Here's the video of my mountain bike ride I mentioned in my last post. Tell me what you think!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCpNV8jbLfg
Monday, June 8, 2015
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Anaerobic and Bike
Anaerobic (45 mins)
At 11 am, I met up at the gym with my brother-in-law to train for our upcoming Spartan race. We used the gym's monkey bars to do several pull-ups as well as swinging back and forth to enhance our grip strength. I spent quite a bit of time standing on a large fitness ball to enhance my balance and core. Among other exercises, I also got 30 burpees down, an essential part of training for a Spartan.
Biking (55 mins)
After the gym, I jumped on my mountain bike and went on a loop I love. It is just shy of 8 miles and has about 1100 feet elevation gain. The first three miles are on the street but then the fun begins at the Rock Canyon trailhead. I will link a video I made of my ride once it uploads--I mounted a GoPro to my helmet.
Dinner
For dinner I had one of my favorite foods in the world: carbonara al spaghetti. When I visited Italy with a buddy in 2004 he could never understand why I would almost always order carbonara instead of trying new dishes but I can't get enough. It's a super easy meal. Here's a link to the recipe I (kind of) used:http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-authentic-spaghetti-alla-carbonara-recipes-from-the-kitchn-170893. I used some thick strips of bacon and a cup of parmesan cheese.
Great tip for making the bacon my wife taught me:
At 11 am, I met up at the gym with my brother-in-law to train for our upcoming Spartan race. We used the gym's monkey bars to do several pull-ups as well as swinging back and forth to enhance our grip strength. I spent quite a bit of time standing on a large fitness ball to enhance my balance and core. Among other exercises, I also got 30 burpees down, an essential part of training for a Spartan.
Biking (55 mins)
After the gym, I jumped on my mountain bike and went on a loop I love. It is just shy of 8 miles and has about 1100 feet elevation gain. The first three miles are on the street but then the fun begins at the Rock Canyon trailhead. I will link a video I made of my ride once it uploads--I mounted a GoPro to my helmet.
Dinner
For dinner I had one of my favorite foods in the world: carbonara al spaghetti. When I visited Italy with a buddy in 2004 he could never understand why I would almost always order carbonara instead of trying new dishes but I can't get enough. It's a super easy meal. Here's a link to the recipe I (kind of) used:http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-authentic-spaghetti-alla-carbonara-recipes-from-the-kitchn-170893. I used some thick strips of bacon and a cup of parmesan cheese.
Great tip for making the bacon my wife taught me:
- Put the strips on a cookie sheet with tin foil underneath
- Set the oven at 400 degrees but don't let it preheat--just throw it in and set the temp
- Wait 20 mins or until it's crisp
This will help you avoid a big mess and it's so much faster and easier than grilling in a pan.
The whole thing takes 20-30 mins. I use Barilla protein spaghetti, which tastes totally normal, and with the eggs it's a good source of protein. Obviously there is plenty fat and lots of carbs, so it's a good meal to eat after heavy workouts.
I'm Back!
Well, a lot has happened since my last post. I moved to Philadelphia for graduate school and finished my master's. Right after moving back to Utah, we had our second daughter, who is now two. My oldest is five--time flies! I now work in higher education administration.
Weight Gain
Unfortunately, after doing well with insanity and my diet I really struggled. My weight just kept going up and I gave up on my fitness. I was so focused on my education and building my career that I lost sight of my goals. I quickly learned that balance in life is so important. If you focus on just a few areas, the other ones suffer. I remember one night in late December 2012 going to Jersey City with my family for a fun diversion. While it was a nice day I was really down on myself for being overweight and not feeling like I had any control over it. On our way back to Philly I ate a large burger and fries (self-defeating behavior, I know). When I got home I did something I had been too terrified to do in a very long time--I stepped on a scale. 231.4! I decided then and there that I would start cutting calories (1500 per day).
