ams: getting fit

[ams]

depending on what else you're doing, 5x5 deadlifts might be overkill

On the plan I'm using, Day A is 5x5 deadlifts, 5x5 bent-over rows (I prefer dumbbell over barbell), 5x5 shoulder press. Day B is 5x5 squats, 5x5 bench, and 2 sets of pullups to failure (I'm going to have to start with lat pulldowns, though). Since I'm not doing squats and deadlifts the same day, as StrongLifts calls for, I don't think 5x5 deadlifts will be a problem.

[Fossa]

Hi ams, it isn't a question of it being a problem, it's a question of getting the results you want. More isn't always better. If you can manage that weight through 5 sets it tells me one thing, you're not lifting heavy enough for the reps you're doing or you're resting too long between sets.

I'd recommend lowering your sets to 3 for all four lifts. It's more important to do 3 sets with appropriate weight and rest time (not too long, not too short) than it is to do extra sets. Weight should be set by what you can manage with GOOD FORM through all reps of all three sets. Number of reps and wait time depend on your goals.

What are you mainly going for with your resistance training? Strength, power, endurance, or hypertrophy?

I should point out that I'm assuming you aren't using periodization to mix up your work outs and are trying to progress gradually through a mostly static workout routine.

[ams]

Well, my week was pretty far from perfect, but it was still good enough to lose a pound. My seven-day average as of this morning is 252.2 lbs. I didn't make it to work out yesterday, because I spent most of the day out of town visiting my sister and new baby nephew, and when I got back, I spent the evening photographing basketball games. It was an active day, but not exactly the equivalent of working out. I wouldn't have been able to lift anyway, because I had some pretty bad pain in my left elbow (but it didn't hurt Friday, which is weird). It still hurts enough today that I don't think I'm going to try to catch up on lifting, but I will go in for cardio. Hopefully I can get fully back on schedule tomorrow.

Fossa, my goals are, in order of importance, weight loss, heart health, endurance, strength, power, hypertrophy. I don't get how I'm lifting too low of weights if I'm barely able to finish the last rep (the program I'm trying, and had success with early last year, calls for increasing weight with each set, so that your final set is as heavy as you can do with proper form). And many of the other programs I've read about call for anywhere from 3x8 (24 reps per lift) to 3x12 (36). Maybe I need to ask some of the regulars at the gym what they do.

[philsov]

A more proper question to ask is what the regulars at the gym did. Past tense. Routines change frequently enough, and goals moreso, so asking someone who has years of physical fitness experience under his or her belt what they're doing now and them emulating it when you have less than a year worth of progress will make for generally slower (read: present but not optimized) progress.

Rep range (as part of your % max -- if you plan to do 8 reps the weight should be heavier than if you plan to do 12) varies on goals, but traditional bench marks are 5 for strength, 8 for hypertrophy, and 12+ for endurance. Obviously there's endurance gains at 5 and strength gains at 12, and hypertrophy present on both ends as well, so there's a lot of wiggle room to play with. Is it, however, easiest to progress at the 5 rep range (which is usually about 85% of your theoretical 1 rep max. Most gyms+freeweights usually have 2.5 lb plates as their lowest increment, so the smallest gain is thus 5 pounds. If you're able to do all reps in all sets, one should increase resistance by an increment. But with a higher rep range (say, 12 @ 67% 1RM) this increment is likely too much and you're stuck between struggling to complete a single set or coasting through with a lower weight because your body just doesn't grow/adapt that quickly from workout to workout.

Excerpt from the Starting Strength wiki:

Spoiler:

Can't I do 8 reps per set?

The general idea that 1-5 reps builds power and strength, and 6-12 reps build muscular mass is a pretty widely held notion. Arguably, this statement is correct in many cases. However, we must once again consider our target audience. The untrained novice will be able to maintain better technique and more even and consistent force production with fewer reps in the same set because fatigue will become less of a factor (as will the lack of the almighty Jane Fonda burn!) Strength is built with 5 reps, and for a novice barbell trainee, strength is all that matters for his development because it leads rapidly to mass accumulation (assuming diet is in order).

