The Officialish FOFC Weight Loss Dynasty

[sabotai]

Last few months have not been kind. They usually aren't. I fucking hate summer. The past few years, the trend has been to lose 10-15 pounds in the fall, hold steady through winter and spring, and then gain it all back and then some over summer as I retreat to A/C and am in no mood to work out after work. Not only that, but even with the A/C on, my insomnia gets much worse in the summer, I'm awake even later, the hunger comes....

Anyway. I broke the trend a bit. I was holding steady in the upper 220s through the summer until I went on a road trip in July and lived off restaurant food for nearly a week. I came back weighing around 233. And since I put that on fast, it was about 4-5 pounds of fat I threw on, pushing my fat % up a percent or two. Since then, I'm up another pound or two.

However, if I kept on my previous trend, I'd be back up to nearly 250, so it's not all bad news.

Here's my weekly average for Sept 19th - Sept 25th
Weight: 234.4
Fat %: 35.61%
Muscle %: 30.33%
Rest. Metabolism: 2097.3
Vis. Fat: 15.0

Still, my numbers from Sept. 26th, 2010 were 246.2 pounds, 1.5% higher on fat, 1% lower on muscle and 1.4 higher on Vis. Fat, so I'm still ahead of where I was a year ago. I would have liked to have been much further along, obviously, but there's nothing I can do about that now. I'm just happy I didn't fall into my usual rut and gain 20 pounds.

I ordered a few knee braces to see if that helps with running. Running shoes solved my foot pain awhile back, hopefully the knee braces help with my knees. I lost the most weight on a weekly basis while I was running, even the first week or two of C25K (while doing some weight lifting in between days) did more for me than any other workout.

[hoopsguy]

Where are you getting the numbers on Fat%, Muscle%, Resting Metabolism, and Vis Fat (what is that one?)? Are those coming from a more sophisticated scale or some other means?

[sabotai]

The scale I have is an Omiron HBF-500. That gives me all of the numbers.

[Ksyrup]

OK, so I'm back in this thread. GODDAMMIT!

I think I remember posting in here several months ago that I needed to lose weight, and I did my best to try. But it just wasn't going to happen. Not entirely an excuse, but between March and August, I think we had maybe 4 weekends where we weren't out and about doing something with my daughter's softball team. Mostly spending 12-14 hours a day at tournaments, which means not eating on a schedule and eating out, usually fast food. It was difficult. And will be again next summer, especially since our little one is getting in on the summer travel ball fun.

But until then, I've got about 4-5 months to get back into shape. I've decided to go with weight watchers, which seems to me to be about as close to eating normal but watching what you eat as anything I could try to do on my own. I can track points on mobile apps and on their website. I started last week.

My beginning weight was 203.2. So from my absolute lowest point about 3 years ago, I've gained back about 50 pounds. But I was probably too skinny then (which was driven home when my 12 year old daughter came back from her yearly check-up at 154 lbs. - she'd weigh more than me if I was still at my lowest). I want to get back down to around 165ish.

Anyway, one week in and I'm down to 198.6. I've been hovering around 195-200 for a number of months, so I'll be happy to head under 190 in the next several weeks. In addition to WW, I'll be running 2-3 times a week on our treadmill at home and doing some crunches. I also want to do some weights, but I've got issues with my right arm (I'm pretty sure I've got some sort of rotator cuff/labrum damage that I've put off going to the Dr. about), so I'll probably not do too much with that begin with. I don't want to hurt myself more, or go to the dr. and have them recommend something that's going to slow down my momentum to lose weight.

So... I'll be checking in from time to time. I really hope this is the last time I have to do this. I'm definitely one of those people who is great at gaining and losing weight, but absolutely cannot maintain to save my life. I have to be in a constant state of flux - either going up or down.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

OK, so I'm back in this thread. GODDAMMIT!

