Month: October 2010

Basketball

After doing the weight portion of my workouts, I’ve been spending time on the basketball court for my cardio component. Right now, it is a lot more fun than the treadmills. A few things I do:

  • Start with a series of laps around the court – dribbling of course.
  • Dribbling drills – forward, backward, pivoting.
  • Body circles – passing the ball to myself around my waist as I move around.
  • Shooting – left and right-handed.
  • The new thing I did today was to be on one end of the court and throw the ball to about mid-court. I then ran down the ball and finished with a layup. Good for running, better than a normal layup and was fun!

Right now, I have visions of getting into an old-man, out-of-bball-shape league. Would also like to consider getting into a similar soccer (indoor) league. Need to get some skills acquired again and build up some stamina.

court_diagram

Next Summer: How am I doing?

Just re-reading my last post and noted the following:

Re-celebrate the wins and think about the misses as you get yourself back on the tracks.

Now, keep in mind that I have only been doing this for about 4 months. Seemingly sage advice for such a n00b. I want to make a note for Next Summer to check in and make sure I am still “on the tracks.”

Timing

I think I mentioned it in already, but as I think about where I am today, it bears repeating. A few things have to be in place to really get a great start to a lifestyle change.

  1. Your mind is bought into the need for change. The ‘bit’ is flipped. As I mentioned in my first posting, for me this just happened. Intellectually, I knew I had to do something about my overall health and weight. However, there was not enough internal buy-in to do anything about it. But on that early July day as I looked down into an incredible valley at Rocky Mountain National Park and realized that it would be foolhardy for me to attempt a big hike, my bit flipped.
  2. As with any change, be prepared for a difficult transition. At the very beginning, it is not too bad. You are excited about making the change and will follow whatever plan you created. It becomes challenging when you are into it for a few weeks and the luster has worn off of the change. The food starts to seem a bit bland, the workouts are tough. This is where you need to remind yourself why you started down this path (see item #1). To me, this is where the power of journaling/blogging comes into play. You can review the progress you have made. Re-celebrate the wins and think about the misses as you get yourself back on the tracks.
  3. One other key element is having time to focus on what you are doing at the beginning. It is so important to not be in the middle of chaos while trying to make big changes in your life. This is not an excuse to push this off because you are busy, rather a caution to put a little thought into when you will have time to focus on you and your goals.

I bring this up again as I consider what’s happening around me right now. Work continues, of course at breakneck speed; school events seem never-ending and weekends are now consumed with sporting and other extracurricular activities. I just joined a gym and am making an effort to get there 4 times per week. Monday and Tuesday, I went early, before work. Wednesday was a rest day and I was going to go in this morning. However, that did not happen (hello snooze bar). My secondary plan was to go in the evening. I had to run a few errands getting ready for the weekend. And then a few more and finally was ready to go. at 9:30p. My wife made the comment that I picked a less than ideal time to join the gym with everything else in high gear. I thought about what she said and replied that this is just part of making the lifestyle change. Life is busy, things pop up and we need to ebb and flow to accomplish the things we believe are important. Then, stepping off my soapbox, I considered all the time I invested upfront in educating myself about the road I was now travelling upon and reached the same conclusion I did awhile ago…timing is everything.

Cactus Pear, Green

I was looking for fruit at the store the other day and ran across these guys. I am a fan of pears and thought I would give them a shot. I picked out two that I thought looked ripe.

Green Cactus Pear

I was not really sure where to start with these. I had heard you need to be super careful and wear gloves while handling. However, at the store, I simply picked them up, inspected them and placed them in the bag – no issues. So, I assumed that by the time they got to the store, the pricks had already been removed.

I decided to peel the fruit like I would peel an apple. This worked fairly well, and I discovered that the inside was riddled with seeds (see left). Now, I am a fan of eating seeds. I eat apple, orange and pear seeds as a normal course of eating those fruits. These, however, seemed very hard. Super hard. So rather than risk dental issues, I tried to eat around them. This ended up being a time-consuming, frustrating process. The fruit has a great taste, but is not fun to eat.

I did some research and learned that some people do in fact eat these seeds. When I eat the second, I will give it a shot. Hoping this turns out to be a better experience.

Information – courtesy of  Specialty Produce:

Seasons/Availability
Cactus Pears are available September through April.

Description/Taste
Actually a berry, Green Cactus pears are produced from yellow, red or purple flowers that grow on the prickly pear cactus. Egg-shaped, this fruit is a ocher yellow or chartreuse inside and out. Encased in a prickly firm shell, it has a seedy pulp that offers a watermelon-like flavor and aroma when ripe.

Nutritional Value
Low in calories, one Cactus pear fruit contains about 45 calories. Rich in fiber and low in sodium, this fruit offers a good source of vitamin C and potassium.