Granted, the newcomer wants 'the big biceps' and wants to get a pump like Arnold and wants a rippling 6-pack, and he wants to do all this while doing easy exercises and eating chocolate cake. Unfortunately that is not possible, and in order for a novice to build his musculature he MUST develop a base of strength before moving on to "specific hypertrophy work". The heavier weights that 5 reps per set allows means that the trainee will be able to more effectively load his skeletomuscular system. Since a newb really doesn't lift with anywhere near what his true strength and recovery would allow due to lack of motor skill and conditioning, the lower reps and heavier weight will do far more for him than "the pump" ever could.

Will this program work if you use 4 reps instead of 5? yeah, probably. What about 6 reps per set instead of 5? Again, yeah probably.

"Everything works, but some things work better than others."

It is Mark Rippetoe's opinion, and the opinion of countless knowledgeable and successful strength coaches, that somewhat lower reps (4-6) and the resultant base of strength that is developed will do more for a novice than higher reps and the "pump effect".

In other words, 8 reps will probably work just fine, but in the long run, you won't progress as fast as you would if you worked the program as it is written, with sets of 5 repetitions.

Since Mark Rippetoe probably doesn't own stock in "5 repetitions", and doesn't stand to benefit financially from promoting 5 reps instead of 8, it would be wise to accept the experience of someone who has been training for over 3 decades, and has been coaching youths for nearly as long. 5 reps per set isn't magic, nor is it voodoo. It is, however, effective, especially for novice trainees and as such is the recommended rep scheme for the majority of exercises.

If you want to look like a bodybuilder, that's fine with me. That is a matter for you to discuss with your God and your psychologist. But even a bodybuilder is a novice strength trainee until he's an intermediate. The fastest way to gain muscular bodyweight -- the supposed goal of a bodybuilder -- is with a linear progression on the basic barbell exercises. And 5s are the way this progression works best.
– Mark Rippetoe

Additionally, there's no additional fat loss by using a high rep range, and having more muscles will boost your passive (and active) calorie needs, making it easier to lose weight.

[nightbird]

depending on what else you're doing, 5x5 deadlifts might be overkill

I think he mentioned doing them ramped. What's more, as a novice you CAN theoretically push the volume on deadlifts since the intensity is fairly low. Oh, and he's not doing squats on the same day.

AMS, I'm sorry to hear about your slip up. One piece of advice: Ditch the elliptical. Just go to the gym 3x/week for lifting and start the day with a fast-paced 30 min walk before breakfast whenever you can. this is far more efficient, less time consuming and you get to spend less time at the gym (and I know very few gyms I like being in. I love working out, I don't like the place though); plus, if your girlfriend feels like it, she can join you and you can spend some quality time together + get some fresh air.

[Fossa]

On sets and reps:

Hitting the point of exhaustion on your last rep is good. However, not all "exhaustions" are equal.

Let's say you lift 3 sets of 10 reps one session and 5 sets of 6 the next session. Both days you lift the same amount of weight with rest periods set so that you hit the point of exhaustion on your last rep of your last set.

Yes, both times you're exhausted. Yes, either way you're doing the same number of reps (30). However, the effect will be quite different. Hitting exhaustion on the 5th set means that your first set probably wasn't productive and your second set was less than ideal.

When people talk about "periodization" where they change the elements of a workout they usually change the weight (as a percentage of your one-rep max), the number of reps in each set, and the amount of rest between sets. However, the number of sets usually doesn't change and with good reason.

3 sets is the rule of thumb because it's generally the most productive for most people. Heck, many trainers advocate one-set systems, though this is usually only because it tends to increase compliance (less boring for the client) without sacrificing too much of the gains. I don't know anyone that recommends more than 3 sets for anything other than attempting to break through a plateau (and even then, usually as a last resort).

