Heinz's Weight Loss Dynasty

[jeheinz72]

I came across Foz's Nutrisystem thread and thought that it's time I get back into tracking my weight loss, exercise and food intake.

For a quick back-story, I'm a big guy (duh). 6'5" and following the berth of our 2nd child in February of '07 (living on fast easy food while my wife was pregnant) I'd gotten all the way up to 397.6 lbs (April of '07).

That was my weigh in on Day 1 of Weight Watchers. I've since lost a good chunk of weight, getting down to 346 at one point (April '08). Following a busy spell and a trip to Jamaica I weighed in this morning at 359 on the dot.

The 13-pound gain is disconcerting, but a portion of that is vacation and a portion is my lowering my calorie burn workouts while I train for the Livestrong 5K run (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=65121). I can't bounce back from an elliptical workout and then run too far the next day. So I've basically trimmed from 4+ workouts a week to 1-2 runs.

Anyhow, the race is in 2 weeks and I'm more-or-less ready for that. I ran the full distance right before vacation and 1 or 2 more runs should be all I need to get back there so I'm ready to get back to a regular gym routine and focus all-in on weight loss.

The caveat is The Summer From Hell (TSFH). 5 friends getting married this Summer. Countless other events and crap I gotta go to. I'm confident I can focus during the week, but the weekends are going to be TOUGH.

Oh, and also, I'm quitting smoking within a few weeks.

Lots of work to do...

[jeheinz72]

Day 1 - 6/26/08

Weigh in: 359.0
Loss Since Beginning: 38.6 lbs
Loss Since Re-Start: 0.0 lbs (start)

Light workout this morning, just a quick 20-minute easy pace elliptical session. A loosening of the muscles so to speak. I workout in the mornings (I get up at 3:45) and it's refreshing to re-experience the energy boost from the workouts, even a light one. After a week in Jamaica and days padded around it, I was feeling SUPER lazy

Food intake today has been standard. I don't count calories anymore, after a year plus I basically know what I need to eat and it works...when I stick to it.

This is basically what I eat when i get to work until when I leave, spaced throughout the day. All I eat when I am at home is dinner.

2 instant oatmeals, nothing added
3 cups of coffee
2 bananas
1 apple
1 serving of grapes
1 serving of strawberries
3 diet pepsi's
1 Crystal Light Focus
80 oz water (so far)
1 handful of pretzels
2 low fat yogurts
2 tuna sammiches on wheat bread (mixed with honey mustard, not mayo)

Considering what I've eaten the last 10+ days, this feels like starvation, though it's my standard fare. Crunch time now, all I'll eat between now (1 PM) and dinner (7 PM) is an apple. Hardest part of the day.

I'll update tomorrow with the new weigh-in, dinner and workout stuff.

[jeheinz72]

Time for an update.

Weighed in today, pre-workout, at 356.8. Pretty solid, as weekends are the hardest for me. Granted I didn't do jack all weekend, but still. I hope to get below 355 by the time this weekend hits.

Had a good 35 minute elliptical session, my 3rd day in a row working out. I've finally taken the time to move my Wii into the garage as well, so both Saturday and Sunday I played a little Madden while doing the bike (instead of just playing the Madden that is). Not killer workouts by any stretch, but I was playing anyhow and the hour of cardio I wouldn't have done anyhow is a plus for sure. I think I'm actually better at Madden when I'm riding the bike too.


Weigh in: 356.8
Loss Since Beginning: 40.8 lbs
Loss Since Re-Start: 2.2 lbs (re-start @ 359)

Good to be back over the 40 lbs loss mark. I definitely need to kick into gear. A lot of my friends (much much smaller guys) are ramping up their weight-lifting and it's making me jealous. I don't lift any weights now (I used to big time) because I pack on muscle so fast that it skews any weight loss progress I might see. Of course, it's good weight, but it messes with my head/motivation to do it that way. I want that number way down first, then I can add back muscle.

[jeheinz72]

Weigh In: 355.8
Change: -1
Loss Since Beginning: 41.8 lbs
Loss Since Re-Start: 3.2 lbs

After a good day yesterday I dropped a full pound. I wasn't really planning on updating this today, but hey, it was a full pound. Should be legit too. I ate well and weighed in at the same time I always do.

Gotta keep it up in hopes of lessening the effects of the 4th.

[Subby]

Keep up the good work! How is the running going?

[jeheinz72]

Keep up the good work! How is the running going?

