DiRTyBuNNy's Journal: Fight to be under 200!

[DiRTyBuNNy]

Well, I guess I'm not like most of the journals on here (other than the fact that I'm a guy) but I really want to lose about 81lbs. I just went to the doctor last week for a normal appointment and I had this feeling on dread when I had to get on the scale. My wife and I had just gone through her pregnancy and the birth of our first child so the last 9 months I haven't been healthy whatsoever. So I got on the scale and when it stopped on 266lbs I almost burst into tears. I had been down to about 225/235 before the pregnancy but actually seeing the number just felt like being stabbed in the back. I know I had been bad but if you don't stand on the scale on a regular basis you never realize how how bad you've really been.

So, in the last few days I've just been really depressed and upset about letting myself go during the pregnancy. I don't fit into any of my clothes except one pair of camo shorts (that say 38 but I swear they have to be 40's). My parents just arrived from the west coast and they took us out shopping. I was bummed because I had to get some size 40 shorts so that i could actually have things to wear. At that point I decided that I really needed to do something except for the fact that my wife wants to do it too but she's having nerve problems in her hips and legs related to the pregnancy so she can't come to the gym with me. With both also need to break our bad habits from the pregnancy and not allow certain things back into the house (junk food, rice, anything high sugar, high carb, etc). I also want to be a good example for my daughter so that when she's older that she won't have to go through the same cycle as my wife and I.

I'm sure you're probably asking...why 185lbs? Well, I guess it stems from the fact that I weighed a whole heck of a lot less than that about 14 years ago (I'm 30) so I know that it's possible. I'm really striving to get down to 200 and below but my ultimate goal is 185. It's going to be hard and i'm sure there are going to be good days and bad days but this is something I need to do. I'm sick of looking at myself in the mirror and being depressed (and having to take medication to offset the depression isn't helping either).

At this point I just have to make a commitment to myself that i'm going to do this. I'm going to talk to my wife tonight and let her know that making this commitment to my self and my health is something that's important to me. I'm going to commit to going to the gym at least twice a week, if not three times. I'm going to give up all soda pop and any drinks with high sugar. I am going to do my best to eliminate as many bad carbs as possible from my diet without making myself sick (I can't do Atkins...that makes me sick). I am going to supplement my diet with some vitamins but I will not starve myself and will do my best to do this as healthy as possible.

--Mr. DB

 

[tbstein]

Best wishes to you on your journey

 

[DiRTyBuNNy]

Well, I thought I'd do another update. My weight really hasn't changed at all but it's only been about a week since my parents left. I'm starting to adapt to getting back into a good eating cycle but I've had some missteps and stumbles. I'm still making the commitment to up my protein levels which should help me build lean muscle and assist with the losing of weight.

I also just started going to the gym yesterday. I plan on doing it 3 times a week but I also promised my wife that if need be (to help with the baby) I will only go twice a week (but I'm trying to have her let me go in the morning one of the weekend days if that happens). I'm trying to go for a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule for the gym. I don't really have a offical workout plan but since I'm in such bad shape I've decided to start out with a minimum of 60 minutes of cardio following with a 30 to 60 minutes of weight training. For the cardio I'm trying to split it between 30 minutes of elliptical trainer work and 30 minutes on either the stationary bike or treadmill. As for weights I'm going to try and work on different muscle groups each time so that I don't get into repeating the same workouts every day.

As for yesterday I was just going to start slow so I did 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer for a total of about 2.5 miles at level 3. When I'm in shape I normally do about level 10-14 so this really is taking it easy. For the stationary bike (I wasn't in the mood for treadmill this time) I did 30 minutes on their "Fat Burner" level. This is supposed to get me up to a target heart rate of 123bpm and it adjusts the tension according to how much effort I put into the cycles per minute. I ended up doing 12.5 miles which really surprised me because I never was the type to want to bicycle much less go 12 miles on one. I did very light weight training this time (also because the gym was a zoo). Just did some ab work on three different machines. I just randomly picked 4 sets of 20 for each machine. It was enough to really give me a workout and I was really trying to pause in the middle of each rep when the weight was on my abdominal muscles.

