One Year of Working Out (And Counting!)

 
Well, I managed to surpass a couple of significant personal achievements this week, and something that is probably worth writing about and mentioning (although I feel like I might mention it entirely too much.)  But I have talked about it before, and I made my major goal, so I do feel like I have the right to talk about it here.  (And if not here, on my own blog, then where?)

I've had a couple of minor achievements in the last few days, including a 37 mile bike ride to the Museum of Science and Industry and back.  See this Facebook Live video if you want to know more (I shot it halfway through the ride!)

I also made 1250 move goals on my watch a couple of days ago.  I estimate I've had my watch for 1798 days, which means my completion of move goals is approximately 69.5%.  Considering that some of those days I didn't wear my watch at all, I think that's pretty good.


But all of those pale in comparison to my big achievement of the year.

THIS IS MY BIG ACHIEVEMENT

I have spent ONE FULL YEAR working out 30 minutes every day and writing down pretty much everything that I eat!  I've lost approx. 70 lbs during that time frame, and I look and feel a lot better.  I still have more to go, but my new plan is to work out everyday for the rest of my dang life.  Who knows, maybe I'll become the new Jack LaLanne! 

When I started back on 9/11/2019, I don't think I foresaw that I could do it, that I could have the stick-to-it-ivity to do that kind of hard work, day after day after day.  I knew it was possible for someone to do it, but wasn't sure that I could do it.  At least not anymore.  

I had spent previous, less well-documented amounts of time sticking to an eating plan (I ate low carb for about 2.5 years from 2002-2005)  And I had spent about 6 months prior to that (25 years ago, from 1995-1997) going to the gym 4 times a week, and eating a low fat diet.  

One year ago, I came out of the doctor's office convinced that if I didn't lose weight this time, I was going to have gastric bypass surgery (which is still a very real possibility, if I start gaining weight again. I am not going back to being over 300 lbs again.  I refuse.) 

There are 3 main components to my weight loss "plan"   Here I explain what my commitment is, I grade myself on how I'm doing it, and talk about what I want to do better or improve in the next year.

1) WORKING OUT EVERYDAY

THE COMMITMENT:  I spend at least 30 minutes every day intentionally moving my body.  

For me, the important thing is not how much I sweat or how many calories I burn, but the fact that I am doing it with the right purpose of getting better and stronger.  It could be as simple as taking a long walk with that intention, or doing a series of stretching exercises.  What I don't count is walking or doing something for some other purpose.  So when we went to Disneyworld, and we walked 10 miles a day at the Parks, I didn't count that.  I still felt that I needed to get 30 minutes of exercise in to be true to my commitment.  Sometimes I go longer, sometimes shorter, but it has to be at leat 30 minutes.

HOW I DID THIS PAST YEAR:  A.

I did it everyday, even when I didn't want to, I had several times when it seemed like things were conspiring against me to work out (I showed up to the pool to Swim and the pool was closed.  And I didn't have gym clothes with me) I could have just gone home, but instead I got in my swim suit and worked out at the gym in my swim suit.  And then when I finished, the pool was open, and I got my swim on then.  When I went to visit my sister-in-law for a week, I figured out how to make exercises every day work.

WHAT I COULD IMPROVE IN THE UPCOMING YEAR:  

I could push myself more.  Towards the end of the year, I started jumping rope, but I'm moving at it relatively slowly.   I have a desire to start running, but I'm afraid of getting hurt, so I've been avoiding it.  I need to push at my limits a little more.  I'd also like to get stronger, so I am thinking about adding some kind of kettlebell or dumb bell workout to my mix.

2) WATCHING WHAT I EAT

THE COMMITMENT:  I watch what I eat and write everything down in LoseIt.

I have often said that tracking is more important than what I eat because it forces me to pay attention. Vigilance is the best defense.  I use the app LoseIt, and at this point, I have a lot of custom recipes and typical meals that I eat.  I'm not on a low carb diet per se, but trying to eat a balanced diet, and more importantly write everything down.