Counting Calories
The first few days were miserable but then my body and mind adapted. The hardest part was saying no when everyone around me ate delicious foods but I stayed strong. By early April I was down to 211. I felt so much better! Once my doctor told me not to try anything to lose weight that I'm not willing to do forever since as soon as you stop the weight comes right back. That is what happened with me. When I moved back to Utah I wasn't getting job offers like I hoped. After about a month of unemployment I went back to work a job I had in college just to provide for my family. This stress led not only to stop counting calories but it also led to overeat big time. When I started my current job in August 2013, I was up to about 218. By October, persisting in bad habits, I was up to 233.4. I was terrified.
Weights and T25
I decided to start lifting weights during my lunch hour three times per week. While I did not lose much weight doing this I did start to feel empowered. In February 2014, I tried to run but I got terrible shin splints--not surprising considering I had been sedentary for so long. So I figured I would strengthen my legs doing T25 (Insanity's little brother). It was so miserable at first. The last thing I wanted to do after a long day at work and finally getting the kids to bed was to push my body far out of its comfort zone but I stuck with it. After about 30 days, I tried to run again. I couldn't run very long without having to walk but I figured it was better than nothing.
Biking and Running
In early April 2014, I bought a Trek mountain bike. I grew up biking everywhere during the summer and I figured it was a good way to burn calories. The bike shop was a mere mile from my house but the bike ride home was miserable and long. I was winded and my back hurt. I then had to run back to the bike shop to get my scooter. I felt tight and miserable but I stuck with it. My first bike ride, a few days later, was an 8 mile loop with about 1,000 feet elevation gain. Getting up the first hill by my house was very discouraging. I was out of breath, sweating profusely, and others were effortlessly passing me. I remained resolute and made it happen.
Swimming
A month or two into the summer I decided to swim some laps. I swam half a mile and was quite winded but I loved being in the water. It was very relaxing. Within a matter of weeks I began swimming a mile about twice per week.
Cruise
Around this time I decided I wanted to do another triathlon (I did a sprint in 2009). My thought was it would take a long time to be at that point and set a goal of doing a sprint in the summer of 2015. I was amazed at how quickly my body was adapting to healthy habits. By July I decided I would be able to do a sprint triathlon in September. In late July I went on a cruise, terrified I would ruin all my progress. (At this point I was at about 222 though I felt like I had lost much more.) I decided to take the stairs everywhere--there are a lot of stairs on a cruise ship--and that I would abstain from eating treats--there are a lot of treats on a cruise ship. I was successful (except I allowed myself treats on the last night) and ended up losing two pounds that week!
Triathlon
A couple weeks before the race I realized that the sprint distance was no longer a challenge to me. I emailed the race director and switched my registration to the olympic distance, which is twice as long. On race day I was very nervous but excited. Compared to the athletes around me I was soft and slow. In fact, I swam at the very back of my heat so I wouldn't get in anyone's way but as I was in the first heat I ended up being in the way a lot. I even got swam over a couple times. My shoulder was bothering me so I did a modified stroke and it worked out fine. I love open water swimming so I had a blast. The bike was great but the run really killed me. By that point in the day it was very hot (90s) and I was worn out, so I ended up walking about 2 of the 6 miles. I came in second to last in the olympic triathlon but I didn't care when I crossed the finish line. Five months prior I could barely bike and run and now I was an olympian! (Well, kind of.)
GRE
After my race, I kept running and lifting. By the end of October I was down to about 204 and feeling great. Knowing I need to take the GRE to apply to PhD programs, however, I ended up devoting almost all my free time preparing for that test. I still lifted but unfortunately I didn't do much else. After a splurgy holiday season I got back up to about 212, which could have been much worse so I'm grateful.
Comeback
In about January, I began running again and would occasionally do stationary biking. I never stopped lifting though. I can't not lift given the relatively stressful nature of my job, especially during the school year. As soon as I would start getting my mileage up I would get shin splints and a tight achilles, so I would scale back. Progress was slow and frustrating. In early April, once the weather was better, I started biking again. I began taking my diet seriously and began swimming again. At this point I am at about 203 and am probably in the best shape since 2009. In three weeks I'm running a Spartan Beast, which I will write all about! And in September I'm doing the same olympic triathlon again. This time hopefully I'll be in the middle of the pack instead of the back. Last week I did a 42 mile bike ride! This is in contrast to a mile I could hardly do just over a year ago.
