It's Wednesday, and I'm almost done with this program

The title says it all. Two workouts left. Then Insanity: Max 30 is done. Of course I'm starting a new program on Saturday based basically on Max 30, so not too much is changing, but hey, it's a feat.

Not too much to say at this point. Overall I feel better and look better. I did screw up (not my fault) on weight though. My scale is officially broken, and there's no way of knowing how long it's been broken. So I really have no clue what I started at weight wise or what's been accurate. I have an idea though. Based on what I know, I think I probably started this whole thing closer to 240 lbs. I did have a physical today, and when I stepped on the scale there I was 220 even. This was after a small breakfast and with clothes on, but it was obviously higher than I've been with my other numbers (incidentally, I weighed in at 208.4 this morning on the broken scale. The day before that I was 214.3. Hence, broken.)

So, with that in mind, I'm not looking at the scale again until Friday morning. I have a real scale, a good scale now, and whatever it says Friday, that's where I'm going to be starting on Saturday. At least my second round will be accurate.

Anyways, this whole thing has been a good experience. I like Max 30 much more than regular Insanity, and I'm hoping to like my new program even more.

Also I'm still walking at lunch, and got arguably my best walk ever in at lunch today. That was great. A lot further than I ever thought I'd get.

Alright, not as much to say today as I thought.

Bring it!

Week 8 - rounding out the first leg

Well, I was right, Week 7 was somewhat of a bust. I did my absolute best, but there was cake and a few more desserts, and a few meals that just weren't as healthy as they could have been. And there was sushi. So much sushi. Far more sushi than any man should ever eat at once. It was awesome!

So with that said, I pushed hard all last week. I didn't touch the scale until this morning, trying to work as hard as possible to get the number down.

As of this morning, I weighed in at 216.8. Now yesterday was super super light clean eating, so that's probably overly low, but it's where I clocked in and I'm happy with it. So, goal now is 216.3.

Side note, there's a chance our scale is broken, or at least off. I feel like it's been tracking correctly, but I don't know if the number it's showing me is an accurate number. That all said, we bought a new scale, but I'm not going to start using it until Saturday, when I start my second block.

All in all I'm on track to lose a total of 20 lbs since the beginning of the year. That's where I'm projecting I'll be on Friday at least. It's not the 25 lbs I was hoping for, but I think I could have done it if last week hadn't happened. And I'm going to push super hard this week to try to get there too!

So, too many workouts to log on here, so I'm just not going to. But I haven't missed a single workout. Today was Max Out Cardio, and it's the last time I see this workout in my current block. I really enjoyed it.

Up tomorrow is Max Power for the final time probably ever. Super glad to be rid of this one.

Also next week is my first recovery week, which I'm still trying to decide if I even want to do. I have until the first day of the program to make adjustments, so we'll see what I end up doing.

Bring it!

Just saying now, Week 7 is going to be rough

Alright, lots of updates to do.

First off, I need to say that it's going to be a rough weight loss week. Life and diets (from the lifestyle mentality) have ups and downs, and this is just going to be one of those. All in one week I have Valentine's Day, my birthday and my wife's birthday. And as much as we'd all like to keep it healthy, there's challenges.

So let's talk food first. Saturday night we met up with both sets of parents for a big group dinner. We ate at a fish house, thinking fish would be healthier. And frankly, it was. Yes, I had a few to many fried shrimp, but other than that I had tilapia, crab and scallops with spinach and a little bit of au gratin potatoes on the side. No, the potatoes weren't healthy, but again, it happens. Also there were a few bites of dessert.

Sunday morning we went out to breakfast. I ate two slices of toast with jam, but other than that the rest wasn't unhealthy. Had a steak and two eggs. Also black coffee.

Sunday night I made a super tasty meal for the wife and another couple that came over. Salmon oscar, creamed spinach stuff inside a squash, and spinach salad. Aside from some drinks, not too unhealthy.

Woke up and weighed myself yesterday and I missed my goal weight by .1 AGAIN! Still, 217.8 was a good number to see.