HOW I DID THIS PAST YEAR:  B  

If this were pre-COVID, I'd probably give myself an A.  I did write down my food everyday, and I was mostly careful about what I've eaten.  Since COVID happened, I've definitely been a little bit more lax about what I've been eating.  I'm still writing it down, but I have eaten snacks and sweets that weren't worth it, but somehow I managed to convince myself that they would be.   Out of 365 days, I've eaten less than my allotment of calories about 335 days, and some days by quite a lot.  But my weight loss is currently at a plateau, and I'm pretty sure this is why.  (Other factors, like it being harder to lose weight the lower you go, and my body's metabolism getting more efficient may also play in)

WHAT I COULD IMPROVE IN THE UPCOMING YEAR:  

Focus on making better choices, specifically in the snacking department.  I am often snacking on an ounce of pretzels or nuts or sometimes even chips (all of which are between 140-160 calories per oz)  I need to eat fresh fruit or have some meat when I'm peckish.  A 10 oz apple has 145 calories and is much more filling.  I could eat a cup of 2% greek yogurt for 160 calories and get 22g of protein!  I think I could also work on portion control.  My lunch is typically a giant soup, and while it's filling, maybe I could less and still be full.

3) INTERMITTENT FASTING

THE COMMITMENT: I don't eat after 9 PM, and I don't eat the next day until after 9 AM

One of the things that is hardest for me to control is night time eating.  I am a night owl, and I like to stay up late and read and watch shows, and it's very satisfying to be eating while doing this.  I made this commitment when I started, and it was hard to keep at first, and then it got easier, and lately, it's been hard again.  About 4 months after I started this process, I started reading about the idea of intermittent fasting, which is what I was already doing.  Some people intermittent fast for a day or more, or fast 23 hours, eat for 1 hour.  That seems too extreme for me, but perhaps it's in my future...

HOW I DID THIS PAST YEAR:  A-

I did almost always intermittently fast.  I had a few times in the past year where I did transgress, but when that happened I mostly made up for it by not eating until at least 12 hours after my last meal.  Sometimes I went 14 or even 15 hours.  The big problem for me is that I sometimes end up eating more than I expect to or want to because I wasn't eating before.

WHAT I COULD IMPROVE IN THE UPCOMING YEAR:  

I could extend it out so I'm doing 14-16 hours of intermittent fasting a day.  And I could make that 9 pm deadline even stronger and more ironclad.  I could also go to bed earlier.  (I am much less likely to get up out of bed to go eat something, even if I am awake.)

So that's my story.  I'm doing pretty well.  And I'm on a good path, healthwise.  I still have a long way to go.  (It's a little humbling to think about the fact that despite the fact that I've lost 70 lbs,  my BMI (Body Mass Index) still puts me in the obese category.)  My plan is by next year that will no longer be true!

What a difference a year makes--(and an angle) Photo on left is a selfie taken at Eiffel Tower in Paris.  Photo on right is taken in my bathroom in the mirror after a workout.  The before picture is not a great angle, but you can see the difference regardless.

One Hundred Eighty Days... And Counting

I started writing this post about 80 days ago, and then I stopped.  I know I need to write about it, but I'm hesitant because it's super personal, I'm going to talk about stuff that makes me uncomfortable and that I don't normally talk about online.  But the lesson of Dad 2.0 is about vulnerability, and goddamned it, that's where I'm at.

I need to talk about the things I don't want to talk about, and make transparent the things that are uncomfortable to talk about.

The good news is that  I'm at a milestone, and I've been sharing various parts of this story in person with people I talk to, but I feel like I need to write it down, and write about something that I've been focusing on a lot for the last 180 days.

 So here it is.

 Don't judge me too harshly.

And away, we go...

WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING

The topic that I've been so cryptic about above is my weight. 