My diet so far hasn't been what I've wanted it to be but I have drastically cut back on the garbage in my diet. I told my wife that we could have anything that was in the pantry but once that was gone we were not to buy anymore. I also threw/gave away lots of really bad stuff. The only bad things we have left are a quart of ice cream and a 2 liter of Vanilla Coke Zero.

Today i just had an epiphany while I was talking a walk with my buddy at work during lunch. I want to do one of the Half Marathons at WDW. I know that 2008 is sold out and that's really not enough time for me. So far today I've really been thinking that I want to do the 2009 Disney Half Marathon. That gives me about 18 months or so to get in shape. To be able to truly finish I need to get myself at pace of less than 16 minutes a mile for 13 miles. I think I can do that. Well, let me put it this way. In 18 months I know I can train myself enough that I can do it. I want to show my wife I can do it. I want to show my daughter I can do it.

--Mr. DB

 

[DiRTyBuNNy]

Well, I still weigh roughly 266. I'm not happy about it but I feel a lot better than I did just two weeks ago. The only problem is I am s-o-r-e with a capital ouch. The ab workout I did on monday makes me feel like I ran into a brick wall with my stomach out. All is well though. I'm planning on hitting the gym this evening for at least an hour. My wife needs me home to help with dinner and our daughter so I'm going to cut short my workout and just get an hour of cardio in although I may try and sneak in 15 minutes or so doing weights on arms.

--Mr. DB

 

[C_leen]

HI Mr. DB-

I hope you are doing well with your eating as your pantry empties out!

Is this your first baby? It kind of sounds like it & they can be overwhelming - especially if your wife has some health issues to resolve.

Here's my 4 hints:

Watch your portions. When I first started out, I was shocked to measure or even read what some recommended serving sizes were!

Be careful to mix it up at the gym so you don't get bored. Also, could you & your wife start walking leisurely with the baby? Or could you pop the baby in a stroller or a baby bjorn and light out yourself? Every little change makes a difference & walking the baby solo will give your wife some alone time for a nice long shower, quiet reading or phone time, or a nap!

Another trick that helped me early on is I would do chores that kept my hands occupied so I wouldn't put food in my hands when I wanted to snack. You could wash your car or help out with some housework.

Finally, review the Couch to 5K running program on www.coolrunning.com. I have found this most effective in starting off my running program. Like you, I worked out at a gym for several months before I incorporated running into my work outs. You can find a lot of support on this site! Best of luck to you!

 

[tbstein]

Great goal Mr DB! I always think about doing a half WDW marathon, but with my work and DH work, it never works out. Maybe when we retire! lol

Take care and keep it going!

Wendy

 

[DiRTyBuNNy]

Well, I'm down about 4lbs which is a good thing considering I'm lifting weights now which means not only am losing weight but on the flipside I'm gaining muscle. My wife has already noticed the difference in my upper body which is something I never had even when I was playing ice hockey. I'm still going to the gym 3 times a week. Yesterday I even completed 5k meters (but I must confess I did have to stop the treadmill twice because my shins were burning). I just have to try and curb the "chub rub" that I'm getting in my inner thighs. I'm going to stop by the local Dick's Sporting Goods and try on some compression shorts (I can get them cheaper on eBay) and then maybe pick up a stick of BodyGlide. I'll be back at the gym tomorrow.

--Mr. DB

 

[C_leen]

Hi Mr. DB:

Body Glide is great. I have it sitting proudly on my dresser at home.

Keep up the good work!

 

[DiRTyBuNNy]

Well, I didn't end up going to the gym yesterday...my inner thighs looked like tenderized meat...I could be a little bit more descriptive but I'll just leave it at that. I've bought a stick of BodyGlide so as soon as the torn out hairs heal a bit I'll be back at the gym (or Friday; whichever is sooner..hahahaha)

--Mr. DB

 

[DiRTyBuNNy]

Wow, a blast from the past (and not in a good way)...so yeah...didn't come anywhere close and I actually gained weight. Alas, I'm not happy with that either. Lots of things have changed in the last three years; the gym being one thing. Had to cut it out due to some personal stuff I'd rather not go into here. I'm trying to stay upbeat about everything. I have new goals, some would say are even loftier than before but if you aim for the moon if you fail you'll just end up in the stars (or so the saying goes).

--DB

 

[serendipity]

Good luck DB! You can do this. Always have faith in yourself and your abilities. You will succeed!