I think I remember posting in here several months ago that I needed to lose weight, and I did my best to try. But it just wasn't going to happen. Not entirely an excuse, but between March and August, I think we had maybe 4 weekends where we weren't out and about doing something with my daughter's softball team. Mostly spending 12-14 hours a day at tournaments, which means not eating on a schedule and eating out, usually fast food. It was difficult. And will be again next summer, especially since our little one is getting in on the summer travel ball fun.

But until then, I've got about 4-5 months to get back into shape. I've decided to go with weight watchers, which seems to me to be about as close to eating normal but watching what you eat as anything I could try to do on my own. I can track points on mobile apps and on their website. I started last week.

My beginning weight was 203.2. So from my absolute lowest point about 3 years ago, I've gained back about 50 pounds. But I was probably too skinny then (which was driven home when my 12 year old daughter came back from her yearly check-up at 154 lbs. - she'd weigh more than me if I was still at my lowest). I want to get back down to around 165ish.

Anyway, one week in and I'm down to 198.6. I've been hovering around 195-200 for a number of months, so I'll be happy to head under 190 in the next several weeks. In addition to WW, I'll be running 2-3 times a week on our treadmill at home and doing some crunches. I also want to do some weights, but I've got issues with my right arm (I'm pretty sure I've got some sort of rotator cuff/labrum damage that I've put off going to the Dr. about), so I'll probably not do too much with that begin with. I don't want to hurt myself more, or go to the dr. and have them recommend something that's going to slow down my momentum to lose weight.

So... I'll be checking in from time to time. I really hope this is the last time I have to do this. I'm definitely one of those people who is great at gaining and losing weight, but absolutely cannot maintain to save my life. I have to be in a constant state of flux - either going up or down.

Sounds good Ksyrup. I had a ton of success with Weight Watchers earlier in life and wholeheartedly recommend it - it's much better than any of those "fad diets" and really teaches you how to eat well and manage your portions. You'll do awesome man.

[DaddyTorgo]

Steady as she goes at 178. I've opened up my diet a tiny bit and am still maintaining, so that's fine by me.

[hoopsguy]

Interested to see where I end up this month, as I've jumped all over from 169-174. Would love to finish out month strong and end up in 168 range, but nothing would surprise me after last couple of weeks.

[Dodgerchick]

Originally Posted by hoopsguy

Agreed, it looks like you had a nice month. What kind of changes have you made that have helped you find (what appears to be) consistent progress compared to the previous months?

Thanks everyone!

Less tortillas, more brown rice and beans, and whole grains (Ezekiel bread ftw!). I haven't had juice in several weeks so my typical breakfast has been 1 Ezekiel Raisin Bread with 1 tbsp of peanut butter (no sugar added), 1/2 a banana and a drizzle of honey. I've been drinking a ton of tea and water. My mug holds about 16 ounces and I used to sweetened it with 2 packets of Splenda and now I'm down to 1. Slowly but surely I'll end up not using sweeteners at all...that's how my mom drinks it. She said to pretend it's flavored water... I'm not there yet. My typical lunch has been soup made with vegetable bouillon, Asian Rice Vermicelli noodles, and a bunch of veggies. Dinner is usually rice with beans and spinach or other veggies. I have a serious obsession with hummus that I need to tone down. Still have an obsession with chips but found that Beanitos Chipotle BBQ really hits the spot. They look like this:



So yeah, less fruits, more veggies and whole grains. Surprisingly enough, a lot less exercise.

[hoopsguy]

Start of month weigh-in is at 169.1, which is down 0.6 from where I was last month.

The weight loss last month kind of came out of nowhere, as I lost 3 pounds in the last week. And this month I was over 170 up until 9/22 thanks to a bad start to the month. So coming in 0.6 under last month isn't a monumental achievement, but I think it represents more of a steady progression than it would at first glance. I've been pretty solidly in the 169-171 range over those last 10 days and I'm going to hope I've seen the last of 173 at this point ... a weight I exceeded on five daily weigh-ins this month.