Kept it pretty healthy yesterday overall. I ate three microwaveable tacquitos, which I'm not too proud of, but the rest of the day was pretty healthy.

Finally today I've kept it very clean, except my office surprised me with pecan and key lime pies (my favorites!). Hey, it's my birthday, so I had a small slice of each.

Going to try to keep it clean from here on out. I weighed in heavy this morning, 219.2, but I'm hoping I can power through tonight and tomorrow morning with workouts to get to my Wednesday goal of 217.3.

So, workouts. Saturday was Eccentric Upper. I really like that workout and it always feels good to lift. Sunday was Bas Rutten MMA. This is the last time I see this workout in my current program, but I have it scheduled several times in my second. By far the hardest workout in the Bas Rutten series. Those burpees kick my ass! But I pushed through and did it!

Yesterday morning was Max Out Cardio. I was moving super slow, but I did it. Overall it was not my best workout, but it was better than the first week I ever did regular Cardio, so I was still pretty proud of myself.

And then today was Max Out Strength. I still don't like this workout, but the pushups are a lot of fun and I did find some enjoyment in that.

So, that's my story. Max Out Sweat tomorrow. Best workout in the program! Can't wait!

Bring it!

Tripped at the Week 6 finish line

Hey team, Week 6 is wrapped up. Today was Friday Fight Rd. 2, and it went awesome! I absolutely love this workout, however it is damn near impossible! Probably the hardest one in the whole program.

I kept the diet clean. I did have my wrap yesterday, and it was an Italian wrap. In retrospect, all wraps are not created equal, and despite having the same composition as last week's, the Italian (salami and pepperoni) might have been too much.

The weigh in. You probably guess where this is going. And yes, I understand weight fluctuates and I'm reading too much into it, but.....today's goal was 218.1 (and yesterday I clocked in at 218.0), but today I was....


218.2.

Yup! A f&$#ing 0.1 lbs over. Sigh.

I'm not going to beat myself up. I'm still really far down from where I thought I'd be right now, so all good. And my new goal for Monday is 217.7. Awesome!

Got myself a not so healthy few days ahead (birthday dinner with family, Valentine's Day, my actual birthday) but I'm going to do my best to eat super super clean and light so I can save some calories for those rougher meals. Wish me luck!

Bring it!

Week 6 is going well

Well, Week 6 is going pretty well. Today was Max Strength, not my favorite workout, at all, but I do like it slightly better than Max Power. It went ok. I'm still looking forward to being rid of it. Two more times...that's it!

Yesterday no walk. I went out to lunch with wife, baby and coworker instead. Stayed pretty healthy though. Had scrambled eggs with spinach and swiss with a side of cottage cheese. It was tasty. Dinner was the chili I made the other night, which came out super good and is pretty darn healthy too. Also, my wife has an allergy to peppers, so no chilis either. Still delicious.

So my goal for tomorrow weight wise is 218.1, and I clocked in this morning at 218.0. That's awesome, and means I'm definitely on track. But this is tomorrow's goal, so today's weight does not count, it's just a check in. Hopefully I'll maintain or even beat it. I've kept it healthy today, had chili for lunch, and got an ok walk in (about 2 miles, not as far as I've been going, but ok).

Tonight we have a baby class, which means we're having wraps for dinner (one of the few moderately healthy to-go foods we've found). Last week I had one and hit my goal the next day, so hopefully I'll have similar results tomorrow. Also I grew up eating sandwiches from the wrap place and I'm super excited, since I feel like this is one of the meals I don't have to deprive myself on.

Well, that's my story. Tomorrow is Friday Fight Rd. 2. I'm looking forward to crushing this tomorrow before my weigh in!

Bring it!

Quick post - awesome goal hitting day today

K, I'm late to the party today. Had an excellent Max Sweat workout today. This is definitely the best workout in the entire program. Very cool.

So, my goal was 222.5. I was already below that yesterday, and aside from a Super Bowl binge on Sunday my goal really should have been much lower. And I didn't eat much last night, long story. So, with that in mind, and accepting a lot of reasons why this should be taken with a grain of salt, today I clocked in at....

....218.6!!!!

