They Spinnin!

About three weeks ago I decided to mix up my cardio by going to my first spin class. I was kind of intimidated going in because I didn't know what to expect and I've heard that it's pretty intense. I got there about 30 minutes before class because I wanted to get there a little early to get a good spot and to have plenty of time to adjust my bike. So, classes last an hour with the first and last five minutes used for warming-up/cooling-down and stretching while on the bike. I cycle often enough that I was comfortable being on the bike and with the movements. I couldn't imagine myself doing a spin class a year ago; it's pretty crazy! I was completely soaked with sweat when it was all over. It was an incredible workout and a good way to mix up what I was normally doing for my cardio. My only complaint the first couple of classes was my feet were killing me. I know it's because I'm not normally out of the saddle and standing that often when I'm out on an actual bike ride. It did feel good to be there my first time and see other people struggling with getting through the class! I've noticed a few people hop off their bikes to "adjust" the bike, get more water, or just disappear  right in the middle of class!

     

I'm kind of hooked and since then I started going three times a week, this week I'm going to try to do five classes and see how I feel. I really like how time kind of flies by, unlike on a treadmill or an elliptical, were I'm constantly staring at the timer and it seems to take forever. I don't get bored, which is huge when I need to be doing 45-60 minutes of cardio daily. 

Observations After One Year

It's been awhile since I posted on here. I been caught up in my routine and staying on top of this blog hasn't been the priority it should have been. So I'm down 120 or so pounds! It's not were I wanted to be in a year of working out and getting back in shape, but I'm very happy. I guess that's how I know being active is now a part of my life; I completely changed my life for the better and I still want better results for myself. So it has been one calendar year and I have learned enough to make some observations and maybe offer some advice to whoever is reading this.

•  Scales kind of suck - I know this is gonna irritate my trainer, but it's true. There have been weeks that I have not dropped a pound, even after 6 days of cardio, 3 training sessions with Paul, and an on-point diet. It's very discouraging and it's not a good indicator in my opinion on weight-loss. The way your body looks, fits in your clothes, and how you feel is the most important way to know your losing weight. It's gradual but it will come if you keep working. 

• You're gonna want to take a break - You need to stop sometimes and let your body rest and recharge. Things get sore, or plain hurt so you need to listen to your body. That doesn't mean you can go crazy and eat what you want the whole time, but you are allowed to rest for a few days.

• Treat yourself - I pretty much wore the same workout clothes as I lost my first 100 pounds. My shoes were beat to crap and my shirts grew looser and looser. I decided I lost enough weight to pick up some new workout shoes and some nice workout shirts. I started out at a 6XL shirt and now I can get into 3XL shirts. It feels really good to finally get into a new brand that didn't have your size before. I even went and bought a health-related toy; an Nike+ Fuel Band! I was curious to how much activity I was actually doing and since I knew it would be used everyday, I decided why not?! It tracks calories, steps, and and activity number called Nike Fuel... it's dorky, but I love it.

• Don't get distracted by compliments - You start losing a good percentage of your body weight and people around you will notice, they should. You will start hearing good things from the people you know, don't let yourself think you should slow down or stop... don't get content with yourself and get lazy.

I have a few more things, but I figure this post is long enough. So, to those looking to make a change, you have to just do it! Stop putting it off and get after it! It's gonna be tough at first, it's gonna plain suck, but it gets easier and becomes routine, I promise.

My Diet Lately

So my diet the last 3 weeks has been atrocious! I had a death in my family during that time and between eating out and going to a random bar just to take a break or visit with family & friends; my diet completely went out the window. It was more of a convenience-thing than a comfort-thing, there were a lot of errands and I didn't really feel like shopping or cooking afterwards. Another thing, there were a lot of people bringing  my family food, most of which weren't the healthiest dishes. I been feeling kind of crappy and I know my diet is the main reason.The only thing I was a little surprised about was that even though the wheels fell off diet-wise, I only gained 6 pounds total. I decided yesterday I'm getting it back under control. I hit the grocery store hard and loaded up on healthy stuff. I'm looking forward to getting my act together. The main thing I've learned during this whole process is that diet accounts for at least 85% of losing weight and getting healthy.

100 pounds... gone!

