Jan 8

Damn. These two overnight shifts have kicked my butt. I know that it is partially due to trying to get back to my regular sleep schedule and having a couple of short sleep days, but I'm feeling pretty wiped out. I did manage to hit my daily step goal, but not much else.

On the weightless front -- I lost two pounds for week one. 
It's not much, but it is a start in the right direction.

John

Jan 6

I did get some treadmill time today, as well as a little dumbbell work.
Yay, me.
Keeping track of my diet will be weird since I'll be up all night at one of the crisis cold weather shelters.
On the plus side, I think an afternoon/evening coffee is in order.

Tomorrow will be a trickier day. I'll be day sleeping and will need to get my exercise before going in for another overnight. I'm a pretty slow starter when I get up. I like my coffee and quiet time before doing anything else. However it works out, I'm not going to sweat it -- it's only one day. 

John

Jan 5

I think I may start doing these in the evenings. We'll see if that holds true.
Yesterday, the 4th, I took the day off and didn't do anything. Counting the days I started in December, I was on a five day streak, so taking a day off really wasn't a big deal. 

However, after a couple of light days and a day off I needed to get on the cycle today. I did 35 minutes, so that's the longest so far this year. I'll keep building up. It's going to be pretty cold the rest of the week, so I'll be on the cycle or treadmill. I suppose I could walk outside,but I'm not that big of a cold weather guy anymore. It's been a few years since I was out walking no matter what the weather was. I'm okay not doing that if I have an alternative. 

I've also decided that I'm only sharing this to social media once a week or so, but I hope to keep it as a daily diary. I'll weigh in on the morning of the 8th.

John

Jan 1, 2025

It's been awhile.
I haven't been doing much in the way of healthy living during 2024. 
I reached my heaviest weight ever and am now on meds for my elevated blood pressure.
Although the 278 pounds (126 kg) is the most to begin a year, it is 7 lbs less than where I was at the beginning of last month. 

Damn! 
That's a lot of weight I need to lose.

Last week I was looking ahead and considering some healthful resolutions for 2025 and I decided that I didn't really need to wait until today to get started. I realize that starting slowly with a huge task ahead of me may seem counter intuitive to some, but I know that it is what will work for me. Today will be Day 4 in a daily exercise streak -- two days of walking, and one day on the exercise cycle. With the coming cold weather, I may be spending more days on the exercise cycle and treadmill than walking outside, but that will have to do for now.
My walks will get longer (2 miles, 3.2 km) so far, as will my cycling time (30 min). I'll also add in other work using body weight, dumbbells, and our weight machine.
The goal is to be in better shape and get off the blood pressure meds.

Diet wise -- damn, I just need to eat less.
A lot less!
The goals are simple -- lose weight.
Short term -- 5 lbs (2.26 kg) per week for the first 5 weeks, then half that (recommended for long term)...
Long term -- until I weigh less than 200 lbs (90.7 kg)

I should be getting close by the time I hit my 65th birthday in June.
I'll post regular updates in hopes that posting will keep me moving forward.

Wish me well,
John
278 lbs, 37.7 BMI

September 8

Well, it is one week into the September goal of losing weight and I am on track to reach my goal of weighing 240 pounds by the end of the month. In fact, I'm a little ahead of schedule. That's actually good because I tend to stall from time to time along the way. I was 250 at this morning's weigh in, so -8 pounds for the week. 
To be fair, the 258 from September 1st was probably a heavy day -- we all have them. I hadn't weighed in a little while, but was surprised that it was that high. Of course, even heavy days are usually only a pound or so off, so it's still a good week.

The area that I am not doing well in is getting regular exercise.
I have been pretty active, but I really do need to get in the habit of some regular exercise. Time certainly isn't the problem -- I have plenty of that. I just need to do it.

It's week two. Looking for 245 by the 15th.
Maybe I'll do better on the exercise thing.
Oh! And my bp is down a few points, too. I need that to stay of the meds.

John 

September 1

So the morning weigh-in was a little higher than I was expecting. It shouldn't have surprised me since I haven't been doing anything for the past two months since we got home from Mexico.
268
Damn

I'm going to modify my -20 pounds to reaching 240 (-18). 

After my morning quiet time, I'll walk to the Dollar General for a couple things that we need for dinner tonight. The DG is just less than 1.5 miles, so I'll get my walk in while it's still cool.

Here goes!

John

July 3

I'm calling it progress -- even though it really isn't.
I have made it back home at pretty much the same weight as when I left -- 248 lbs this morning.
I'm pretty sure that I ate and drank more when the kids were with us PV than when we were on our own since I lost a couple of pounds in the first week (they were in Hawaii), gained more than 5 pounds when they were home, and then lost most of what I had gained in the final week+ while they were in Europe and Africa.
I'm not blaming anyone for my poor eating/drinking habits; just an observation.

Now it's back to my normal life and getting back to my normal habits, or maybe I should say my new normal habits. The biggest loss from living in Puerto Vallarta for the month is going to be not walking as much. Sure, I could walk for exercise (and hopefully will), but there walking was simply transportation -- how you got from one place to another. The grocery store was around the block, most restaurants or breweries were only three or four blocks, the beach was a few blocks, even the homemade ice cream vendor was less than a half mile! 