GOOD NEWS FIRST:

  Over the last 6 months, I've lost approximately 57 lbs!   That's almost 10 lbs per month.

I've done this by practicing 3 basic ideas-- 

1. Exercising 30+ minutes every day.  I currently have an exercise streak of 182 days going.  I swim a mile once or twice a week, do the recumbent bicycle at the house, and at the gym do either the rowing machine or the elliptical (and sometimes both)  I haven't done a lot of weight machines, although occasionally I get on them.  I very occasionally do television yoga in my living room.
2. Writing down everything I eat (using the app LoseIt, which I've  been using on and off since 2010)
3. Intermittent fasting.  I do not eat after 9 pm or before 9 am.  I have occasionally broken that rule, but not very often over the last 6 months.  (Probably 5-7 times, when I've gotten home later than I should have without eating)

NOT SO GOOD NEWS

This dog weighs approximately 57 lbs.

Despite having lost the equivalent of a medium-sized dog in weight, I am still considered morbidly obese.  I have another 45 lbs or more to go before my BMI/weight/body fat percentage is not in the red zone.  I'm committed to doing that.  (182 days committed) and that's what I've been working on.

It pains me to admit it, but I'm still fat.
 One day at a time. 

I'm aware that the next part will be slower, as my body struggles to lose weight, eat even fewer calories, and try to stick at the weight that it's been used to for a very long time.


I know I'm on the right path, and it took me a lifetime to gain, so I'm hoping to continue to just work my program, do my exercises, and get healthier and healthier and healthier.  But that doesn't make it any easier

In the meantime, here's how I got to there (more or less)

MY SORDID PAST AS A LARGE CHILD

If you've known me over the last 45 years or so, you know that I have always struggled with my weight.   I have always been a big kid (I was usually the second biggest kid in the class-- during elementary school, Steven Hughes was taller and bigger than me.  Then during middle school, it was Scott Weaver, who was like 6'8 and 300 lbs while I was 5'10 and 180.   And of course, I had to wrestle Scott Weaver in gym class, even though I could barely get my arm around his back.  And so on.)

My little league baseball team circa 1975.   I'm  #15, and by far the largest kid on the team.

By big, I don't mean just fat.  I was always tall and big and broad and yes, let's use the word of my youth, husky.  I can't think of a time where I wasn't larger than the average kid.  I always thought of myself as fat and was ashamed to take off my shirt to play skins. I did it when I had to, but I didn't like to.  (And still don't)  But I always felt like I was built on a different scale than other people.  I was broader and stronger and taller and heavier than most people I knew.


When I got to college I jumped up over 200 lbs, and I have never been below that since.  Over the years of my 20's, my weight fluctuated around 220-240, with occasional flirtations into the 210 area.  I was always active, playing basketball or swimming or doing strenuous clown/dance/theatre stuff, but I was not an exerciser.  My cholesterol was good, all my numbers were fine, and the occasional doctor would say you are healthy despite your weight.  It would be nice if you'd come down.  I didn't listen very hard.

HEALTH PROBLEMS

Me in August 2000. Approx 290.

In 1995 I was not feeling well, and I ended up having my gall bladder out, and when they weighed me I weighed 285 lbs.  I had no idea that I weighed that much.  I simply wasn't paying attention!  After that incident, I started paying attention and working out a lot.  I was going to the gym a couple of hours every day, playing basketball and volleyball, and eating a low-fat, high-carb diet.  II was losing weight because I was working out so much.  I lost about 60 lbs and was down around 220 or so and looking and feeling good.  My brother graduated from college and at the graduation my mother told me she thought that I was too thin.

In 1997 I hurt my knee during a circus performance, and suddenly I couldn't work out like I was, but I kept on eating large amounts of pasta, and by year 2000 I had gained it all back.