My push-ups didn't go terribly well this month. Partly a by-product of being busier at work, but that feels like an excuse given that this takes all of 10 minutes to do from home. I think the larger reason was I just didn't feel like I was making a ton of progress. I couldn't do the Week 2, Day 2 workout despite making 6 runs at it so far ... often times with a day or two of extra recovery.

Start of month push-ups: 55 (14/14/10/10/7 on W2/D1)
End of month push-ups: 63 (14/16/12/12/9 on W2/D2)

I'll have to do a max-set routine at some point, but my mid-month one was at the same 26 that I was at the end of last month. I know I had hoped to be doing somewhere in the 70-75 push-ups by this point and a max set of 30. Maybe those were unrealistic goals, but I clearly fell short of the former.

Overall health, I think is pretty good. There was a point late in the month where I felt like I actually looked kind of thin/good ... normally I obsess over the fact that I'll still look fat even when I hit my goal weight of 165, based on what I see in the mirror.

I think October promises to be a little more sane in terms of social events, so if I keep up my discipline I think I should be able to take a run at 167 or something like that.

[Dodgerchick]

7/23/2011 - 183.8
8/7/2011 - 186.2
8/13/11 - 187.8
8/29/11 - 185.6
9/5/2011 - 184.6
9/16/2011 - 182.6
10/01/2011 - 181.8

[corbes]

Was able to weigh in this weekend.

7-1 ~168
8-3 166
8-21 159
8-31 158
10-1 155

[corbes]

Continued good work DC!

[Ksyrup]

9/19 - 203.2
9/26 - 198.6
10/3 - 196.8

Lost about 2 pounds last week, not great - for me, anyway. I definitely need to be more active. Only ran twice during the week. I need to make that a minimum of 3 times, plus add in some crunches/small weights. Last night I did 5 sets of 20 crunches and some weights. Tonight I hope to run for about 30-40 minutes after Caitlin's pitching lesson is over. We've just got so much going on, and I hate finishing up with work out and shower and seeing it's already 9:30pm. I like to relax a little before the day ends, you know? I end up staying up until 12 or 1am, then get 5 hours sleep and start it all over.

[DaddyTorgo]

Way to go DC!!!

Way to go corbes!!!

Ksyrup kicking ass!

[Dodgerchick]

Thanks for the encouragement guys And great job on the weightloss Ksyrup, corbes and hoops. A loss is a loss is a loss. And DT... thanks for coming back to encourage us, you're such an inspiration, keep up the good work!

Everytime I go to zumba, I keep asking myself... what the hell am I doing here? There are times I get lost in the choreography, or I wear the wrong shoes and it doesn't go well. At least with running you just... run. The zumba thing seems to be more for the social aspect of it since that's when I get to see my gal pals.

I downloaded a zombie app on my droid - Zombie, Run! - Android Market which I'm hoping to use today. I'll come back and post a review.

[Ksyrup]

I've run twice a week for the last couple of weeks, and last night I ran again. I couldn't believe how much stronger I felt last night compared to the first few times I ran. I have been taking it slow to ease back into working out, so I've been limiting myself to 30 minutes at about 12 minutes/mile on the treadmill (one of the pre-programmed workout settings). I could have easily gone another 15 minutes. So next time (probably tomorrow) I'm going to extend it a bit.

Eventually, I want to get back to doing an hour and running over 7 miles at a time. But I think that's a ways off.

[Ksyrup]

9/19 - 203.2
9/26 - 198.6
10/3 - 196.8
10/12 - 193.6


I switched my weigh-in day to Wednesdays, just because I'm out of routine over the weekend and almost always gain weight, regardless of how well I eat. I need the work routine to help keep me losing. I'm also able to drink a ton of water sitting at my desk all day, too, which helps. Anyway, I'm doing pretty good so far. I did 5.7 miles on a 1 hour treadmill jog last night, definitely the most I've run since starting back.