After five consecutive and very frustrating weeks of weighing-in at the same weight it finally happened; I dropped from 376 pounds to 368, getting me to 100 total pounds lost!!! It is crazy how much better 100 sounds than the 92 I was stuck at when I plateaued. It took a little longer than I wanted, but it feels great to finally be halfway there. I'm not gonna lie I was getting discouraged with not dropping LBS for so long. I can't really nail down what kick-started it but here is what's happened the last few weeks:

Two weeks ago I was pretty bummed; I was worn-out, my shoulder was hurting, and I basically stayed at the same weight for the third straight week. I went to Workshop to meet up with Paul on the 10th and as I was getting dressed, he called apologizing cause he had to cancel. I told him it was cool and that I wasn't in the mood to workout anyways. The next day he sent me a text saying that after really looking at my workout log he decided that I needed a break. I had been going 8 months straight without having a break... I was thrilled! Let's just say I completely shut it down: no cardio, no weights, no Paul. It was beautiful! The wild thing was I scared I would put on 10+ pounds during the break... and when I weighed-in at the end of the week... nothing, no change at all! I still can't figure that out.

So after my week-long break I got after it again. I really focused on my diet and I was pretty excited to get back into the gym... it sounds funny saying that cause I couldn't imagine saying that a year ago.Whatever happened, I began to lose the weight again and I hit a huge milestone at the end of the week... crazy!

Side notes: This past week I went to have my first physical and blood work performed since I started this whole weight-loss thing. I'll do a post real soon about my results. 

I also started taking Green Tea Extract, I'm not gonna go and say it helped me have a big week as far as weight loss goes, but I will keep taking it and see what happens.

Green Tea Wikipedia

I keep it 100!

                                                       

Sorry...

So I have been pretty slow on posting anything new lately... so here is what's been going on: I weighed in at 380 three weeks ago, which was a total of 88 pounds lost. I was pretty excited with my progress until I "plateaued". The following week I gained 3 pounds, the next week...I gained 3 more pounds!!! I'm not gonna b.s., my cardio stayed the same and my diet was pretty much consistent. It's kind of embarrassing working that hard only to weigh in and go the opposite way of my goal. I decided to try something new to mix it up, so instead of walking on a treadmill for 20 minutes each morning, I been doing a mini-circuit that includes: throwing a medicine ball, jump roping, and suicide sprints. In the evening my circuit involves: running, stairs, 50-yard sprints, tire flips, and jump roping. I know it sounds like a lot, but I couldn't even jump rope or do that many stairs 6 months ago. I see it as progress. Paul also has me doing planks now during our workout sessions, planks! I been doing the new routine for a week. I'm not supposed to weigh in everyday, but I lost that 6 pounds I gained plus another 5 when I checked on Wednesday... so I guess it's working!

Oh, so my friend Milad picked me up a 2XL shirt as a "test shirt" I started out wearing 5XL polos and 6XL tees. I definitely am a 4XL now, I know for a fact I couldn't squeeze into a 2XL when I first started working out. So I tried it on:

This thing will fit by November!

Finally broke into the 300's!

It's been awhile since I posted, and since it's raining like crazy outside and work is slow, I figured I would let y'all know about my progress so far. I'm at 389! It feels fantastic to finally be below 400; I can remember feeling discouraged because I was floating around 420 week after week. Getting below 400 pounds was something I was really looking forward to, my next goal is getting to 100 total pounds lost. I am at 79 so I know it's right around the corner.

455 Pound Trap Bar Lift

I forgot to post this video a few weeks back; but I hit a new PR on the trap bar... 455 pounds! I hit 405 back in February, so I'm pretty happy with a 50 pound improvement. I have to say  I went in a little cocky thinking I would hit 500 pounds, I know now just how much weight that actually is. I have a whole new respect for what 500 pounds is and for those people that can lift that much weight... it felt like I was lifting a house.

At least this didn't happen to me afterwards:

 

It's a Sledgehammer

I had a crazy crash about a month ago and I just got my bike back from the shop, I'm really excited to go riding again. I'm gonna start biking a few times a week to mix it up when it comes to my daily cardio. The weather has been beautiful and it's fun to be out with all the healthy people that live in Austin. We rode 18 miles Sunday and another 9 yesterday after my workout with Paul. I definitely notice that it takes less effort now that I'm 70 pounds lighter, and I have a ton more stamina. I am excited to hit some actual trails soon and I plan on doing the Urban Assault ride this Summer. My friends and I started a cycling group last year as an excuse to hang out together while doing something active... no golf here! We're all official on Facebook, Twitter, and even the World Wide Web, I included a link to the page to check us out.

Fat Guy Cycling Club

129 To Go

I received this email from Paul this morning:

129 lbs to go:

129/4=32.25 weeks

129/3=43

129/2=64.5

33/4=8.25 months

43/4=10.75

64.5/4=16.12

So you can keep everything in perspective. So instead of saying this is where I want to be in a year, you say I will lose 129 lbs in 9 months. Which means losing 3 or more lbs every week. No problem...