In 2003 I knew I needed to do something, and I started a low carb diet-- I lost nearly 80lbs again with hardly any exercise.  I was on a low carb diet for close to two years and had gone up about 20 lbs as I strayed a little, but was doing well.  But in 2007, a number of things happened-- we got pregnant, had a miscarriage, got pregnant again, my mom died, and we got married in the space of 14 months.  And I gained 60 lbs.  I was now over 300 lbs and was hiding my weight, as well as definitely engaging in some emotional eating.

Me in October 2004.  Down to around 235.

During this time period, I was pretty healthy and able to work out, but suffering from high blood pressure (controlled with medication) and sleep apnea (controlled with a sleeping machine)  I could still swim a mile, but I wasn't doing it very frequently.  I would flirt with going to the gym, or starting an eating regimen but could never stick with it.

From 2010 to now I've been up and down between 300 and 340, most of the time hovering around 305.  The last year I've been hovering around 330 and knowing I need to do something.  This summer my ankles were very swollen, and although that wasn't all due to my weight (I'm taking a blood pressure medication that swells ankles) it certainly wasn't helping.

CONTEMPLATING SURGERY

This is me on 9/4/19.  approx 330.

For the last year, I've been contemplating bariatric surgery.  I went so far as to go through all of the procedures to be ready for it, including an endoscopy, a meeting with a psychiatrist, and going to a meeting of people who have had the surgery.  I know a bunch of people who have had success with bariatric surgery, and I was seriously considering it,  But I am afraid of surgery, and while meeting with the surgeon for the last time, I had a realization.

The surgeon told me that 3 out of 8 people who have bariatric surgery and lose 60+ lbs gain their weight back within 6 years, primarily because they don't exercise every day and watch what they eat.  Surgery, he said, was a tool to help enforce a lifestyle change, but that change was necessary to keep the weight off.  (and with bariatric surgery, you have a big incentive not to eat a lot because your body won't be able to tolerate it) Meanwhile, 95% of people who don't have surgery, but lose 60+ lbs gain their weight back within 6 years, primarily because they did not make their lifestyle change stick.

I thought-- "Let's see if I'm in the 5%-- and if I'm not-- well, I guess it's the surgery for me.  Because how many 300+ lb 70-year-olds do you see?  Not many.

MY HEALTH JOURNEY

This is me on 3/12/2020  274.

So on September 11 of this year, I decided to make a last ditch effort to avoid surgery.  I decided that I would work out 30+ minutes every day without excuses, and that I would write down everything I eat using the app LoseIt.   And that I would intermittent fast for at least 12 hours every day. 

This idea was inspired in part by Dave and Rachel Hollis's 90 Day Challenge, where they invite people to end the year strong by committing to working out for 30 minutes every day, drinking half their body weight in water (I have been close, but that was not my original intention) giving up a food they shouldn't eat, and a couple of other things.  I haven't been 100% compliant with 90 day challenge, but I have been following them and getting inspiration from them.)

I am pretty happy to announce that yesterday March 11) was day 182 of my new regime, exactly 6 months, and so far, so good! I've lost approximately 57 lbs (I was 331 on 9/11/19) and I am currently around 274.  I say approximate because my weight does go up and down a fair amount-- I hit 272  a couple of days ago, but it can go up or down 5-6 lbs on any given day.

My workout history for the last 4 months.
It goes longer than that!

I still have a long way to go.  As you can see from the pictures above, I was a fat guy in September, and now in March I'm still a fat guy, but I'm a less fat guy.

 (Right now, when I look in the mirror, I see how much weight I've lost, and think "Looking good!" and then 30 seconds later I'm thinking "you are so fat!")  It's as much about mindset and point of view as anything else.

I'm hoping at some point in the future I won't be the fat guy in the orange shirt, but the handsome guy in the orange shirt.   (Do you see what I did there?)

At this point, I am not planning on having the surgery, although it is still a possibility if I start going in the wrong direction.

Thank you for reading this far into my blogpost on a subject I'm a little uncomfortable writing about.

I will update the blog in the future about my progress and some of my activities/food/ideas with regard to exercise and diet.