Thanks man. Running has been ok. Just need one more training tomorrow AM then I'll be set until race-day (Sunday).

After the race I'll likely go back to limiting myself to treadmills for runs, it's just a lot nicer on the knees.

Weight-loss update should come tomorrow. Too fearful after the 4th. :D

[jeheinz72]

Yowza. Slack much?

Anyhow, the run went great. I finished it, running the whole way. My time was ~35 minutes which is slower than I was shooting for (33ish) but I started to quickly and I really struggled through the last half of it.

I of course then took a week plus off and re-dedicated starting last Monday. Weight loss has been...ok. The added kicker though is I'm also quitting smoking now, so it's kind of like pick your vice.

Working out has been great, Monday I did 3.3 miles of straight running and then 2.6 miles this morning (with a 30 minute plus elliptical workout on Tuesday). Only thing slowing me down is blisters, not being tired or out of breath. So time for new shoe shopping this weekend. Anyhow...

Weigh In: 354.2
Change: -1.6
Loss Since Beginning: 43.4 lbs
Loss Since Re-Start: 4.8 lbs

I'm hoping to get back to my low point of 345 here before August ends (low as in since I started this diet back last year)

[digamma]

Congrats on finishing the run!

[jeheinz72]

Thanks man! I owe a lot of it to my sister who was in town on somewhat of a whim that week and signed up that day and ran with me. It was a big help/motivation

[Subby]

Wow great news...was worried because I had seen any updates.

Congrats!

[jeheinz72]

Man, I would've sworn I put a post in here since July. Argh.

[jeheinz72]

Anyhow, things have been slow yet un-steady thanks to a 5-day vacation/road-trip which involves lots of drinking and a wedding (not mine, I'm already married)

Weigh In: 350.4
Change: -3.8
Loss Since Beginning: 47.2 lbs
Loss Since Re-Start: 8.6 lbs

Rough day today though, as I overslept my alarm and missed the gym. Sucked too as I was having a great week:

Monday: 3.28 mile run
Tuesday: 33 minutes elliptical + crunches
Wednesday: 4.05! mile run
Thursday: 33 minutes elliptical + crunches

So I set my best by topping the 4 mile mark, and was on my way to a 10+ mile week and argh. Hoping to get in the gym tomorrow AM but weekends are a lot harder.

The crunches were the first 2 runs of that as well, which is a plus.

Was killer on the diet this week which is good news, but still bummed that I was || this close to 2 straight weeks going 5-for-5 on workouts. Still, it must have been my body just telling me I need more sleep as I didn't even hear or recall the alarm going off.

Either way, all of this bodes well for me to get under 350 at some point next week and hopefully set a new low shortly thereafter. Ideally I'd get to the 338-342 range by the end of next month. 60 pounds lost will be a nice milestone.

[jeheinz72]

Also, I'm contemplating the idea of training for some sort of triathlon. Not sure I'd start out at the full distance, maybe sprint distances. Gotta get on my bike though, and that takes time, which would be the hardest obstacle.

[jeheinz72]

Good news and bad news in this entry...

Good News

Well, got back under the 350 mark which is motivating. Only a couple pounds from my previous low, so that's in my sights. Also I bumped up the speed at which I run (from 5.8 mph to 6.0 mph) so it's kicked up the workout intensity as well. The stats...

Weigh In: 348.4
Change: -2
Loss Since Beginning: 49.2 lbs
Loss Since Re-Start: 10.6 lbs

Bad News

Couple of things. First, I friggin overslept again today and missed my workout. Not happy about that, 2nd time in a week. Secondly, I"m pretty sure I have plantar fasciitis. Not 100% mind you as I haven't seen a doctor, but a quick read on a few foot doctor websites and the description is nearly identical. I'm not happy about this at all. The idea of hitting a good spell here and then having to take some sort of break is not one I enjoy.

[jeheinz72]

Highs and lows today. The high was a nice workout, extending my time on the elliptical from 33 minutes to 43 minutes, plus another round of crunches (this time 6 sets of 35). All in all, a solid non-run workout, burning (allegedly) over 700 calories.

The lows was the weight. I gained a pound over yesterday. Which is just whack since I ate perfectly yesterday. Just one of those things that happens since I weigh myself each day, but aggravating nonetheless given the 50-pound mark was in my sights

Weigh In: 349.4
Change: +1
Loss Since Beginning: 48.2 lbs
Loss Since Re-Start: 9.6 lbs