[hoopsguy]

Nice work, Ksyrup. Looks like the pounds are falling off you pretty quickly.

At my work, one of the senior management folks ran in the Chicago Marathon this weekend. In my 3+ months there, I've known him as a pretty obsessive guy about fitness and diet. I learned yesterday that he has dropped 200 pounds! The guy is practically a skeleton at this point - very gaunt. I had seen his picture on the company website and could tell he had lost a lot of weight but 200 pounds is a pretty staggering number.

[booradley]

Started this morning at 194 (down from 206). Waist down roughly 3". Breakfast was boiled egg and black coffee. Lunch is chicken, rice and spring rolls. Big run planned for tonight, before my family rolls in for the weekend & VT vs. Wake Forest (God help me, there!) ...

Will try to post here often, as it gives me a sense of accountability. And fun!

[booradley]

Instead of running, did weight training last night (Perfect Push Ups, bicep & forearm curls). Woke up this morning and checked in at 192.5, down from 194 yesterday.

Homecoming weekend starts today - it's gonna take a lot discipline on my part to even maintain weight through Sunday!

[Dodgerchick]

Originally Posted by hoopsguy

Nice work, Ksyrup. Looks like the pounds are falling off you pretty quickly.

At my work, one of the senior management folks ran in the Chicago Marathon this weekend. In my 3+ months there, I've known him as a pretty obsessive guy about fitness and diet. I learned yesterday that he has dropped 200 pounds! The guy is practically a skeleton at this point - very gaunt. I had seen his picture on the company website and could tell he had lost a lot of weight but 200 pounds is a pretty staggering number.

200 lbs., damn, he probably looks nothing like he did before.

Good work Ksyrup and booradley, the pounds are coming off nicely.

For me, I've slacking big time. I've been working OT so the last thing I want is to exercise when I'd rather be relaxing.. it's gonna be the same thing next week. I'll pay more attention to my diet and see how much exercise I can get in.

[Ksyrup]

9/19 - 203.2
9/26 - 198.6
10/3 - 196.8
10/12 - 193.6
10/19 - 192.0


Not bad. It's getting easier to eat less and I'm doing some kind of treadmill running at least 3 times a week. Still want to work in more crunches/small weights than I'm currently doing. Passed a big test on Saturday - we were gone from 8am until after midnight for my daughter's softball tournament, so we had to eat out. I had a Wendy's apple pecan salad and baked potato for lunch, then a McDonald's plain grilled chicken sandwich for dinner. Also brought a couple of apples to snack on.

My short-term goal is to hit my 10% Weight Watchers goal (182.9) by the time we leave for Thanksgiving (which is in about 5 weeks). Hopefully I can have a couple of 2+ pound weeks sprinkled in with the eventual 1 pound weeks I'm expecting. But 9 pounds in 5 weeks is certainly doable.

[booradley]

Thanks, Dodgerchick. Weight down to 190 now as we start Wednesday. Total loss = 20 pounds. We're ... getting ... there!

[Brian Swartz]

Well, time for me to join the throng here.

After a move and some other drama, I stepped on the scale at 333.0 a week and a half ago. That's less than half a pound under my high which was about three and a half years ago. I've had an up-and-down thing going in terms of the weight battle, as low as 282 in that period.

For comparison, I'm 6-4 1/2, played basketball in HS at 210-215. I'd like to get down to about 230 -- anything beyond that is icing, that would be a reasonably healthy weight for me. Short-term: under 310 by the end of the year hopefully.

Originally Posted by KSyrup

I really hope this is the last time I have to do this. I'm definitely one of those people who is great at gaining and losing weight, but absolutely cannot maintain to save my life. I have to be in a constant state of flux - either going up or down.

I am so with you here. I know it has to be a life-style change, but I have not yet managed to consistently do that for more than about 4 months at a time(usually it's less than that).