Diet Rules
Through all this trial and error I have learned a lot about what works best for me (everyone's different). Instead of counting calories, which didn't really work out for me, I am strict about five rules:
Weight Gain
Unfortunately, after doing well with insanity and my diet I really struggled. My weight just kept going up and I gave up on my fitness. I was so focused on my education and building my career that I lost sight of my goals. I quickly learned that balance in life is so important. If you focus on just a few areas, the other ones suffer. I remember one night in late December 2012 going to Jersey City with my family for a fun diversion. While it was a nice day I was really down on myself for being overweight and not feeling like I had any control over it. On our way back to Philly I ate a large burger and fries (self-defeating behavior, I know). When I got home I did something I had been too terrified to do in a very long time--I stepped on a scale. 231.4! I decided then and there that I would start cutting calories (1500 per day).
Counting Calories
The first few days were miserable but then my body and mind adapted. The hardest part was saying no when everyone around me ate delicious foods but I stayed strong. By early April I was down to 211. I felt so much better! Once my doctor told me not to try anything to lose weight that I'm not willing to do forever since as soon as you stop the weight comes right back. That is what happened with me. When I moved back to Utah I wasn't getting job offers like I hoped. After about a month of unemployment I went back to work a job I had in college just to provide for my family. This stress led not only to stop counting calories but it also led to overeat big time. When I started my current job in August 2013, I was up to about 218. By October, persisting in bad habits, I was up to 233.4. I was terrified.
Weights and T25
I decided to start lifting weights during my lunch hour three times per week. While I did not lose much weight doing this I did start to feel empowered. In February 2014, I tried to run but I got terrible shin splints--not surprising considering I had been sedentary for so long. So I figured I would strengthen my legs doing T25 (Insanity's little brother). It was so miserable at first. The last thing I wanted to do after a long day at work and finally getting the kids to bed was to push my body far out of its comfort zone but I stuck with it. After about 30 days, I tried to run again. I couldn't run very long without having to walk but I figured it was better than nothing.
Biking and Running
In early April 2014, I bought a Trek mountain bike. I grew up biking everywhere during the summer and I figured it was a good way to burn calories. The bike shop was a mere mile from my house but the bike ride home was miserable and long. I was winded and my back hurt. I then had to run back to the bike shop to get my scooter. I felt tight and miserable but I stuck with it. My first bike ride, a few days later, was an 8 mile loop with about 1,000 feet elevation gain. Getting up the first hill by my house was very discouraging. I was out of breath, sweating profusely, and others were effortlessly passing me. I remained resolute and made it happen.
Swimming
A month or two into the summer I decided to swim some laps. I swam half a mile and was quite winded but I loved being in the water. It was very relaxing. Within a matter of weeks I began swimming a mile about twice per week.
Cruise
Around this time I decided I wanted to do another triathlon (I did a sprint in 2009). My thought was it would take a long time to be at that point and set a goal of doing a sprint in the summer of 2015. I was amazed at how quickly my body was adapting to healthy habits. By July I decided I would be able to do a sprint triathlon in September. In late July I went on a cruise, terrified I would ruin all my progress. (At this point I was at about 222 though I felt like I had lost much more.) I decided to take the stairs everywhere--there are a lot of stairs on a cruise ship--and that I would abstain from eating treats--there are a lot of treats on a cruise ship. I was successful (except I allowed myself treats on the last night) and ended up losing two pounds that week!
Triathlon
A couple weeks before the race I realized that the sprint distance was no longer a challenge to me. I emailed the race director and switched my registration to the olympic distance, which is twice as long. On race day I was very nervous but excited. Compared to the athletes around me I was soft and slow. In fact, I swam at the very back of my heat so I wouldn't get in anyone's way but as I was in the first heat I ended up being in the way a lot. I even got swam over a couple times. My shoulder was bothering me so I did a modified stroke and it worked out fine. I love open water swimming so I had a blast. The bike was great but the run really killed me. By that point in the day it was very hot (90s) and I was worn out, so I ended up walking about 2 of the 6 miles. I came in second to last in the olympic triathlon but I didn't care when I crossed the finish line. Five months prior I could barely bike and run and now I was an olympian! (Well, kind of.)
