Trip to Mt. Airy, NC & Goal Update (End of Wk 11)

The family unit had a nice relaxing trip to Mt. Airy yesterday to visit my dad, Larry and his wife, Kathy.

When we arrived Dad was cooking pork tenderloin on the grill...the pork as well as the entire meal was "most Xcellent".

We also had homegrown green beans, tomatoes, fried apples and fried potato wedges. The desert was homemade strawberries and homemade short cake.

For the record, I did NOT have the apples, potatoes or dessert...but they looked delicious. :) This picture shows my dad grilling some "pig". Dad grills better than anyone I know....always spiced just right.

After the "eats" we took an hour trip to Maybry Mill in Virginia. If you have never been, it is definitely worth the drive especially if you are headed to Mt. Airy, NC area.

The mill gives a snapshot of mountain life in the early 1900's. Mr. Maybry, the creator, used a

creek to power the mill which he used for a wood lathe and to grind grains.

There are several "stations" where folks were demonstrating cloth making, milling, blacksmithing etc but my favorite treat was a stage where local musicians play "mountain music".

You can learn more by viewing this link, there is also restaurant and souvenir shop on site.

Blue Ridge Parkway, Mabry Mill, VBR http://ow.ly/jysF

Here is a picture of me, my wife and my son. Just in case you can't tell who is who...I am the one in the middle. I wanted to tell you in case you know...because I've lost so much weight, you couldn't ...ok, I'll shut up now. :)

In this picture is my son, my dad and his wife, Kathy. Dad is the one on the right, hamming it

up, you know, in case you couldn't tell who was who....

Goal Updates

1) Wearing 32” jeans…Done!

2) BMI = Normal, Weight = 166 lbs…..Done!

Yes...I reached new low....

3) 30 Push Ups….DONE!

Completed 38 Push Ups, up from 35 last week.

4) “Beating sons in basketball”…Done!

5) Sub 7 Minute Mile - No Update....I returned home too late last night. To be honest...if I thought I was getting closer...I'd probably run a test at 3:00 am if I thought I could "brag" about it. :)

Steve

*We interrupt this regularly scheduled program - Steve’s Goals UPDATE!

With 24 days left in his P90X training, Steve has accomplished the 4^th of his 5 goals! In an exclusive interview with this blog, here are Steve’s comments.

5 Goals

1. Wearing 32” jeans…Done!
2. BMI = Normal, Weight = 168.5 lbs…..Done!
3. 30 Push Ups….completed 32 Push Ups…Done!
   
   
4. “Beating sons in basketball”…Done!
   
   “Wow, just got this one last night. What can I say…beating 18-20 year olds in any sport is tough especially when you are 48 years old. Not to mention the fact that 5 months ago I was diagnosed with Diabetes, obese and taking insulin shots. Today I am medication and insulin free.
   
   “It was a tight match until the end with both of us having long runs. We were playing to 11, win by two. He went up on me 4-0, then the old man warmed up and I had a 6-0 run to take a 6-4 lead. He could have put it away, he was up 10-9 with the ball but I was able to score the last three baskets to win 12-10. I do credit P90X for giving me the strength and endurance to compete. He is taller and quicker but my experience and conditioning were the keys to a hard fought victory.”
   
   “People on this blog have read these words from me before…but it truly is exhilarating to be able to run 100% , all out sprints. It truly does get me “stoked” to compete and be competitive playing basketball, a sport I’ve participated in “on and off” for over 35 years!”
   
   “Is it worth “pushing play” for 90 days ......ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY!”
   
   

5) Sub 7 Minute Mile.

“I do have one goal still outstanding…running a sub 7 minute mile. IT WILL BE TOUGH to accomplish at my age but we’ll see how the last 24 days of my P90X training goes.”

Steve

P90X, END OF WEEK 9 - Goal Update !!

Broken Finger, One Tough Hombre :)

Just an fyi – do you remember me “whining” about my jammed finger. Well, three weeks later, I was told it was broken. It doesn’t hurt much any more but I can’t bend it completely. But…I worked through the pain…still do.

Goal Update

1. Nutrition BMI = Normal : DONE! (wt 168.5) HOW LOW WILL I GO….who cares…I don’t? I have gone back and forth on this but I am now ok with continued weight loss as long as my strength continues to improve.
2. 32” jeans : DONE! I can wear 29’s but with 30’s I have room to spare.
3. 30 Push Ups : DONE!! Completed 32! Up from 29 last week!!! Tammy was at the store when I completed them…she didn’t believe me so I had to do them again in front of her, about 4 hours later.
4. Beat sons in Basketball : no update -- barring an injury…I ain’t worried about this. Cocky?...maybe…confident…absolutely.
   