For your goals I'd recommend 3 sets of 12 reps with a rest period of 4 minutes or so for your large, compound lifts (squat, deadlift, bench) 2 minutes for any simpler exercises you're doing (flys, curls, etc). Weight determined by what you can complete with good form.

It's not as good as having a structured, periodized workout, but it will get you better results than doing 5 sets.

On cardio:

I strongly disagree with the suggestion to cut out the heavy cardio. It's easier, sure, but it is less effective. Walking for 30 minutes is a great first step to getting on the right track, but with your goals and access to the equipment there's no reason not to take advantage of it.

Most people, when they go for a brisk walk, won't get their heart rate over 90 BPM. Depending on your age your target heart rate is probably around 145 BPM during cardio, held for 20-30 minutes. Now, keep in mind the following.

Calories burned during aerobic exercise are a strict function of oxygen consumption. Oxygen consumption is in turn related to heart rate, but not linearly. As your heart rate goes up your stroke volume (amount of blood pumped per heart beat) also goes up. As a result, working out at a higher heart rate means much higher oxygen consumption and way more calories burned.

If you want to throw away close to half of your calorie consumption (and a big part of your heart health) to trade the elliptical for daily walks, I can't stop you, but with your goals it doesn't make sense.

On the lapse:

Don't sweat it. Lapses happen, and the odds were definitely stacked against you with everything that was going on with your family and job. That being said, take a lesson from this.

Try to look at everything that went wrong, everything that made it harder for you to work out. Use this to develop plans for the future. Could you have possibly gotten your cardio in before heading over, or while you were there if you packed an extra bag? What about before or after the job? Whatever answers you come up with, remember them and plan ahead next time.

On the elbow pain:

Good job not aggravating your elbow. Seriously, I'm proud of you. A lot of people get in the mindset that they need to push through the pain and end up causing injuries that, while not permanent, are serious enough to knock them out of their routine long term.

Listening to your body when something hurts or even just feels "off" is incredibly important in general, but ESPECIALLY as you're adapting to a new workload. There's a good chance it's nothing more than some tendon inflammation, but pay attention to it. If it doesn't improve or get worse, go to a doctor. Worst (Best?) case scenario you're out your ~$10 co-pay and get told to RICE it. Best (Worst?) case scenario you catch something like a minor stress fracture, bone spur, or subluxation/dislocation early and prevent it from becoming a serious injury.

Best of luck to you. Hang in there.

[Nath]

When people talk about "periodization" where they change the elements of a workout they usually change the weight (as a percentage of your one-rep max), the number of reps in each set, and the amount of rest between sets. However, the number of sets usually doesn't change and with good reason.

Plenty of programs vary the number of sets. Texas Method has 5x5 sets across one day, 2 or 3 light sets of 5 the next day, and a single heavy set (or several heavy singles or doubles) on the third day. 5/3/1 uses 3 sets for the primary lifts (with various rep and intensity schemes), and 5 sets across for most of the accessory work. Olympic lifters often use 8 or more singles, doubles or triples. There are many ways to distribute volume, depending on the lifts you are doing, your training goals, and your recovery ability. Three sets across is not at all a universal formula.

For a novice, this is all unnecessarily complicated, though. Three sets across is nice and simple, and usually works fine, which is why it's a popular template. But 5 ramping sets gets a similar effect; the first couple of sets are effectively warmups, and the last couple are where the useful work happens. It's a relatively tried-and-true formula. I prefer a more planned warmup followed by a few sets across (I use three), but I don't think the difference is all that important.

I don't understand the reasoning behind sets of 12 either, given that the OP put hypertrophy last on his list of priorities. Sets of five are a pretty good general-purpose strength builder. Once he gets to a decent level of strength, he'd probably benefit from dropping the reps and increasing the sets, focusing on 1RM strength.

TLDR: OP's plan is probably fine. With plenty of rest and no missed workouts, he'll probably hit a 300lb deadlift in no time.