- P

So basically: 129 divided by 4/3/2 pounds a week tells me how many weeks it would take. That number divided by 4 (weeks in a month) tells me how many months that is.

Somewhere between 255 to 275 pounds is my ultimate goal. I know these guys are professional athletes, but this is what I want to emulate:

David Tua 5'10 255 and Prince Fielder 5'11 275... badasses!

Seeing results!

I'm almost down to the 300's, I'm 60 pounds down. It's weird because I don't really feel like I look any different, but lately I've been getting a lot of compliments. I know for a fact my body is changing, but it's like I'm in denial. I even think people are kind of messing with me when they mention me looking better. So... I have this Polo shirt that I used to wear my senior year of H.S., which means it's been hanging in my closet for over 10 years. I bought it for $115, which is stupid expensive, even now. The last time I wore it was probably around 2002 because it stopped fitting me, so I am getting dressed and I notice it there and I decide, "what the hell?!", I put it on... and it fit! It smelled a little stale, but I didn't care, I even wore it to a concert that night. It feels good to actually have proof that I'm losing weight.

This is why I'm hot... literally!

I overdid it yesterday. I had plans immediately after my scheduled workout session with Paul so I decided to get there early and do my cardio before. Big mistake! I was on an elliptical at a pretty high resistance for 30 minutes. It was super humid in the gym and I was soaked by the time my training started. It was a squat day, 5 sets of 15, which is a lower weight/higher rep set. After each set I would do "pile offs" with the cable machine. After 3 sets I was burned out. I kept it moving to not look like a dork, and by the time I finished my 5th set, I was on "E". I mentioned to Paul I was pouring sweat and he said I obviously raised my core temperature during my cardio. Next, we went outside to push the sled... I mean "Prowler". We loaded it up with 140 pounds of plates making the whole thing weigh about 200 pounds. I pushed it about 50 yards on concrete, then I had to pull it back using a strap; walking backwards! My legs were killing me, and I was completely winded! I then had to do it all over again. By the end I was so tired I thought I was gonna puke. It took me about an hour of laying on the floor of my friend's apartment to get my head straight. I was so wiped out I didn't eat anything but two hard-boiled eggs for dinner. I am actually glad I don't have Paul scheduled for today!

The Prowler

50 Pounds

I finally lost 50 pounds, 52 to be exact! I had been hovering around 42-46 for the last few weeks and I guess they call this a "plateau". I talked in an earlier post about how important a person's diet is in regards to getting healthy. I could spend every day in the gym with no success as long as I ate like I was 16 years old, so it's now a two front war; Exercise & Diet. So I  found this out on the 11th, 3 months in, which still puts me on pace for 200 in 12 months. I AM GONNA DO THIS!

**** UPDATE ****
I weighed in on the 25th and after staying at the same weight the previous week (18th), and I lost 5 more pounds, that puts me a little above 411 lbs. That's around 57 pounds that I'm not carrying around anymore! I am finally starting to notice a difference in how I feel and how I move.

So I am caught-up as far as my posts are concerned with this whole getting healthy-thing. I will start updating at least once-a-week. I think my posts will start being a little more detailed since I am not writing from memory. I really appreciate whoever takes the time to read this as I move forward towards my goal.

My vice

So since this blog was started 3 months into my workout regimen, I have to write my posts from memory until I get up to date. I keep a notebook that Paul uses to record all my lifts and the amount of weight I am training with, I also record my weekly weigh-ins that I do on Saturday mornings. Paul is the one that recommended the notebook to track my progress completely. So...

My weight has plateaued recently. Back in November I dropped a crazy 22 pounds in the first two weeks, which made my jaw hit the floor. I kept on losing weight steadily until I hit about 40, then it just sort of stopped. My weight would fluctuate up and down 5 to 7 pounds, and was getting frustrated! Trying to isolate the problem was easy; my cardio was consistent and my workouts with Paul were going strong. The only thing that could be throwing everything off was my diet. From the first day I starting going to Paul, he got on me to start watching my diet and not to eat any heavily-processed foods and to cut out carbs and sugar. I never really drank sodas and for my size I really don't do as much junk food as you would imagine. I have to admit though... I am a foodie! I love really good food. I spend a significant amount of my income and time going to nice restaurants, reading cookbooks and watching/reading with Anthony Bourdain, Eric Ripert, and David Chang. Food is my hobby, cooking is my therapy, and I think there is nothing better than trying out new places or cuisines. I am a food snob/dork and this is my problem. I can't let 5 days of hard work in the gym and with my diet be undone by two days of not watching what I eat. I had this idea that I deserved a cheat day once a week, but the fact is I don't. I was talking about this with Paul when he said something that really hit home, "You've had 25 years of cheat days". It took three months of training to figure out, that at our age, diet is 80% of it. I can't expect any dramatic results without changing my diet as well.

