparently I had developed an ulcer and lost five pints of blood (body has eight) slowly over a period of what must have been months. Worse, I never noticed any signs. I went into shock at one point in the hospital.

You can imagine what R., who's also a critical care physician, thought when I called from the ER. And when shown the charts. I found out later I was very close to dying. Only two factors: my youth and, more importantly, my superb health, saved me. Both R. and the other physicians who followed up on my case expressed amazement how fast recovered. Even so, I wouldn't try any workouts for at least a couple more weeks.

Later, my health assisted in my rapid recovery of my wisdom teeth.

One of the biggest hurdles for most folks when starting any fitness progs is uncertainty. Many doubt they'll either complete the program or achieve their goal. I know one...friend...who refuses to start any fitness program because he fears he still won't be attractive to anyone after he's lost the weight. As I looked at his 5' 8" frame weighing over 275 pounds, all I felt was amazement.

This must be unique, I thought. I later learned such feelings were not unique, with even family members feeling much the same way.

I didn't think I would never achieve the weight loss. I just focused on the workouts. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Now, a little older, I do understand a bit more about the fear (but for different reasons which I'll discuss another time.) This time, though, I have a new mental tool: I did it once. And I'll do it again.

Got a little side-tracked there. So why the separate blog? Focus Just as one doesn't (usually) think of how cute everyone is while stepping up and down on three levels of step or how cute the gym bunny next to you while you're benching nearly your whole body weight, I realized that I when I'm writing about a day's workout (or lack of), I don't want to be distracted by someone's writing link or the latest movie review. That's one of the reasons this blog (and the Way of the Writer) use different templates. Borrowing an old writing motivation trick, I want my mind to go into fitness mode when seeing this blog.

Will this work? I'm not going to worry about that. Need to plan this week's workout. First, getting measurements...

Forging the Physique

***Shut down***

***Knocked out***

***New month resolution: fitness***

***Return to the fold***

***Lookin' good***

***Stalled***

***Returning to the fold***

***Hittin' the gym despite the rain***

***Ten pounds***

***Ripped pants***

***2005 goal...this year!***

***Blah***

***Jumpstart***

***Mood swings***

***Signs***

***Progress report...or lack of***

***Punishment***

***No workouts***

***Bad boy***

***Two hours***

***Two weekends in a row***