GRE
After my race, I kept running and lifting. By the end of October I was down to about 204 and feeling great. Knowing I need to take the GRE to apply to PhD programs, however, I ended up devoting almost all my free time preparing for that test. I still lifted but unfortunately I didn't do much else. After a splurgy holiday season I got back up to about 212, which could have been much worse so I'm grateful.
Comeback
In about January, I began running again and would occasionally do stationary biking. I never stopped lifting though. I can't not lift given the relatively stressful nature of my job, especially during the school year. As soon as I would start getting my mileage up I would get shin splints and a tight achilles, so I would scale back. Progress was slow and frustrating. In early April, once the weather was better, I started biking again. I began taking my diet seriously and began swimming again. At this point I am at about 203 and am probably in the best shape since 2009. In three weeks I'm running a Spartan Beast, which I will write all about! And in September I'm doing the same olympic triathlon again. This time hopefully I'll be in the middle of the pack instead of the back. Last week I did a 42 mile bike ride! This is in contrast to a mile I could hardly do just over a year ago.
Diet Rules
Through all this trial and error I have learned a lot about what works best for me (everyone's different). Instead of counting calories, which didn't really work out for me, I am strict about five rules:
- Drink a gallon of water a day--this is helpful for a lot of reasons, the most of which being it makes me feel full and so I don't eat as much
- No treats--I'm not willing to do this forever but I am willing to only eat treats once per month that's what I do
- No fried food--same as above
- No fast food--at first it's very hard but I don't even crave it much anymore
- No sugar drinks
Some other rules I follow, but make exceptions for maybe two to three times per month:
- No processed food (except protein shakes)
- Eat whole grains
- No eating late at night
I plan to be much more active on this blog. I still have another 20-30 pounds I want to lose and I'm hoping you can help encourage me in this journey! You can follow my adventures biking, running, swimming, lifting, and racing.
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Not Sure What to Name This One
I'm not quite sure what to report since this week I focused on my two jobs and schoolwork. I suppose I got exercise by walking so much at work. Whitney and I went hiking for our date, so that's good. I have been careful not to overeat, but I haven't kept track of my calories like I was since I was so busy. But no more excuses!!!! I'm going to get serious about only eating 2,000 calories. Especially since the dosage of the medicine I'm on that makes me easily gain weight was recently increased, so I'm afraid I'll gain even more weight. So no more funny business! Regardless of how busy I am, I need to count my calories and meet my goals.
Now that it's getting really nice again and the snow is melting, I want to get back into running. I'm thinking I'll do that next month when my life will be a whole lot less chaotic. It'll still be very busy, but not so bad since I won't be working my first job as much.
In other news, I have three readers from Russia now! Welcome!!!!
Now that it's getting really nice again and the snow is melting, I want to get back into running. I'm thinking I'll do that next month when my life will be a whole lot less chaotic. It'll still be very busy, but not so bad since I won't be working my first job as much.
In other news, I have three readers from Russia now! Welcome!!!!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Pause Insanity
Well, I have good news and I have less good news (it's not bad news, but it's not great news). I got a job in addition to my current part time job in Salt Lake City. So between the two jobs and travel time I'll be gone at 40-50 hours per week. I'm taking 18 credits at school, so I honestly won't have time to do Insanity every day. Some days I'll be able to, but there will be some days where I'm gone the entire day. Yesterday for instance, I left at 7:20 am and didn't get home until 7:30 pm. One good thing about my work is that I'm on my feet most of the day. At least there's that.
So the best approach to this situation will be to count calories. My goal will be to keep myself to 2000 calories per day. This is going to be hard because my body burns about 2700 per day. Plus the medicine I'm on increases appetite, so even if my body doesn't need food, it makes my mind feel like I desperately need it. Therefore, it will definitely require self-mastery!