I guess I could use the push mower on my whole lot rather than just the yard portion. That would be a few hours of walking every day and plenty of purposeful exercise!
No thanks!
I'm actually thinking of using the rider to do the yard today.

In any case, I'm back home and back to being focused on diet first, exercise second, and better health overall. I'm shooting for 230 by August 1st.

Time to get moving!

John

February 1st

So I begin February at 262 - a whole 6 pounds lighter than I began January.  I did hit 260 a few days ago. Maybe it was a light day, or maybe today is a heavy day. Sometimes it's like that.
I can't really be too disappointed in the small weightloss because I didn't really do anything other than be aware of my need to drop some weight and have some good intentions to do so. For February I need to be more purposeful. 
Just a couple of years ago I would dress for the cold weather and walk in the winter. These days I'm just not feeling it. I need to make good use of the stationary cycle, treadmill, and other equipment that we have in the basement to get some activity during these colder months. 

I'm still an advocate of "eat to control weight and exercise for better health" or "you can't out exercise a poor diet," so a little more food control is also on the platter (so to speak). That philosophy actually works out better for me and losing weight since I'm to the point that controlling diet is easier than getting into a regular fitness routine. Don't get me wrong - I'm still in need of the exercise for the fitness part. I'm just saying that's the more difficult part for me.

28 days
-2 pounds per week
254 by March

Here we go!

John

From my other blog

 https://outofmyhat.blogspot.com/2022/10/new-routine.html

December Diary

It's December 1, and just 31 days from 2022.
Beginning the month away from home and the normal routine will make it a challenging month. I think I really need to work on building some upper body muscle and overall core strength. At home that would include some dumbbells, the weight machine and some stretching. Away from home -- well, I'll need to figure something out. I might just find some time for some squats, planks and a few push-ups or something. 

I don't think that what I eat will be much of a challenge over the next few days. How much I eat is a different story. I'm also going to need to watch the beer intake. I've had as much beer in the past day and a half as in the entire rest of the month of November. 

Live well
Eat well
Make good choices

That's going to be the motto for the final 31 days of 2021.

John

November 30, No Excuses

The final day of November has arrived and I have done well in getting a little more exercise on a daily basis. Granted, I certainly don't push myself and I am far from being fit, but I am doing more than I was doing and I'm working on making exercise (not just activity) a part of my daily routine.

Having said that, yesterday was a day of activity rather than exercise. 
It was travel day and included a lot of walking and carrying luggage.
I probably consumed a full day's calories at dinner with a couple of beers and a full plate of steak nachos. That isn't too bad considering I really didn't eat much throughout the day.

Although my simple version of No Excuse November ends today, I am hopeful of continuing with daily exercise of some type and working towards a more healthful and sustainable diet. Today I am going to have to figure out a daily or at least a monthly goal for December.

Be well,
John 

November 14, No Excuses

I thought I'd post my breakfast pic and recipe from yesterday. It's a little variation on my fried oatmeal. I like this no egg approach better and it makes it vegan friendly. It does make for a larger breakfast than I typically have, but I don't mind moving towards larger meals earlier and smaller meals later. It fits with the weight control adage -- Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper.

Start with a small ripe banana and mash it in a bowl. Add a half cup of old fashioned rolled oats and a quarter cup of crushed walnuts. I like to season it with a bit of cinnamon. Mix it well so that it will stay together in a ball or patty and fry it on the griddle or in a skillet. I use just a little coconut oil and medium heat. I topped mine with a cup of frozen mixed berries that I heated in the microwave. It ends up with 537 calories. It's a little high in fat from the walnuts (18g), but it's the good Omega 3 fats we need. It also has 7g of protein.
It was pretty tasty!

I had a pretty good day food wise. I was (again) right at the daily calorie allotment, but pretty satisfied with what I'm consuming. I am liking plant based eating for keeping a full feeling without packing on the calories. 

On the fitness side I spent time on the indoor cycle and with the dumbbells. That seems to be a good cool weather/bad weather fit and I'll work on keeping that up in the coming weeks. It really isn't much of a workout. I may put more into it as time passes, or I may just be satisfied with the regular activity level it brings as is. It's not like I'm planning a 50 mile run like my niece Laura just completed, or a century bicycle ride like my nephew Joe does on a regular basis. I just need to manage the stairs from the deck to the garden!

My regular weekly weigh-in isn't until tomorrow, but I stepped on the scale this morning to see how it was looking and it read 240. I'm feeling pretty good about it.

John

November 13, No Excuses

With the cooling temperatures and less of a commitment to walking in the great outdoors, the indoor cycle and dumbbells are becoming my go-to for exercise. I put in an afternoon 30 minutes yesterday and may do the same today while watching the fights.

Total food calories were okay yesterday and most of the content was good. I was a little heavy on the fat intake due to the guacamole with dinner. 
We finished dinner early and I was very purposeful about no late evening snacks so I'm set up well for a day of IF. I'm already at 15 hours. Noon will be 19 hours and I'll see how I feel then.