[ams]

My results this past week were mixed. I wasn't able to work out the way I wanted for most of the week after overdoing it on squats. By the time I finally recovered, I was visiting my girlfriend without a gym available. But last night I played some 3-on-3 basketball at the park and got possibly the best workout I've had in more than a year, plus it was a ton of fun.

This morning I had my lowest weight -- 250.2 -- and lowest seven-day average -- 251.9 -- of the year (although I didn't weigh in Saturday or Sunday). I have attached my January graph. You can really see the turning point when I started working out again.

I'm really going to try to get back on my routine tomorrow.

[BePThree]

Glad to hear you are back on track after your lapse. It happens to everyone, especially when your routines change. I had a lapse that lasted about a year and a half, and have been back on track for the last 4 months. You've got a lot of great responses regarding your workouts. I wanted to share a little of what has worked for me regarding diet specifically. I've found that diet, especially early on, has a much bigger impact than exercise on weight loss.

First, I'd recommend logging what you eat, and counting calories. If you have a smartphone there are lots of apps to help with this. I personally use one called "myfitnesspal" for iphone. There are also many different websites, or you can go old school with a paper and pen. Also, find out what you caloric needs are for someone your size. I use one provided by the Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calorie-calculator/NU00598). This will give you calorie intake for maintenance then decide how quickly you want to lose the weight. 1 lb of body fat is 3500 Calories so cutting 500 Calories a day will burn 1 lb of body fat a week. Remember to recalculate your required calories periodically. As you loss weight you'll require fewer calories and need to reduce you intake accordingly.

Second, you want to eat foods that are less calorie dense. Stick to as many whole foods and whole grains as you can. These items are higher in fiber and will make you feel full without consuming loads of calories. Right now I consume about 1380 to 1500 calories a day and I feel as satiated as when i was eating McDonald's twice a day (over 3000 calories). If you need some advice on what kinds of food to eat let me know.

Lastly, and probably most importantly, when you are hungry you should eat! When you deprive yourself your body goes into starvation mode which is a bad thing. Even if it will put you over your calories for the day, or you are about to go to bed (time of day doesn't matter, it's about balancing input and output) you should eat something. Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish cravings from true hunger. I think of hunger on a scale of 1 to 10. If I'm at or above a 7, it's time to eat.

I hope this helps.

[ams]

Actual weight this morning was 250.4. Seven-day average was 250.6.

I've decided that, for the time being, weightlifting isn't for me. It just leaves me too sore to do all the other things I need to do. Instead, I'm going to focus on cardio and recreational exercise. The next town over has open indoor basketball courts twice a week, and I plan to play basketball those days (Wednesdays and Sundays). Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays will be for cardio, either at the gym or going out for a bike ride.

[ams]

Well, this was a nightmare week at work, but I came through it alright. My weight this morning was 249.6 lbs., with a seven-day average of 249.9 lbs.

Basketball on Sunday and Wednesday was a lot of fun, and I plan on continuing that as long as I can. I think I'll need to get some real basketball shoes pretty soon, though. My goal for the coming week is to go a full week with my weight below 250.

[nightbird]

Ams, you do realise you started at 244 with the goal to get below 200 and now you try to stay BELOW 250 (i.e. still heavier than you were before your fitness goals)? Dude, something is off.

[ams]

Ams, you do realise you started at 244 with the goal to get below 200 and now you try to stay BELOW 250 (i.e. still heavier than you were before your fitness goals)? Dude, something is off.

Yes, I started off at 244 in January 2011. After having a really great start, I fell off the wagon, and gained weight above my starting weight. I'm trying again, but I didn't want to start a whole new thread.

[BePThree]

Just maintaining your weight during a stressful week that throws you out of your routines can be difficult. You still managed to lose weight. Keep up the good work.

[ams]

This week was a bit better. I didn't make my goal of below 250 for the entire week, but my 7-day average was 250 or less all week. My actual weight this morning is 248.2 lbs., and my 7-day average is 249.7 lbs. I got some actual basketball shoes yesterday. Hopefully that will let me keep up the intensity at basketball more; I've been getting awful shin splints if I play consecutive games.