Wish me luck!!!!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Week 4ish
Let's just say I didn't do all the Insanity workouts this week. The week started out well, but I got perpetually less motivated throughout the week. Don't judge me. So needless to say I'm going to take two on Week 4 this upcoming week. When you fall off the horse, you get back on (even if you're not a gymnast—a Zoolander reference).
Half the week I did really well being off sugar, but on Friday Whitney made delicious peanut butter cookies. I thought to myself, "I'll have two or three." Like a million cookies later, I am recommitting myself to being more moderate. Maybe I'll just do treats one day of the week. I have a friend who did that and it worked really well for him. But it's hard because you're miserable two or three days after you have treats because you're craving sugar and you're going through withdrawals, so it's a tough call. I'll figure it out. I think the reason I wasn't able to be moderate, however, is because I wasn't consistent in my working out. Like I said earlier, when I'm consistent with exercise my appetite regulates itself much better. So for this week, I'll try to prove my theory right and see if my re-commitment to Insanity helps me be moderate.
Half the week I did really well being off sugar, but on Friday Whitney made delicious peanut butter cookies. I thought to myself, "I'll have two or three." Like a million cookies later, I am recommitting myself to being more moderate. Maybe I'll just do treats one day of the week. I have a friend who did that and it worked really well for him. But it's hard because you're miserable two or three days after you have treats because you're craving sugar and you're going through withdrawals, so it's a tough call. I'll figure it out. I think the reason I wasn't able to be moderate, however, is because I wasn't consistent in my working out. Like I said earlier, when I'm consistent with exercise my appetite regulates itself much better. So for this week, I'll try to prove my theory right and see if my re-commitment to Insanity helps me be moderate.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Week 3 of Insanity
Week three went well. Unfortunately, since I was quite busy (preparing for and taking the LSAT being the biggest busy-ness), I only did four out of the six workouts. But in spite of this, I did really well. I'm able to last longer and do the intense exercises longer (I should say intenser exercises since they're all crazy). Like I mentioned in my last post, my legs are also getting much more defined. I also don't get sore anymore. It's weird because the workouts are so intense I think the whole time of how sore I'm going to be. Nope. Not at this point.
So now I begin the last week of month one. Next week I have a recovery week. Then I go into the crazy, huge results, push your limits to the max month.
Also, even though I'm not officially off sugar right now, I've pretty much only had sugar on the weekends for the past two weeks. It's seemed to pay off too. I'm more energetic and am able to eat in moderation. As I mentioned before, I think one's body is better able to eat moderately when you regularly exercise. I also feel like my brain regulates my hunger better. When I wasn't working out regularly, I seemed to be hungrier than I am now, even though I was burning a lot less calories. Ironic, ha?
I'm also proud of how well I've been doing sleep schedule-wise. Before I would get up at different times, just according to the day's circumstances. Now, I get up everyday at the same time. I've also started to eat breakfast first thing in the morning EVERY DAY. That's really helped my overall mental, emotional, and physical health. It's surprising how much sleep and breakfast make a difference.
So now I begin the last week of month one. Next week I have a recovery week. Then I go into the crazy, huge results, push your limits to the max month.
Also, even though I'm not officially off sugar right now, I've pretty much only had sugar on the weekends for the past two weeks. It's seemed to pay off too. I'm more energetic and am able to eat in moderation. As I mentioned before, I think one's body is better able to eat moderately when you regularly exercise. I also feel like my brain regulates my hunger better. When I wasn't working out regularly, I seemed to be hungrier than I am now, even though I was burning a lot less calories. Ironic, ha?
I'm also proud of how well I've been doing sleep schedule-wise. Before I would get up at different times, just according to the day's circumstances. Now, I get up everyday at the same time. I've also started to eat breakfast first thing in the morning EVERY DAY. That's really helped my overall mental, emotional, and physical health. It's surprising how much sleep and breakfast make a difference.
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