Applications
Note: Care needs to be taken when handling cactus pears. Hold with tongs or rubber gloves to prevent penetration of prickly fibers into fingers; gently rinse under cool running water. Cut off ends, slice open end to end and gently peel away the skin of the cactus pear by slipping the tip of a knife under the skin. Scoop out pulp and seeds with a spoon; slice as desired. Best chilled, Green Cactus pear fruit is a perfect addition to fruit or chicken salad. Add the pureed fruit to punch, cocktails and sparkling wine. Make a delicate tasting marmalade or jam to serve atop bagels, muffins, or breakfast breads. Serve as an edible garnish to dress up sandwiches and salads. To store, refrigerate ripe fruit up to a week.

Geography/History
Native to the Americas, Green Cactus pears has long been used to promote healing, specifically for inflammatory skin disorders, eye inflammation, intestinal tract dysentery, urinary tract inflammation, burns, and joint and muscle inflammation. Growing in all of the deserts of the American Southwest, the prickly pear cactus has been a Native American staple food for centuries as both its pads and fruit are edible.

Working out

Completed workout number two today. Did lower body yesterday and upper body today. Added 30m of shooting baskets on the court as well. I did both of these in the wee hours of the morning and will need to continue to do this as my nights seem consumed with other “work”. While this worked out pretty well, I am a little tired – I tend to stay up late. Too late.

I am planning on hitting the gym 4 times per week. I will also try to get there for basketball and racquetball. So far, there do not appear to be many lines waiting for machines or courts.

Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual

I just finished reading this book written by Michael Pollan. I started the book today. It is a short, clean read about eating that I struggled to put down. He takes a practical approach to eating that I think should be required reading not only for folks looking to lose weight, but everyone who eats in this country.

Pollan earlier work on food, ‘”In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto”, was written about the Western Diet and the danger it poses to all of us. I will likely add this to the to-read section of my book shelf. He summarizes the book in Food Rules, with the following statement:

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

This serves as the basis for the book. He presents his advice on eating in three sections echoing the statement above. What makes this book fun, is that he gives his advice in chapter form using simple rules, in the form of statement and “old world” advice, that allow you to implement right now. No nutrition degree required. There are a few things I want to capture here that I hope will encourage you to read this book.

Part I – What should I eat?

  • Chapter 1 – Eat food.
  • Chapter 11 – Avoid foods you see advertised on television.
  • Chapter 13 – Eat foods that will eventually rot.
  • Chapter 20 – It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car.

Part II – What kind of food should I eat?

  • Chapter 25 – Eat your colors.
  • Chapter 31 – Eat wild foods when you can.
  • Chapter 36 – Don’t eat breakfast cereals that change the color of your milk.
  • Chapter 43 – Have a glass of wine with dinner.

Part III – How should I eat?

  • Chapter 46 – Stop eating before you are full.
    Ask yourself not, Am I full? but, Is my hunger gone?
  • Chapter 50 – “The banquet is this first bite.”
    I have often heard people say they want to leave the table with the best flavor in their last bite of food. However, this chapter make the argument that the first bite is the best and no other will come close (law of diminishing returns). So enjoy the first bites and stop earlier than you would normally is great advice!
  • Chapter 52 – Buy smaller plates and glasses.
  • Chapter 64 – Break the rules once in a while.

 

Food Rules

Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual
Michael Pollan, December 2009

 

ISBN: 9780143116387
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Week 17: Progress Report

Been out of town for another week and did pretty well. I did not visit the gym, but chose to walk to many of the venues for dinner and fun. One way ended up being just over a mile which was nice. I’ve noticed that I tend to drink a little more coffee (decaf) than I would when at home. Next time I will need to bring my water bottle that makes it too convenient to want to drink anything else.

Cranial Activity

On this trip, I had a chance to hear a talk about change from Chip Heath. Chip and his brother Dan wrote a book, “Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard”, that I highly recommend you read. It is written in a style that provides content along with great examples. Chip is also an outstanding speaker (check out this snippet about his last book, Made to Stick), who among other things talked about how hard it is to eat right these days. With the complexities of nutrition combined with the lack of clarity from things like the food pyramid, it just makes it tough. He mentioned a book to cut through the confusion titled “Food Rules”, written by Michael Pollan. This is quite possibly the best way to start rethinking about what and how to eat. I read this on my Nook and was very satisfied with the experience. Some books on food and nutrition have lots of pictures and charts which don’t translate well, but this book was ideal for my Nook.

Physical Activity

Before I left on my trip, I joined LA | Fitness. In addition to the membership, I will be working with a trainer to continue my work on really getting healthy. I am very proud of the progress I have made which includes changing my eating habits as well getting moving. However, I think the next step is to add a bit of strength training to build a some muscle. This will need to be a combination of continuing to lose weight, working towards my health goal and getting stronger to increase my metabolism. I have my initial session tomorrow morning – looking forward to it!

Obligatory Chart

Week 17 Weight

I am still on a bit of a flat point on losing weight, but am ok with it. It is a challenge to do the right things when travelling,but I made good choices and still managed to drop a pound when it was all said and done.

That said, I need to pay a little closer attention to what and how much I am eating now that I am back home. Getting into a rhythm on walking, mini-tramp and gym workouts again will bring back the balance.