As for what my plan is: high-protein, fairly low fat diet to build metabolism, pushups/crunches/squats 3 days a week. Hoping to add cardio after my body adjusts to the process, which has only part-way happened. Resisting the urge to eat garbage is a bigtime issue for me until I get into things for a while.

So --

10/9 -- 333.0
10/16 -- 327.4

Been doing well the last few days, starting to hit my stride a bit. We shall see how it goes.

[Ksyrup]

I'm usually able to lose the weight in 4-6 months and stick with my maintenance weight for about 8-12 months after that. Then I start gaining.

The main issue I have to change is the mindset about exercising and the link to eating, which is that if I'm not exercising, there's no reason to watch my weight. It's like a double whammy. For me, exercise is a way to lose weight (in my mindset), so when I don't need to lose any more, I don't do it. I don't see it as a way to maintain my weight while being a little loose with my diet, even though I recognize that on some level. And then when I know I'm not exercising, I feel like that gives me permission to eat whatever I want, since I'm not trying to lose weight. I'm not sure it makes much sense, but it's the rationale I use. And it feeds into the whole "if I'm not losing weight, I'm gaining" thing that's gone on with me since college.

[booradley]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I'm usually able to lose the weight in 4-6 months and stick with my maintenance weight for about 8-12 months after that. Then I start gaining.

The main issue I have to change is the mindset about exercising and the link to eating, which is that if I'm not exercising, there's no reason to watch my weight. It's like a double whammy. For me, exercise is a way to lose weight (in my mindset), so when I don't need to lose any more, I don't do it. I don't see it as a way to maintain my weight while being a little loose with my diet, even though I recognize that on some level. And then when I know I'm not exercising, I feel like that gives me permission to eat whatever I want, since I'm not trying to lose weight. I'm not sure it makes much sense, but it's the rationale I use. And it feeds into the whole "if I'm not losing weight, I'm gaining" thing that's gone on with me since college.

I certainly know what you mean. Lately I'm attacking this issue by running in 5k or 10k events with friends. With a steady slate of races on my schedule, I always feel like I'm in "training." Plus, the camaraderie of healthy, upbeat people keeps me motivated. They won't let me devolve back into slovenliness, and that's a huge help.

Good luck, Brian Swartz. It helps that you used to be an athlete - your body will remember The Old Ways in short order!

[Brian Swartz]

10.23

Weight: 322.1(-5.3 this week!)
Pushups: 0 max, 55 total reps this week(knee-pushup variety on those until my strength recovers enough to do a few 'normal' ones)
Crunches: 6 max(+2), 35 reps total
Aided Squats: 4 max, just added those to the routine.

Almost 11 lbs. down in two weeks is more than I expected, but I won't keep losing at that rate. A near-perfect week in terms of exercise/diet though so I'm thrilled with that. Still have some leg fatigue and erratic sleeping going on, I'd like to get that nailed down this week and then be able to add cardio next week. But very happy with the start. Must remember that's all it is.

[booradley]

Oops. That 'kerplunk' you heard was me falling off the wagon this weekend. Beer, pizza, wings. Stupid Saturdays! Stupid fun! But, I did get in 5 miles of running today, and felt great. Now, back to the grind ...

[corbes]

7-1 168
8-3 166
8-21 159
8-31 158
10-1 155
10-23 152

So far eliminating the times when I eat for comfort rather than hunger has made all the difference. A big part of this is making sure that I think about how I will feel AFTER I eat something rather than how it will feel to eat it.

Also, feeling better helps keep the motivation for exercise going.

Ksyrup, I understand what you mean about the link between exercising and eating habits. I've had that in the past too. Keep up the good work! Same for Mssrs. Radley and Swartz.

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by corbes

A big part of this is making sure that I think about how I will feel AFTER I eat something rather than how it will feel to eat it.

I like this! Great comment on the mental battle.

[Ksyrup]

9/19 - 203.2
9/26 - 198.6
10/3 - 196.8
10/12 - 193.6
10/19 - 192.0
10/26 - 190.6


I'm not used to losing weight in such small amounts, and it's frustrating. I weighed in at 190.4 on Saturday, then treaded water, I guess, the next half of the week despite eating well and exercising just like normal.