That's right, I was under 220 today. Holy crap!

Well, sustainable for the moment or not, that's what I weighed today, so I'm shooting for 218.1 on Friday. Wish me luck.

Bring it!

Quick update - not feeling it today

Not sure if it was because I was super sleepy, had my mind on other things, or because it was Max Out Power day, but I just was not feeling today's workout. I liked the pushup section, but everything else just felt like I was going through the motions. I did it, but it's nothing I'm proud of and I'm looking forward to being done with this workout forever in two weeks.

I did have a weight loss victory though. I hit 221.0 on the scale this morning. Considering the goal is 222.5 tomorrow, and after the weekend, I was pretty proud of that. But I can't officially call it a victory until tomorrow. Rules are rules.

Got a turkey chili cooking as we speak. I love crock pots. Looking forward to eating that with the family tonight.

That's my story. Looking forward to Sweat tomorrow, a truly amazing Insanity workout!

Bring it.

Between the Broncos and the Panthers, the real winner was my weight!

Well, yesterday was historical Super Bowl 50. It was a great game, my Broncos won, and overall just an awesome day. Unfortunately, my diet was put to the test and ultimately failed, but that's ok. Let's find out what happened....

First off, I knew the Super Bowl was coming, so I did my best to work hard all weekend. My weight lifting workout on Saturday was pretty good, low-B level, so I'll take it.

Sunday I did Bas Rutten's workout, and honestly, it went bad. My energy wasn't there for some reason. I think I didn't eat enough on Saturday (again, in anticipation of the Super Bowl), so I was lacking in the energy area. Also my arms and chest were sore from the previous day's weights, so it made the pushups I did extra taxing. So, bad workout. Like, a D. This dumb schedule with the weights and Bas Rutten workout back to back only goes for two more weeks. I could theoretically just kill it now, but I wrote a plan and I'm going to stick to it. I refuse to open that modify-the-schedule door, and three weeks will go by fast.

Anyways, after Bas I went on a walk with my wife, my mom and the baby. We did about 2.5 miles. Not the fastest pace, but every little bit helps.

And then there was Super Bowl. And with that came food, food, food. I pigged out. I didn't hold back. There were chicken wings, pizza, pretzel hot dogs, ribs, spinach/bacon dip, potato skins, fried mac n cheese....it was nuts. I also ate a piece of cake, a cookie and a beer! I ate so much that I couldn't even sleep comfortably.

So, here's what's interesting about all this. This is actually how I used to eat, often, and I'd feel that same way all night, every time. So I knew what I was getting myself into.

So I worked out this morning and pushed through the gross feeling from the food. I did Max Out Cardio, and I've gotta say, this workout is outstanding! It truly is one of my favorites, and I got a great sweat going. I could have definitely done more if I'd eaten properly yesterday, but a low-B for today's workout was pretty darn good.

And that brings us to the scale. I had a goal today of 220.9, based on the 221.4 I got on Friday. And in actuality, I clocked in today at 223.0.

So ya, I missed my goal. BUT, and this is the important part, my goal for last Friday was 222.7. I blew that out of the water, and part of that was luck. Here's the thing, binge eating on occasion (this was the first time in a long long time) is going to happen, and in rare occasions I need to accept that. Yesterday was fun, I have no regrets. I didn't balloon up, I just put on a few pounds that are still within the range I predicted I'd be in last week. So yes, I have some extra weight to lose, and yes, yesterday was bad, but today I'm pushing the diet hard core, and I'll be back on track by the end of the week, possibly even sooner.

I'm in a good mood about it all. If I'd blown all my weight loss, it'd be different, but staying within my current range by about two pounds, that's pretty damn great! I just need to make sure I prepare before and accept dealing with it after, and on the rare occasion, binge eating will be ok.

So that's my story. About to eat a tasty salad and then go for a lunchtime walk. Onward with week 6!

Bring it!

Ending Week 5 on a high note!

Well, today's off to a completely different note than I thought it would. My weight loss goal for today: 220.7. My actual: 221.4!!!! BOOM!!!!