Yesterday was a really good day, for reasons completely unrelated to fitness. My girlfriend was in town, and we were able to celebrate a late Valentine's Day with a nice dinner at home and a little bit of wine. Spending time with Katie goes a long way to relieving work stress.

[ams]

Well, I made a tiny bit of progress this week, but hardly enough to be worth reporting. My 7-day average is 249.4, down from 249.7. My actual weight this morning was 249.4, as well. I'll have my February graph for you pretty soon. It has a nice trend to it, but not nearly as steep as I would like. I'm really going to have to buckle down in March, I think: better portion control, less snacking, and ratcheting up the exercise.

Basketball this week was great. On Wednesday, I played 6 or 7 games (to 11 points, field goals worth 1, 3-pointers worth 2). I had a little bit of shin splints, but then they went away after the first couple of games. Today I played about 5 games, and I never really got shin splints. I felt them coming on after the first game, but I had to sit out, and while I stayed loose, it went away completely and never came back. Of course, open gym ends in just a couple weeks, so I'll have to find something else to keep me on high-intensity exercise. Maybe playing tennis again. It should be getting pretty nice out soon (today was actually beautiful, which helped me get in more games of basketball -- fewer people were at open gym). After my shower, I think I"m going to go for a leisurely walk, take my camera and my new 35mm f/1.8G lens, and get some photos.

[ams]

Here is my graph for February. I lost 3 lbs. this month. It's progress, but not as fast as I would like it. Maybe I need to talk in more detail with a coworker about what he's doing. He's has just been shedding weight in a hurry. I think I'll ask about it tonight on the way to play basketball.

[Evengeduld]

He's has just been shedding weight in a hurry.

Wheight that is lost in a hurry somehow always manages to come back in a hurry. A slow progress is not only healthyer (< is that a word?) but it is easyer to keep the weight going down. Which is better for the overal feeling

[Nath]

Wheight that is lost in a hurry somehow always manages to come back in a hurry. A slow progress is not only healthyer (< is that a word?) but it is easyer to keep the weight going down. Which is better for the overal feeling

It's true that people who lose weight quickly also seem to gain it back quickly, but it does not follow that slowly lost weight is easier to keep off. I'm not aware of any evidence that this is the case.

Here's what I think is going on. People who lose weight quickly do so as a result of drastic, unsustainable caloric deficits. They lose a bunch of fat and muscle, find themselves at their goal weight, and return to their normal habits. You know, the habits that made them fat in the first place. People who lose weight slowly do so as a result of making long-term changes to their habits. There's no 'normal mode' to return to afterwards; they changed what 'normal' means to them.

I think people's weight tends to hit an equilibrium, defined by their calorie intake and metabolism. A sedentary 130 pound person on a 4000 calorie diet will not gain weight indefinitely; bodyweight will probably level off at some point as the metabolic rate increases (to around 400lb for a 6" man). Similarly, a typical sedentary 300lb person on a 2500 calorie diet will eventually level off around the 200lb ballpark. People who return to their old habits after a diet will probably go back to their old equilibrium weight. I don't think there's any more complicated reason for weight being hard to keep off.

[fizzgig]

healthyer (< is that a word?)

Yes, but it's spelt healthier

[ams]

Today's actual weight was 248.2 lbs., to go along with a 7-day average of 248.4. I lost 1 lb. this week, which I consider satisfactory, especially with this damned head cold keeping me from working out like I would want.

[ams]

My actual weight this morning was 245.8 lbs., and my 7-day average is 247.6 lbs.

I was sick with a pretty bad head and chest cold for much of the week, so I didn't get a lot of exercise, but it also curbed my appetite. Another incident led, I expect, to today's outlier. My girlfriend of 11 months broke up with me (I can't be mad at her; she had a completely valid reason, but it still really hurt), and I ended up crying so hard I vomited up my lunch. I'm a lot better now, but it ruined my appetite the rest of the day. So, I don't think I can take too much away from this week's numbers.