[corbes]

A pound a week is good steady progress Ksyrup! I think it looks like you are doing great.

[Ksyrup]

Yeah I know. It's more frustration with showing that I lose 1.5 pounds in a few days, and then nothing the next several. Overall, it's a fine and healthy pace, but... you know.

[Brian Swartz]

It can be frustrating. I try to focus on the fact that weight is often a lagging indicator. This week my weight is actually going up a little so far, but I'm improving strength, flexibility, still eating right, etc. so I know it will go back down, it can't not do that in the long run if I'm still following good habits.

[AnalBumCover]

9/1 - 230.0
10/26 - 228.4

My wife and I bought a juicer over the weekend and have replaced our dinners with a couple of glasses of vegetable and fruit juices. Originally we planned on doing a 10-day cleansing of just juices, but lack of will power got the better of us, and compromised to just juice for dinner with a sensible breakfast and lunch. I'm quite surprised that I don't feel starved throughout the night on a liquid-only dinner.

A favorite juice meal of mine consists of kale, spinach, celery, cucumber, and green apple.

[hoopsguy]

Still plugging away, but this has been beyond brutal for me in terms of work hours. I've more or less been reduced to just eating right, as the minimal exercise routine I had in place has disappeared. I'll be hoping to right the ship, to a large extent, next month. Other minor changes - starting to drink a little too much caffeine (maybe 4 cans of Coke per week instead of 1-2) but cutting down on the alcohol, especially during the week. I'll see if I can pull some numbers at the end of the month, since I do actually track stuff like this.

Weight is at 168.0 today, which is down about a pound from the start of the month. I would be pretty happy if I could lose one more pound between now and my start-of-month weigh-in.

[Ksyrup]

See, this is why it gets frustrating for me. This is the third week in a row this has happened - I weigh in on Wednesdays, and week-to-week I lose about 1.5 pounds. 2-3 days later, on my daily weigh-in, I'm down 2 pounds. Between now and next Wednesday, I won't go anywhere but maybe back up a little. It's bizarre. I'm down 2 pounds in 2 days, after losing 1.5 pounds over a week, but in that week, I had lost 1.6 pounds in 3 days.

Maybe I should make Fridays my weigh-in day...

[AnalBumCover]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

See, this is why it gets frustrating for me. This is the third week in a row this has happened - I weigh in on Wednesdays, and week-to-week I lose about 1.5 pounds. 2-3 days later, on my daily weigh-in, I'm down 2 pounds. Between now and next Wednesday, I won't go anywhere but maybe back up a little. It's bizarre. I'm down 2 pounds in 2 days, after losing 1.5 pounds over a week, but in that week, I had lost 1.6 pounds in 3 days.

Maybe I should make Fridays my weigh-in day...

To eliminate some of the frustration, eliminate the daily weigh-ins.

[hoopsguy]

I tend to trend down throughout the week, then head up over the weekend. My wife will make a breakfast at least one day on the weekend and our dinners are not as minimalist as they tend to be during the week. Throw in a bit more alcohol and my Monday weight is a couple of pounds higher than my Friday weight.

So if I was picking a weekly weigh-in, I would gravitate to the same day you are suggesting ... Friday morning is the best time to feel good about your weight.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by AnalBumCover

To eliminate some of the frustration, eliminate the daily weigh-ins.

Yeah, I think I'm going to do that.

[booradley]

I only weigh in about once a week - I understand all too well the frustrations of daily monitoring.

People at work commented today that I have visibly lost weight, which is a nice confirmation of my progress.

[Dodgerchick]

7/23/2011 - 183.8
8/7/2011 - 186.2
8/13/11 - 187.8
8/29/11 - 185.6
9/5/2011 - 184.6
9/16/2011 - 182.6
10/01/2011 - 181.8
10/28/2011 - 180.6

[Dodgerchick]

Yeah I can't do the daily weigh-in either, it's too stressful.