Alright, let's recap you. Since I last checked in, I had some good walks and some mixed-review workouts. Yesterday's workout was Max Out Strength, and holy crap is this not my gig. It's a harder yet slower version of the first Strength, and I didn't care for that workout. So ya, I came away from yesterday's workout feeling pretty lame. I'll do the other three weeks of it, but then this'll probably be the last time I ever do that workout.

Then there's today. Today I popped in Friday Fight Round 2. I got about 8 minutes into it before a diaper change was needed (baby, not me) but after that I pushed and did pretty darn ok. I say pretty darn ok because I do not have this mastered yet. It's harder than Round 1, obviously, but in a strength way too that made me feel sore and tired (vs. just being tired). But I also felt like I got an excellent workout and was proud of myself.

Then I got on the scale and was super proud of myself!!!

So ya, those are the workouts. Diet has been pretty great this week. The wife and I were getting a little tired of salads, so I had lentil soup with some sliced turkey on Wednesday night, and Thursday night we had a parenting class and had to bring sandwich wraps. Apparently that wasn't too bad nutrition wise, because obviously I lost. Which I should mention is impressive, considering I actually clocked in yesterday morning at over 223. Weight loss is weird.

Anyways, that's my gig.

For some reason I haven't been as interested in the Spanish this week, so that's temporarily on hold. Diet/exercise are the big things I want to push myself on at the moment, and I don't want to make myself too too uncomfortable. I've still gotta enjoy life, right?

The first really big diet test is this weekend, the Super Bowl. I'm planning to keep it super healthy all weekend until there, and then only eat small portions of the bad-for-me food, and only get up for another plate at the quarters. We'll see if that works. Also I might have a beer, still deciding. Thus far in 2016 I've had 1 beer, and other than that it's been all water, coffee, protein shakes (water and powder) and a few V8s.

Ok, that's my story. Wish me luck this weekend!

Bring it!

Not off to a great start today

Maybe that title's too negative. I don't know, today I feel pretty lousy. I missed my weight goal. I actually went up from Monday's weight. 223.4. Almost a pound higher than my goal, and more than half a pound since yesterday. I ate PF Chang's for dinner, and despite focusing mostly on protein, I just can't win when it comes to delicious food like that. The shrimp was fried, everything was in a sugary sauce....ya, I f'd up.

I even had a great walk yesterday. And this morning I tried out Max Out Sweat for the first time, which is a truly ass-kicking workout. I loved the workout. Though to be honest, I didn't do as hot on it as I wanted. Probably a lot because it was new, but I was also dead tired. Baby kept us up most of the night.

Anyways, just feeling super super down this morning. Hopefully I can get back on track soon. I'm really worried about the Super Bowl this weekend now. It's going to be a lot of unhealthy food, and I was originally planning on eating it in small portions spaced out, but after last night I'm not even sure if that's a good idea. In past years, the Super Bowl is the downfall of my diets....I don't want to quit this year.

Ya, this isn't a very motivating blog post. I'll try to have something more positive to say tomorrow I guess.

Max Out Power

I'm actually counting down the hours I have left of the Power/Strength workouts. They're really not my cup of tea.

3.5 hours left, by the way, as of the completion of Max Out Power this morning.

There's some redeeming qualities in this workout, but I just felt like most of it would be time better spent lifting weights. I don't know, it's just not for me. But I did it. I'm giving today's workout a D+. I did it, I know I worked hard, but the sweat wasn't what I wanted.

Hey, only three more times on this workout, plus four more Strength workouts, and then I'll never see it again.

So, that's my workout story today. I'm going to have to do an extra strong walk at lunch to make up for it.

Weight loss wise, I'm on track for my goal. Tomorrow's goal is 222.5, and I clocked in at 222.8. That said, we're having dinner with my folks tonight, PF Chang's, so I'm going to have to be extra cautious with my diet today to make sure I hit my goal. Also tomorrow is Max Out Sweat and I'll have to push extra hard in there too, since I'll be doing that workout right before my weigh in.

That's all I've got. Short post today.

Bring it!

Max Out Cardio: What the F&$# was that?!