   

Protein Powders

Paul has been telling me for a few weeks to start taking protein powders to supplement my training. I really didn't know where to start cause there are literally thousands of brands and formulas. Paul recommended truenutrition.com, a website that he uses where you can order 100% custom blends. He suggested two different blends: one a "anytime" powder that I could have anytime during the day as a snack or in place of a meal, the other was a "post workout" powder. The anytime powder is a slow absorbing protein, and the post workout powder absorbs quickly and is intended to be taken immediately after my workouts. They have a ton of flavors options, even all-natural ones sweetened with Stevia. I went with a their Premium Flavors; Orange Creamsicle for my anytime mix and Tropical Hawaiian Punch for my post workout mix. This company is incredible! I was worried it was gonna be expensive when I went to the site and I have to say it wasn't. You should check it out!

Post Workout Blend

 Anytime Blend

True Nutrition Website

405 Trap Bar Lift

I went into the gym sort of bummed out this day. It was a lower body day so I was into my 2nd set of trap bar deadlifts when I mentioned to Paul that I needed to be pumped about something, so maybe I should see what my max is. We started out at 315 I believe then we kept adding. I hit 365, but it was sloppy cause of my foot placement. Paul said I could do 385 or 405, but if I missed 405 we would stop and the 365 I hit earlier would be my max, but on the other hand, hitting 385 could fatigue me before attempting 405. I decided to shoot for the 405 right out. Paul seemed amped about my attempt, he asked what I wanted to hear over the speakers to pump me up, then he said, "I got something for you!" and he went to his bag and grabbed his iPod. Next thing I knew this was playing over the speakers...

It worked obviously! I hit 405 pretty easily, no slowing down. Paul thought I should shut it down after cause I did a lot of work that day. I think I had at least 50 more pounds in me. 500 is right around the corner! I was excited afterwards, Paul even more so! We were filming it, so here it is. Paul likes to be fancy and combined all my lifts into one edited video with commentary. It's nice to have a record of something I haven't been able to do since high school.

Here is Paul's edited version:

Before Pics

So we thought we should get some "Before" pics, but it took us about 3 weeks to actually do it. I hate these cause I've always thought "before" pics to be kind of dorky. So here they are, these are the first time these are being seen by anybody other than Paul and I... by this point I was down about 22 pounds.

My Decision

So a few days after my 30th birthday I started seeing pictures of me from my party on Facebook. I DIDN'T LIKE WHAT I SAW. I thought I looked like crap. I was huge, and I looked soft and weak. Despite my size I've always been athletic and I'm super confident almost to the point of cockiness. What I saw on the screen really shook my ego. I needed to make a change before it was too late, I was weighing in at a scary 468 pounds!

I knew I needed an actual professional trainer to help put me in a program, mostly I needed someone to hold me accountable. I knew an old high school friend that was one year ahead of me was a personal trainer, and I figured who better to get me started than a guy that knew me during my fittest years and who was a great athlete himself. His name is Paul Hedrick of Hedrick Fitness, I called Paul and told him I needed to start a routine ASAP. We went over some things that night and we agreed to meet the next day to see where I was mobility-wise.

11/2/2011
The first day was really an assessment of what I could and couldn't do. He knew I had a couple of knee surgeries from my days of playing H.S. football, so he decided we would start slow as far as lower body stuff was concerned.

A side note about Paul:

The guy is a total badass! He stresses that he teaches you how to train and not to just workout. The guy is on top of his craft, from nutrition to methods. The one thing I like the most is if you have a question you will get a solid, straight-forward answer. The guy just flat out knows his profession.

Hedrick Training Website
Hedrick Training Facebook Page 

After the workout I was glad to hear from Paul that I was a whole lot more mobile than he thought I was gonna be. This was not just from my weight, but from not really being as active as I thought I had been. We agreed on me training with him 3 times a week would be the most effective at the beginning. The one thing that impressed me the most was when I told him my goal was to lose 200 pounds, he didn't blink, he just said ok.

   

Welcome!

Hello! My name is Zeke, and on my 30th birthday I decided I was gonna completely transform myself by losing 200 pounds. I am starting this blog 3 months in to chronicle my day-to-day routine. Thanks for checking this out!