[Dodgerchick]

Originally Posted by booradley

I only weigh in about once a week - I understand all too well the frustrations of daily monitoring.

People at work commented today that I have visibly lost weight, which is a nice confirmation of my progress.

awesome, congrats!!

[corbes]

My weight is all over the dang place on a day-to-day basis. Hydration has a lot to do with it I think. I agree with the general sentiment that the progress is better seen on a weekly or twice-a-month weigh-in.

[Brian Swartz]

I do daily weigh-ins, but I don't place much stock in any trend that doesn't cover a two-week period. Keeps me from overreacting. You're definitely right that you have to look at the long-term in seeing if you need to change anything.

[Brian Swartz]

And it's time for another weekly update. Format change here to reflect the fact that my primary concern is following the plan, with the measurable results a side-effect of that work.

10.30
Summary

Very good week overall. I decided not to wait on the cardio and stepped on the treadmill starting on Tuesday. Still working into it, a little soreness in my legs but nothing serious. My body seems to be adjusting about as fast as I increase the time & distance so far. Slept a little better. I don't plan on adding anything else to the routine, it's down to the daily grind now.

No lapses, and I'm pleased to have reached the point where the daily eating right/exercise is just a normal part of the routine again, not something I have to talk myself into.

By the Numbers

Weight: 320.7(-1.4, -12.3 overall)
Pushups: 2 max(+2), 73 knee reps(+18)
Crunches: 6 max(--), 38 reps(+3)
Squats: 13 max(+9), 76 reps(NA)
Cardio: 5.25 mi., approx. 950 cal. burned, max HR approx. 130-145

Legs exploding as usual with the squats, I wish the rest of my body improved that fast! Graduate to Week 2, Col. 1 for those. Another week at least of the knee pushups, but at least I managed a couple this week.

One thing I did notice is that I'm giving myself too much rest sometimes on the crunches/squats, so those numbers may go down this week as I cut back on that.

Overall, very glad to have healthy habits in place again!

[hoopsguy]

So came into a somewhat unexpected bonus for 3rd quarter at work, and will be using a portion of that money to invest in some running shoes. I had actually gone to a store last week to look for some, but was blown away by how many choices were and realized I had no knowledge whatsoever to help me distinguish between any of them or fathom the logic behind pricing (why are $150 shoes better than $50 shoes?). Anyway, that led to me spending an hour on this last night.

My current running shoes are pretty much torn apart on the outside of each foot, which suggests that I'm an underpronator. I'm sure people who run regularly know this stuff, but it is new to me. It indicates that I put my weight on the outside of my foot when it comes down on the stride. Well, sort of ... I am definitely bringing the heel down first, but then the weight shifts to the outside rather than squarely in the middle of the foot. This means that a fair amount of the stress of running makes its way up my leg, and that I am likely more susceptible to injuries than someone who has a more ideal stride.

I'll be looking for shoes that help address this concern, as well as hold up for winter outdoor running. Ideally, I'll be getting 7-15 miles per week in over the next few months, with at least half of it outdoors ... at least until I wimp out and decide that the treadmill isn't so boring after all. Anyway, I at least feel better armed to make a decision now but I'm still going to go to a running shoe place rather than an all-around sporting goods store (like Dick's or Finish Line) because now I feel like I can at least ask intelligent questions and have some particular shoes that I want to target.

[Ksyrup]

First big challenge coming up this week - I leave tomorrow afternoon for a 4-day business trip to DC. Not looking forward to limited/expensive food choices and a major breakdown of my weekly routine.

[hoopsguy]

I'm in same boat - going to be heading out for weekend cutover migration for a customer. Eating with those weekends is always bad. I'll be bringing some exercise gear along to take advantage of the hotel facilities, which is a departure from most of my business trips in the past.