Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Weight Update

4/19 - 172 pounds

4/22 - 170 pounds

It's a modest start for sure. I should actually weigh less; One of my friends dragged me to Chili's last night where I ate a huge bacon burger and fries. I can still feel it just sitting in my stomach this morning.

It's actually pretty amazing how much weight you can gain and lose during the course of a day though. At one point yesterday, I weighed myself and was 167 lbs. It was several hours after eating breakfast. Fluctuations of 3 pounds in a day seem pretty normal. For this "challenge," I'm going to be weighing myself first thing Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

As for my method: I didn't start working out yet. I've still been lazy. I've played basketball in one form or another every day since Saturday. I suspect that when (and if) I start getting back to pushups, dips, bicep curls, crunches, squats, and heel raises (I call these calf exercises heel raises instead of toe raises because you're actually raising your heel) my metabolism will start to pick up even more so, and the pounds will really come off.

It has just been so nice this past week that I want to go outside. I can't run because my back tends to really tighten up after only a few minutes. My lungs and legs can take it, but my back gets so sore and tight that I can't continue. I've tried everything to help alleviate the tightness. I once heard that stretching out your hamstrings is a great way to help back pain. Well, back in college I got myself flexible enough so that I can bend over and not only touch my toes but put my palms flat on the floor. It didn't help.

Barring any other unexpected restaurant trips, I should be at 167 by Saturday. That's my goal. One step at a time.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mike-

Have you changed your diet much? I bought one of those pilates balls at Kmart the other day and I actually like it a lot. I looked around online and found lots of good exercises and best of all it does not hurt my back. I roll out of bed in the morning, turn on some music and do alternating ab and pushup workouts on the ball.
If your back gets tight from crunches it is a good option plus it is nice to lay back and do a "bridge" on the ball to stretch out each day.
best of luck with the weight loss goals!

Anonymous said...

I'm not posting my actual weight here (hey, the public knows a whole lot about me but my weight is staying a secret between me and my physician) but I will tell you that I've beat you as far as weight loss since last Wednesday - I've lost 4.5lbs. Of course, having a salivary gland infection and osteomyelitis that required a surgery might've helped with that, as might the fact that it was in my mouth and jawbone and until yesterday I had a piehole full of stitches that made eating a bit tricky.

However, weight loss is weight loss and I'll take it. I'm going to start riding my bike to school next week - 8 mile round trip, twice a week. I think that'll help me not gain back anything I've lost due to illness, don't you?

Congrats, btw!

Anonymous said...

iwantsixpackabs.com

I'm almost ready to be an ab model now after 10 weeks...I perform these exercises with only a $20 power cord (walmart) and my own body weight at work (nights) when the pharmacy gets slow...I play ball during my days off... Consider doing the same.

Love the blog by the way...at least you have the nuts to be honest...that's always therapeutic....

Anonymous said...

I know this post is a few months old, but I've just found your blog (it's great, btw). For the tight muscles, I would recommend yoga. Seriously, it's a great way to keep limber and flexible, and depending on the type of yoga you do, it is also a good way to build muscle (because you're holding positions).

You'd think standing for 12 hours straight would have the same benefits.... ;)

Good luck. :)