The quote actually says a whole lot in a few words. It shows a determination to meet the goal whilst acknowledging weaknesses and devising a new plan.
Welcome to my world.
I took about five days off from exercising to contemplate the latest changes the nutritionist recommended. That break yielded the formulation of a new plan.
New Plan: Ignore the nutritionist.
Well, not totally ignore him. I have implemented the nutritional changes he recommended. The biggest change was dropping carbs. Because I don't like many green veggies, I've been using a baked potato as a side for one meal a day. Even though I can only take a few bites of it, he recommends me dropping that starch altogether and substituting a vegetable instead.
So no potatoes. And no crackers. I'm four days into this "no carb/low carb" thing and I'll honestly say it's the most difficult challenge yet (aside from the pre-op diet). I feel like I'm suffering through breaking another addiction. But it's definitely getting easier each day.
His fitness recommendation was to scale back the walking routine and instead implement some resistance training. Basically, he recommended 50/50 cardio/resistance no more than 5 times a week total.
I'm not buying it. I understand the importance of letting the body rest, but I don't think my new routine is unreasonable.
So here is my new fitness plan:
Walk 4 nights a week - Previously I had a goal of 10 miles over the course of 5 nights. Most weeks I'd exceed that goal by at least 2 miles. I'd like to maintain 10 miles a week, but if I don't I'm not going to stress about it. I've learned to listen to my body, and that has worked well for me thus far. Plus, I have people walking with me, and I'm not going to let the "team" down when there is no detriment to a little extra exercise.
Lift weights 3 times a week - I joined a gym close to my office, and my goal is to lift weights (focusing on upper body) 3 times a week during my lunch hour. This works out really well. Not only will I be improving tone and strength, but I'll also be removing the temptation to have a nice lunch out somewhere.
That's the plan. Now, if I do a couple weeks of this routine and realize it's too much for my body to handle, I'll change it accordingly.
With a new plan in mind, and a gym membership fresh in my pocket, I started in earnest this week. I hit the gym Tuesday for the first time and did some lifting on some of the basic resistance machines. And I used the treadmill to get a quick mile in as well. I always like to jack my heart rate up when I can so I can burn more calories.
Physically, I'm sore as hell. Three straight days of working the arms and they are toast. Today is Thursday and I just completed my final weight workout for the week. I can barely lift my arms. But like the rest of this wonderful ride, it is so fulfilling to know that I'm doing it right.
And as Coach Cochran says: "If it ain't hurtin', you ain't doing it right."
Mentally, this poses a whole new level of dedication. It's a challenge because I know there will be pain associated with soreness that I will have to push through. Like the walking routine, I'll have to mentally commit to keeping the routine. It's even more of a lifestyle change that I've already committed to. I'm dedicating myself to not only losing weight, but now changing the appearance of my body. Getting rid of the man boobs. Toning up the arms. All the while trying to increase endurance and stamina. And doing it around strangers who look like they should be modeling for a living.
It's a challenge I'm prepared for, though.
So if you see me in the next few weeks and I look like I'm 80 years old because I'm waddling around and moving at a turtles pace, be easy with me. I'm likely fragile.
Oh. And I've lost 90lbs. :-)
I'll have two more blogs next week. One will be about the new exercises I'm doing at the gym. The other is a thought I've had rolling around in the attic about what a crock of poopoo the official BMI guideline chart is. Stay tuned.
Weight this morning: 351.8 (-90lbs)
Regards,
The Vanishing Taylor
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