   …who wants to get whipped by a 48 yr old, former obese, diabetic….old man. :)
   
   
5. 7 Minute Mile – Ran a 8:19 mile today – 4 secs better than last week. THIS ONE IS NOT LOOKING GOOD.

Work Out Addiction?

Folks I am afraid I have a new addiction...to fitness. I'm being serious...today is my rest day, yet I still did 89 push ups, 36 curls, 24 military presses, ran bleachers and ran a mile. I keep worrying this will catch up to me but thus far I don't think it has. Who knows, maybe I would have gotten stronger or quicker had I taken full advantage of my "rest days".

If I don't work out...I feel like I am missing an opportunity. I think part of it is, deep inside I am afraid I will start that slide back down to being obsese again.

Here I am in 40” jeans…the sad truth is, at one time these were too small and my gut was actually hanging over these!!!

While there has been progress...I am looking for more. I was wearing these as late as March....and no I am not "sucking it in" in this picture. I can squeeeeze into 29" jeans but 30" are more comfortable.

Take care and be safe.


Steve

Goals Update : End of week 7

SIX WEEKS LEFT TO GO!

1. BMI = Normal : done (wt 170) Yet another new low...
   
   …HOW LOW WILL I GO?
2. 32” jeans : done, I can wear 29’s but with 30’s I have room to spare.
   
3. 30 Push Ups : **Completed 27 !** Up from 25 last week, it’s hard for me to believe this. FYI – to show you that I had my doubts…I had Tammy count with me as well….just to make sure oxygen deprivation (or something) wasn't causing me to lose count.
   
   
4. Beat sons in Basketball : no update -- barring an injury…I ain’t worried about this. Cocky?...maybe…confident…absolutely.
   
   
5. 7 Minute Mile – Ran a 8:23 mile today. This is down from 8:41 two weeks ago….this goal is not looking promising…but we shall see.

Just so you know

1) My workout today was Kenpo X – a very serious cardio workout that utilizes boxing and karate moves. There is a lot of punching and kicking involved and by the end you are “worn out”…or at least I am.

I “tested” two goals several hours after performing Kenpo X, both the mile run and the push ups. It is possible that I could have performed them better with a fresh set of legs & arms.

2) Weight Loss – Down to 170 lbs and as I’ve said, I eat often, I eat A LOT but I eat “clean”.

I AM NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE WEIGHT LOSS…as long as my strength increases. If my performance suffers…then I’ll worry.

Food Eaten Today
Breakfast: ½ cup of All Bran, ½ cup of milk, (2) eggs, spinach, cheese, wheat toast
Pre-Lunch: Meal Replacement Shake with serving of protein whey powder.
Lunch: Chicken Breast, Tomato, Pinto Beans w/onions
Pre-Dinner: Meal Replacement Shake with serving of protein whey powder.
Dinner: Shrimp Salad
Post Dinner: Protein Bar

** What I drink daily – coffee, unsweetened tea, non-fat milk, water, water, water, etc.

Goal Update - End of Week 5

Goals Update : End of week 5 *8 weeks left!*

1. BMI = Normal : done (wt 172)
   
   
2. 32” jeans : done (I can wear 30"....)
   
   
3. 30 Push Ups : completed 23 (up from 21 last week, getting closer...)
   
   
4. Beat sons in Basketball : no update
   
   
5. 7 Minute Mile – no update - I attempted my test yesterday, in the neighborhood. I had not run all week so I was going to continue on after my test and jog 6 miles. I don’t think I warmed up enough as both knees caused me some problems so I slowed to a jog and finished the 6 miles.
   
   I may have been too ambitious on this goal. I know how to train to run a 7 minute mile (I ran track in high school) and to train properly I would need to run ¼ and ½ sprints as well as 1 mile and 2 mile runs…I don’t like the idea of running ¼ and ½ mile sprints in July/August…..
   
   Another reason I don’t want to run the sprints, the goal was to accomplish a 7 minute mile after completing the P90X, it was not to run a 7 min. mile by any means necessary. So I am only going to utilize the P90X workouts and we’ll see what happens. As a personal challenge, in the fall, I may see if I can run a 7 minute mile, IF I don’t accomplish it by the end of August with P90X.

Weight Moving

I was moving some of my weights around yesterday. I picked up two 20 lb dumb bells and I realized something …this is how much weight I’ve lost since discharging from the hospital. (212 – 172 = 40 lbs).

Just to see what it was like, I walked around the house carrying the weights for 10 mins.…that’s a lot of weight to carry around and it’s a hell-u-va lot of fat to be carrying around.