John

November 6, No Excuses

Yesterday's walk was a more leisurely stroll. We drove to the Ozark Park and walked the park and the newly developed area around the old mill. It ended up being only 1.5 miles, but I added some walking and stair steps while working on an afternoon project for the back porch.

I'm going to put yesterday in the bad diet column. I did come in below my calorie allotment for the day, so that part is good, but I ate poorly--too much calorie dense, high fat food. I'm okay with the occasional day like that, but I want it to be the exception. Back to the fruits, nuts, and veggies today.

I won't be home on Monday morning for a first week weigh-in. I'll try to remember to do that tomorrow morning. I did step on the scale this morning and I was 244 pounds. That's minus 2 for the week/month and I'm happy about that. Daily weighing can be weird, so I may or may not weigh in tomorrow. 
When I went through the big loss several years ago, I weighed daily but told myself I had to be at or below a weight for three consecutive days before I could claim it. Maybe weighing daily isn't the weird part. Maybe it's me.

Be well,
John

November 4, No Excuses

I did the 30 minutes on the exercise cycle yesterday. It wasn't a killer pace or anything. I was actually reading a little bit while riding, but that doesn't work too well for reading or riding. I'll most likely be on the cycle again today.

We went out to eat last night. I had a nice salad that had fruit, nuts, and feta cheese on some nice greens, and a bowl of shrimp and lobster chowder. The freshly baked bread and butter added big to the calorie count, but I was right at the daily number for my total (after a late snack of a few crackers and peanut butter).
I'll give some attention to the time of my last intake today and set up a day of intermittent fasting for tomorrow.

Be well,
John

November 2, No Excuses

I did it! One day--No excuses. Big deal, right?
Actually, without Day 1, there is no Day 2, so it's kind of a deal. I started with just 15 minutes on the exercise cycle and then walked 1.2 miles before it started a light rain. Today will be another cool and overcast day, but no rain is in the forecast. The plan is to walk a couple of miles.

I had more meat yesterday than I think I'll be having on most days as I move to more of a plant based diet. I had a chicken salad lunch and chili for dinner. Overall, I was well below the daily calorie count. 

I want to point out that even though I am using calories as a sort of daily guide for weightloss, I'm learning that the kind of calories really matter in how I feel. By limiting low fiber processed foods like bread and pasta, and calorie dense foods like meat, I am not feeling hungry or even craving snacks throughout the day. I'm thinking about a mini-experiment for breakfast today. If I go through with it, I'll share it tomorrow.

November 2
Just another day in the new healthy normal, right?

John

November 1, No Excuses

I used to walk every day.
Every. Single. Day.
It was just a part of what I did.
I need to get back to that kind of daily habit.

November's goal is 30 minutes on the exercise cycle or a two mile walk -- every day, no excuses.

Yesterday's diet was okay. For the second time in a week I ate most of my calories in a single meal and was very close to my daily calorie allotment. (The few Halloween treats pushed the limit.) I'll be sticking to the heavy on the fruits and veggies, light on the processed foods and meats diet for the coming weeks and looking to make that a lifestyle change.

This morning's first of the month weigh-in was at 246 pounds. That's less than yesterday's 248. I don't think I lost two pounds in a day and several things may have contributed to the difference. 
1) It's an analog bathroom scale.
2) We all have heavy days and light days
3) Yesterday was just a quick read. Today I double checked.
4) Yes, I did lose two pounds in a day

In the end, it's not a big deal and I'm going to call it 246 for November's starting weight.
Here we go!

John

October 13, Day 22

Yesterday I intentionally used yardwork as my exercise. In addition to the time spent in spring garden prep, I decided to push mow the yard part of the property. That was around five miles of walking. I figured that walking didn't seem to bother my low back, so that was my exercise. I ended up with over 14,000 steps for the day. My low back still seems aggravated this morning, so I'll have to figure something out for today.

Yesterday's diet was a little high in fat and I probably should have skipped dessert -- basically the same kind of crap that got me here at 50+ pounds overweight. 
Sacrebleu!

John

October 4, Day 13

I added some stretching yesterday and am feeling it today. It was somewhere between yoga and stretching for a pre or post workout session, but still pretty light. I need to do more of this or a full 30 minutes of yoga on a regular basis. The week is setting up to be full of outside gardening/yardwork stuff, so I shoild be pretty active on the physical side.
It looks like the end of the week will have weather suitable for another day of paddling. I'm looking forward to it. 

The weekend was okay diet wise. As I mentioned yesterday, I need to watch portion size. I'll be eating out twice today, and that goes double for dining out portions. Overall, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm keeping things in perspective so it doesn't become a chore. I want good health to be an enjoyable lifestyle, not a life sucking daily task. 100 days should provide a decent base to build on--even if it's the last 100 days of the year.

Be well,
John

October 2, Day 11

Good diet day. I feel like I'm back in the right frame of mind for healthy eating. I'll ride this wave for as long as it lasts and hope to get a good long run out of it.

I'm still going to need to find an exercise rhythm, or maybe just getting it done without a rhythm is okay.
It's day 2 on the 30 day challenge, still light and not an issue.

John