Month 2 is in full swing, and today I hit play on Max Out Cardio for the first time. And as the title says, what the actual F&^$ was that?! More to come on that in a moment....

First off, yesterday, Sunday, I had my first go at Bas Rutten's All Around Fighting (AKA MMA) workout. I've done this one before, but only a round or two, because frankly, it's brutal. But a round or two isn't my goal anymore, so I did the whole thing. Or, at least, I did what I could.

Bas's MMA workout is exactly like the Muay Thai workout. He calls out punch combos, and you throw them, ending each one with a kick or a knee. Two-minute rounds, one-minute rests, 10 rounds total. The difference? In addition to the punch/kick combos, he also shouts "Defense!", and like an MMA fight, you simulate defending a ground takedown. How do you do that? A burpee! Now, going into this, I figured he'd say Defense once, maybe twice per round. Nope, I'm guessing an average of 10 Defenses per round, and a lot of the time he says them over and over, no punch combos in between. I thought I was going to die, so many burpees in just the first round! It's like this the entire workout! And to add to it, he also has you "stay down" on one Defense per round, and from there you do a few twists of left and right (he tells you which way to go) to again simulate ground work.

So how did I do? Well, first off, I didn't die. That's always a positive. But, I didn't do amazing either. I held my own, never stopped, but toward the end of each round I was losing steam. I missed a few burpees, and when it came to the right/left stuff on the ground I'd usually get one or two in before literally collapsing.

Hey, new workout, so there's room for improvement. I'm actually pretty pleased with my results, but purely because it was my first time. Doing it again, I'll expect more from myself, and I plan to deliver. My current schedule's a little dumb and I will only see this workout one more time this month, and it's not for two weeks, but the program I have lined up for March/April has it a lot more and I'm looking forward to getting really good at this one.

Which brings us to today's workout. Max Out Cardio. This was the sequel to Cardio Challenge, and this was definitely one of those sequels that blew the first one out of the water. It was a lot like Cardio Challenge in the sense that there's three moves, you do them for 30-seconds each, then repeat the circuit three times. The new addition, there's also now an added move at the end of each circuit that you do for an additional minute, and in each circuit that was a lot harder of a move.

So what was the real challenge? The moves themselves. I Cardio Challenge, there was never a point where I didn't know what we were doing. Some variation on jumping jacks? Cool, I've got it. Jump high into the air and bring your knees to the chest? Sounds tough, but I'm on it. But today!? Around the 6 minute mark I remember a move where I had only one foot on the ground, my other leg sticking behind me, both arms straight in front of me, and I'm proceeding to jump back and forth on the standing food while simultaneously bringing the extended limbs in and out. If you don't understand that description, it's cool; neither do I. There were multiple times in this workout where I said outloud the glorious title of this blog post (don't worry, the baby was asleep).

But being-confused aside, I did this one and I think I did great. Like yesterday, I did great considering it's a new workout. This video I see three more times, once per week in my current program, and I plan to get WAY better at it as time goes on. And holy crap was this an awesome workout! I was soaked by the end, which is great!

Diet and nutrition wise, this weekend was pretty good. Sushi burritos again for dinner on Friday, and we had pizza Saturday and Sunday. "How is that good" you might be asking. It all comes down to moderation. We went to a personal pan pizza place on Saturday, and I loaded mine up with veggies (in addition to all the meats/cheeses I wanted too). I figured more veggies would be better as well. Then I proceeded to eat half, and boxed up the other half. And that's how I had pizza on Sunday too, the leftovers. So, I got to eat pizza twice this weekend. And, knowing I was going to eat pizza for dinner both days, I balanced my diet the rest of each day to give me some flex room. No starving myself, but more fruits/veggies/hummus stuff than sandwiches and full-on meal salads.

The result of that diet/nutrition combo? Today's goal was 223.7, and I clocked in at 223.0! Boom! Still losing after a weekend of mostly pizza! That makes Wednesday's goal 222.5. Let's do it!

Well, that's my story. I'll check in tomorrow after a workout I'm already dreading, Max Out Power. Wish me luck!

Bring it!