Try this, determine how much over weight you are then pick up and carry that much weight around for 5 -10 minutes, if you have some stairs you can climb that would be even better. Then sit the weight down and walk around for a few minutes.

1) While you are carrying it, you’ll realize how much extra work it takes for your body to carry that weight around.

2) After you sit the weight down …you’ll get a sense for how much easier it will be on your body when you lose the weight.

Steve

P90X Week 4 Update

Steve Update - 6/21/09 - Week 4 is “In the books”

Goal Update with 4 weeks down and 9 weeks to go!!!

Note: These goals were created on June 2^nd after preliminary goals had been achieved.

1. Maintain BMI Reading of Normal – accomplished…

weight range 173-176 as measured first thing each morning. My goal was not to “achieve it and forget it”, it was a goal to maintain it for as long as I live.

This morning I reached a new low, 173 lbs. I will have to increase my calories, I do not want to lose any more weight….

2. Do 30 Push Ups Consecutively – I did 21 today…I am feeling good about being able to accomplish this goal.

3. Run 7 Minute Mile – this one is going to be TOUGH! I ran an 8:42 minute mile today versus 8:53 last week. I improved 11 secs from previous week but that won’t get it done.

4. Beat my sons in basketball - no update. Please don’t tell them…but barring an injury I am NOT worried about this one.

5. 32” Jeans – I have not tried on any jeans since I made it a goal three weeks ago. On that day I put the 33” jeans on and they fit snugly. I had already lost a lot of weight, so I really thought it would take awhile to lose another pant size.

Today, I put on the 33” jeans, they were feeling loose…so I thought “what the heck, let’s try the 32” jeans. WOW! I CAN WEAR 32” JEANS!!! I thought maybe these are stretched so I tried a pair of 32” corduroys, I could wear them as well!! And better yet, there was still some room in the jeans.

Next, I tried on my son’s 30” jeans. They were tight…but I buttoned them up. I could wear 30” JEANS!!!

SO, goal accomplished!!! but for the record, I have to maintain this until my 90^th day.

Updates P90X and Stuff.

My youngest son graduated HS Saturday, it was a happy yet sad day. Saturday was the last public school graduation that I will attend for a son. I know what you are thinking…”but what about Max?”….I DID NOT FORGET ABOUT MAX!!…he’s home schooled.

Speaking of Max…he got really mad one time, I wouldn’t feed him and it was past his scheduled feeding time.…

...the next thing I knew the room started shaking and then Max started glowing a bright red…since that day, Max is fed on schedule.

P90X - Week 3 is History! It was a tough week to get through; the primary reason for this I believe is the adding of running to my routine about 10 days ago. I ended up running 17.5 miles this week.

Week 4 starts tomorrow and they call it Recovery Week – It’s not an easy week, there will be more cardio and less weight / resistance training. The purpose is to allow your muscle to re-cooperate and get ready for another (3) week block of weight training.

I TRY not to do any physical training on Sundays (my rest day)…but to be honest it’s difficult to do nothing. If I do nothing, I feel like I am falling behind… So, I did what I did last Sunday and that is perform some tests to see how my goals are coming along.

Goal Updates (with 3 weeks down and 10 to go) :

1) Goal to stay within “normal” BMI Rating. Weighed 176 lbs this morning so my BMI range is still “normal”.

2) Goal of 30 push ups – completed 16 Push Ups this morning, this was a pleasant surprise. I had done 13 last week and 7 before I started P90X.

3) Goal: Running 7 minute mile: Last week I ran a sub-9 minute mile, I didn’t use a stop watch so I didn’t know if it was an 8:01 or an 8:59 minute mile. Today I used a stop watch and this was an UN-pleasant surprise. Today I ran an 8:53 minute mile….not bad I guess for a 48 yr old man who had the body shape of a lima bean a few months ago….BUT I was hoping to be closer to 8:00. To run a 7 minute mile, I will have to shave almost 2 minutes off my mile time…that will be tough to do.

4) 32” jeans – no change

5) Beating my sons in basketball – no update. I did go to a court and shoot some today. Tammy, my wife took the pictures. As you can plainly see…”I still got it”, if somebody wants some…. Bring it! :)

I do want to point out a couple of things...notice the muscular arm and delts....uh huh. LOL! However, THE MOST important thing I want to point out....the perfect form. If you could bottle this...well, I don't even want to think about it.

End of Week (2), Day 14 of P90X

This is going to sound….odd….or maybe not., we’ll see. My first week on P90X was….well…exciting. Each day we “opened up” a new work out and the anticipation as to what grueling workouts awaited us was …exciting.