Part of me wants to throw myself into exercise to get over it, but part of me thinks I just need some time to mope.

[ams]

Weekly update time! I didn't have my scale to weigh myself this morning, because I was at my parents' home. I don't believe their scale when it says my weight this morning was 242.4 lbs. I can't have lost that much weight in a single day. In any event, I did have a good week, weight-wise. My 7-day average weight was 245.9, a loss of 1.7 lbs. for the week.

This may seem counter-intuitive, but I'm going to have to try harder to get out and exercise with spring here. Last Sunday was the last session for open gym basketball until next winter, and that was so much fun, I looked forward to it instead of seeing it as a health obligation. That's not to say I can't find things I want to do for exercise without it, but it was a lot of fun and there was a cast of regulars I got to know. Now basketball is going to be limited to the park, which means pickup games with a haphazard selection of players. Other than that, I still have my tennis racket and my bicycle. And now I'm going to have to mow regularly. Oh, and I still have my gym membership, and there is the indoor pool.

I'm thinking about trying to expand my cooking repertoire. Does anyone have any healthy, easy-to-cook, tasty recipes they want to share or point me to?

[philsov]

viewtopic.php?f=43&t=74204

plus the entire Food forum if you want to sludge through either of the two big topics "Cookbook" or "Today I made".

"Healthy" can mean a lot of different things, but for me it just means "not a lot of butter and/or sugar". Most dishes are made healthier by simply controlling portions down to a pre-set caloric value as opposed to "it's so tasty I must have more." If it's really tasty, great, put it away and eat the rest of it later when you're actually hungry again. In terms of cooking ease there's nothing easier than a crockpot (pressure cooker), so if you don't own one... own one. Then you're free to look up crockpot-specific recipes to help narrow the fields down.

[Breezybree]

Wow that was alot to read but I think I got everything ... Being a person of high level of fitness I have learned alot from personal trainers . First of all ....stop looking at the scale !!! Thats a no no and won't be helpful to you ....that was a hard one for me when I started but it's good to ignore it . What level of fitness of your goal ? Just overall feeling better an healthier ? Or are you aiming for a fit toned body ? Or max muscle buffness ?
Portion sizes are also key as well as how often you eat (5 times a day) and don't eat after 7-8 pm ....unless its an absolute must . Keep your carbs low , loosing the junk food is key but treat yourself once in a while , that's ok. Snack on things like almonds in small portions to fill hunger gap , eat lots of protien if you don't have time for a meal or can't get something healthy a protien shake will fill the gap.
As for free weights well all of that depends on your end goal and also mixing the exercises up , doing the same thing everyday won't really help after a while.

[philsov]

What kind of cereal box PTs have you been listening to?

The scale is a mixed bag because a fat person's goals should be fat loss and not necessarily weight loss. If one lift weights in addition to being on a caloric deficit, they will lose less weight but also lose more fat by comparison. But failing that, weighing yourself ~daily is perfectly fine provided one understands the noise that comes with it, or does it to the tune of like once a month so they can clearly see the effect of their diet/exercise regiment. It's especially good at the start of a program to make sure you're pacing yourself properly with regards to calorie intake.

Meal frequency is not a factor in weight loss. The only thing constant, light eating provides is a reduction in the feeling of hunger which in turn helps one not snack unhealthily or overeat. Your body still needs fuel for while you sleep and wake up, and in addition to your metabolism slowing down a bit while you sleep, so does your digestion. One is free to eat at whatever time and frequency works for them.

Lower carbs and higher protein are certainly beneficial, and 15% difference will add up over time.

As for the need to change up exercise -- I can't find a citation on it but my understanding is that they'll keep on helping if you provide progressive resistance. That is, always benching just the bar sees diminishing returns, but if you increase the load as your own strength increases, you can do nothing but bench (every other day, body's gotta rest) for years and keep on building chest muscle. Your body will adapt to a given load, but not a to given motion.*

*Well, OK, there is CNS adaptation but that's a good thing.