 

Next Milestone – Weight=180, target date = 05-DEC-2010

Reminder: This will take me out of the obese classification and simply into overweight.

Week 15: Progress Report

Thinking about how crazy my schedule has been lately, I can’t help but think how lucky I was to get started when I did. There was a nice lull from work, school and life in general that really let me think about what I wanted to accomplish. I had time to play around with several things to get the groundwork laid which has made the crazy time a bit easier.

Things are going pretty well from an eating well standpoint, but I need to get going on move vigorous exercise. I am still planning on nailing down my gym and trainer. Should be able to check out what I think will be the place today (LA Fitness).

Week 15 Weight

Next Milestone – Weight=180, target date = 05-DEC-2010

Reminder: This will take me out of the obese classification and simply into overweight.

Post Rate

Recently I have been asked two questions by folks because my weight loss has become more noticeable.

1. Are you losing weight. Yes, I am working at it.

2. What is your secret?

I’ve thought a lot about the last question and how to describe what I am doing to get healthy and in hiking shape. Clearly there is no secret, but describing what I am doing in a short small-talk conversation is not easy. Here is what I have been using:

I eat right and control my portions. And I move.

Short and to the point. It may generate probing questions or clarification, but serves as a good summary. However, there are two other components that I really believe help keep me on the right track.

The first is maintaining a diary of my eating habits. With the exception of the travelling week (week 14) I have done a good job of maintaining an accurate account of what I eat. Over time it has become easier to estimate how much I am eating and yes, tracking restaurant food is always a pain, but I try to keep it as accurate and timely as possible. One quick note, this is a lot easier when mostly eating unprocessed or over flavored foods when dining out.

The second key item is my FitBit. I have described it as a super fancy pedometer, but in reality, it is like a personal trainer whispering in your ear that you need to move more. You need to get your steps in – otherwise it will be a yellow or even worse, a green day. This has a subtle influence to help ensure I take the steps when faced with stair-elevator option. It reminds me to take a little walk around the park when waiting for a sporting event to start rather than sit in the stands for 15 minutes. I know there are other products out there that do similar things, but this is what I have and it works wonderfully. I charge it about once a week and keep it on the rest of the time (sans shower and pool). It’s wireless sync is awesome and I have the home page in my IE startup favorites so I check every few hours to see how I am doing.

So if I update my spiel, it should look more like this:

I eat right, control my portions and journal my meals. And I move, tracking my efforts with my FitBit.

Not too bad and it may generate even more discussion. But there is one more component that is helping and that is this blog. By taking a few minutes to capture my thoughts, ideas, moods and progress, I am providing an outlet for all the work I have been doing. What prompted this post was a quick look at the post count per month. I started strong in July with a bunch of thoughts and energy but as other things kicked up, my post count dropped to just a progress report weekly, then every other week and with the last one every third week. I have found that I enjoy this and need to get back into a rhythm of writing.

Week 14: Progress Report

It has been a busy few weeks. Both work (travelling for a week) and school have complicated my efforts. But that’s what life is all about. The weight loss has slowed down considerably for the last few weeks. This is mainly due to less activity. I have done a pretty good job of eating, even when out of town. There has been a bit more alcohol in the mix, but eating right and in portion is becoming more and more of a habit.

One area that I need to focus on a bit more is fruit consumption. I am seeing higher sugar per day that I would like and it is mostly due to fruit. I will look to push more vegetables and beans into my diet and cut back a bit on the fruit.

Week 14 Weight

You can see in the chart below, the tapering of the loss. This is my first plateau, and even so it is not disheartening. I have stayed flat for a week and dropped 1 and 1.5 pounds for the next two. Eating right in the right way is a major leg of the stool to getting healthy.

I am at the point where I really need to ramp up the physical activity. As it gets cooler, the pool becomes less of an option and cardio will not yield the long-term changes I am seeking.

Fitnes Plan 11-JUL to 02-OCT Summary

The above chart shows my activity over the last 12 weeks. The pink bars indicate I am on track, the yellow that I am close and the green that I need to kick it into gear. Finding the balance of work, school and life are the tricky part and where it turns yellow is where they all converge. The right side of the chart is interesting – it shows how many days are in each type of activity level. I am proud to report that the right side of the chart is where I spent the majority of my time – with the largest number of days in the exceeding category. However, if it showed those over time, it would clearly be front-loaded which is not ideal.

I am looking to join a gym. And actually go to the gym. My employer offers reimbursement for this and I will be taking advantage of a membership and likely some personal training time. I am looking at some strength/resistance training as well as Pilates and\or yoga to work on flexibility. I am hoping to nail down the gym and join in the next week. I’ve got a bit more travelling coming up and want to be ready to hit it when I get back.

 

Next Milestone – Weight=180, target date = 05-DEC-2010

After re-calibrating my weight loss over the last several weeks, my target date is a bit more conservative. That said, I am looking to ramp up the activity and get back to a higher level of performance, accelerating this plan.