The reason I thought this may seem “odd” coming from me, I normally don’t get excited unless there’s $4.99 all you can eat fried chicken dinner at Bojangles….Ok, that’s not entirely true, any All-u-can-eat or All-u-can-drink specials usually would get me excited.

The first week, in a sense was like opening up a different birthday present each day for a week. There will be no new workouts until week (4), so the second week was much different (as week (3) will be), there were no hidden surprises around the corner. As Tony Horton (the instructor) says, “do your best, and forget the rest”.

Someone who is a stranger to the workouts might expect them to be easier week 2…they are not. I do believe I am somewhat stronger but that only means that I am able to do more weights or reps or both.

It truly is a tough workout and if it isn’t…you ain’t lifting enough weights or doing enough reps.

Goal Update:

30 Push Ups - Saturday I was able to do 11 push ups which is more than the 7 originally…some progress.

7 Minute Mile – I was EXCITED on Sunday (today) - I ran a sub-9 minute mile at the high school track. It was my rest day, so I only ran the one mile.

To be honest, I had gas left in the tank and possibly could have gone lower. After two weeks of P90X…I am feeling somewhat confident that a 7 minute mile is doable with 76 days to go…only time will tell..

Cheeers!

Steve

What Now, Brown Cow?

I need some new goals….

Numero uno (that’s Spanish for #1) – to maintain a BMI reading not to exceed “normal”, I ain’t back sliding this time, in addition....

...as part of the P90X routine/system you set goals for yourself, goals you expect to accomplish after your 90 days are completed.

Goal Tending Time:

1) To do 30 push ups, consecutively – not in a day or week. :) I don’t believe I’ve ever done 30 push ups at one time. Just so you know, before I started P90X, I strained to do 7…so I have a ways to go.

2) Run a 7 minute mile - given my age and the condition of my joints, I really don’t know if this is possible. When I was jogging for distance, I ran early miles in the 11 – 12 minute range, 10.5 minute mile was the best I could do.

The reason I chose this goal? In junior high, we had to run a sub-7 minute mile to make the basketball team. So if I did it when I was 15….I can do it when I’m 48….right????

3) BEAT MY SONS IN BASKETBALL! I had to add this goal, when my weight climbed into the 220’s and 230’s, I would still attempt to play my sons in basketball….and they would win (imagine that!).

By the way, I beat Perry in basketball when I was near my heaviest, so even when I was my most sedentary, most slovenly, most slug-like (you get the idea)

…I still beat him “like a bad step-child”. Beating or continuing to beat Perry isn’t a goal....it’s too easy…there’s no challenge to it. Goals need to challenge you, to inspire you to improve. Beating Perry just doesn’t qualify…maybe my goal will be to not let him score....

4) Last and final goal – to fit into 32” jeans. By my senior year in high school, I was wearing 32" jeans ….that is enough of a goal right now. Currently, I can squeeeeze into 33’s so wearing 32’s isn’t much of a stretch, but remember…I’ve already lost all the weight I want to lose. I want to gain strength from here on out.

What’s that…you don’t think I can wear 33’s….ok, you think that is B.S. well here’s pictures to prove it.….

When is a Curse....a Blessing?

Goals Accomplished

1) Battle with Diabetes - I am battling to contain my enthusiasm…believe it or not. I am struggling to not tell you the whole truth…I don’t want to jinx myself. I feel like I am playing with "house money" and if I tell it, I'll lose it.

As mentioned in a previous blog post, on Tuesday, 5/26/09, I had my blood work tested and my A1C came in at 5.8 %, which is in the range of non-diabetics.

What I didn’t tell you is…my doctor said, “I don’t think you are diabetic any longer”.

I fought Diabetes Type 2 – and won! Goal Accomplished!

2) Weight Loss Battle – I wanted to lose enough weight to have a “normal” BMI reading – weighed 176 lbs 5/31/09. Goal Accomplished!

3) No more Cholesterol nor Hypertension Medications - Cholesterol and Blood Pressure readings are all in the normal range. Goal Accomplished!

What is the common thread that runs through each of these --- weight loss.

* Folks don’t wait until you take an ambulance ride to the hospital to decide to lose weight and to “get fit”.

** Do a little more today; than you did yesterday. (Even if it’s only a few more steps)

*** On my first post-hospital doctor’s visit, my doctor told me, “Steve, you need to use this as an opportunity to lose weight and to get into shape. I know it seems bad now, but if you lose weight and exercise, it’s possible to reduce some of your meds. This event may turn out to be a blessing, if you decide to change your lifestyle.”

Question: Looking back, was my ambulance ride a curse or was it a blessing?