[ams]

Weekly update time: My actual weight this morning is 244.4 lbs., and my seven-day average is 245.1 lbs., a loss of 0.8 lbs. for the week and a bit over 8 lbs. for the year. I'm really happy to see my weight graph pointing steadily down. If I can have even a decent week the next seven days, I'll have a monthly loss of 4 lbs.

I'm still having a hard time making time to work out consistently, but lately my daily activities have been more active, so it balances out a little.

I have arrived at a little bit more specific goal for my workouts: getting in shape for a weeklong summer hiking and photography trip. I haven't decided specifically where or when yet, but you can read about my brainstorming in this thread.

[ams]

My March weigh ins are complete, and it was a heck of a month, as you can see from my graph. Since the end of February, I have lost almost 5 lbs. and the trend has been pretty consistently downward, mostly on the strength of reduced snacking and splitting big recipes into three meals instead of two. I really haven't been working out as much as I'd like this month, but I'm trying to turn that around again. If nothing else, I'm going to try to find time for a walk in the evenings if I can't make it to the gym or to play basketball or tennis. We've had a very early and warm spring here, so it makes it easy to get out for fresh air.

I'll be back tomorrow with my regularly scheduled weekly weigh-in report.

[ams]

My weight this morning was 243.8 lbs., resulting in a seven-day average of 243.9 lbs. That gives me a weight loss of 1.2 lbs. this week, which is really satisfactory. My weight loss through three months is 9.5 lbs. If I can keep that pace, I'll be 38 lbs. lighter when Jan. 1, 2013, comes around. Now that winter is over, it should be a little bit easier to make time to be active outdoors. In addition to my workout yesterday, I spent about an hour push mowing my yard (it usually doesn't take that long, but the front got so tall and thick I had to cut it first on the highest deck setting, then lower it down a couple notches and cut it again).

This evening I'm considering skipping the gym and instead walking out to the lake and back, about a 5-mile round trip taking the back roads. I just have to get an early enough start I'm off the roads before it gets dark. Edit: I did it in about 90 minutes. It would have been quicker, but halfway back my feet started hurting awfully, like they were going to blister, and I slowed down a lot. They didn't blister, fortunately, but I'm definitely going to have to get some actual hiking boots or something to continue this kind of training.

[philsov]

My weight this morning was 243.8 lbs., resulting in a seven-day average of 243.9 lbs. That gives me a weight loss of 1.2 lbs. this week, which is really satisfactory. My weight loss through three months is 9.5 lbs.

[ams]

Thanks for the Internet high-five.

I had another good week. I've gotten back into the habit of weightlifting, although my numbers in that are still quite low. The important thing is making a routine of it, and doing it consistently. I really want to find some time each week that I can go to the indoor pool to swim. I love swimming, it's low impact, and it's great exercise. But the local pool keeps very limited hours.

My weigh-in this morning was the lowest of the year, 241.2 lbs. I may be a little dehydrated from having a friend over for dinner and drinks last night, so that could be skewing it a little bit, but I'm not badly dehydrated. My seven-day average today is 242.8 lbs., a loss of 1.1 lbs. for the week. To be honest, I'm pretty happy with the progress I've been making ever since Feb. 20 or so: 7 lbs. in a month and a half, and there hasn't been a bad week during that time. With my hiking trip planned for the last week of July/first week of August, I could conceivably be below 230 lbs. by the time I leave for Colorado. And I'm certain a week of hiking combined with eating fairly light can only be good for my weight.

[ams]

Well, it was bound to happen sometime. I backslid a little bit this week. My weight this morning was 243.6 lbs., and my seven-day average was 242.9 lbs., up ever so slightly from last week. I think it's mostly attributable to snacking too much this week. I got in good workouts (and I seem to be over the awful soreness associated with getting back into weight lifting). I just need to do a better job sticking to the menu I make and not snacking so much.

[philsov]

or decreasing the portion of the meals and planning for the snacks in the first place...