Mr. Reluctance sneaks back in.....

Friday, March 18, 2011

I've got to tell you, I'm glad it's Friday!

I don't often feel that way....I'm professional enough to be past TGIF living, but today, I've been looking forward to the weekend.

And it's not because I have any big plans. A few Honey-Do's around the house, a cardio session, some reading to catch up on, yadda-yadda-yadda.

Mostly I think that my body is wanting a pause. Two and a half months into Spark living, I've had many successes and been on Cloud 9, changing patterns, diet, activity levels, dropping weight, re-adjusting belt notches, feeling baggy in my clothes, etc.

And now, my body, mind, & spirit are realizing, "Hey, this might not be temporary, he's still pushing, what's up with that?" I'm still determined and motivated, but there's definitely a little voice that has started to weasel its way in to the conversation, like an annoying puppy trying to hump your leg that you have to keep pushing away.

Of course I could just be a little tired tonight, which I am (nice weight session tonight on the back & shoulders), but I've also learned to be vigilant to these signs....remember, they're sneaky, they use salami tactics to slice away at your determination, to get you to give up a day or 2 here and there, add an extra spoonful every now and then, sneak a treat or two every so often "because you really have been working hard lately". That's led to many a downfall for me in the past where I regained weight and lost fitness fast.

And I've read about it on a good many other blogs too, and so I'm not sure if it's the crowd of us that joined 2-3 months ago that are heaving a collective sigh, or if I'm just noticing it more....but there's something in the air, and so I'm wary.....Mr. Reluctance snuck up on me out of the blue a few weeks ago and surprised the hell out of me with temptations of laziness and plump living. It surprised me by how natural it seemed to backslide to old habits....what a bastard he is!

So I don't see any real difficulties ahead, just a little tingling of the spidey sense that alerts me to signs that my old habits are not really that old and I may never be rid of them....which makes it even more important for me to check in regularly on this SparkPeople site, log those calories, chalk up those cardio points, blog some of this crap out, and make sure to remind all of you that if you see me backtracking, shout it out clearly so that I can hear you above the yelps of that puppy who is humping my leg!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

JUNEBUG1944 3/20/2011 9:58PM

Sometimes, you may need a break for a day or two...just make sure it's only a day or two! Don't get burned out, because that can happen in a blink of an eye! You've been diligent and are doing great. You won't go back to the old you, because the new you has taken over! You're doing great...just keep doing it! Report Inappropriate Comment

TEXAS_GRL 3/19/2011 3:09PM

Awesome post and something I needed to read today! I have been chocking up my bit of apathy up to winter blues, weird things coming up but you bring up a valid point. Is it our bodies rebelling against the new plan????? That our minds/bodies are taking notice that we haven't given up like we have in the past? That despite obstacles we are still going to the gym, eating right? So our bodies/minds are voicing their protests even stronger? Something to think about. :) I do agree we have to be vigilant against mr reluctance creeping in! I agree with Safari though -- you have been really pushing the last few weeks. And definitely find that puppy a new home! Report Inappropriate Comment

HEALTHIERKEN 3/19/2011 12:40AM

That stinkin' Relutance guy has hit me too this week. I'm just 2 days from finishing Block 2 of P90X but do you think I've been able to get into the exercise room and actually do them? nooooo! And do you think I was good about resisting restaurant meals and sugar-and-fat rich snacks on the trip to 'town' today? nooooo! But, hey! we're gonna get over this hump (both kinds ; ) I'm counting on that dieters' standby: surprise-the-metabolism-with-a-trea ts-day-and-it'll-forget-you're- changing-it-forever-day : ) Report Inappropriate Comment

BRADOS 3/19/2011 12:13AM

yea - definitely some winter-hangover malaise in the air but I gotta tell you - reading some of the more encouraging blogs lately sure gets me back on track ALOT faster than I was capable of in the past. And some wariness is good _ I like that you and I are abit suspicious of recent successes and periods of slowing down - I prefer to think of it as experience - and this time I feel much better armed for the fight. Have a good weekend GETSTRONGRRR - these are some good habits we are building a foundation on. Report Inappropriate Comment

STARL_73 3/18/2011 11:17PM

Know what you mean. I'm still questioning not working out yesterday.. but I did do something today. I took one day of cardio off, still ate pretty good and next day, back to normal (omg, eating right and working out is "normal"). Course, maybe it's boredom.. doing the same workout over and over? Try something different? I *love* the days I get to do intervals. Sure, I'm still on the elliptical - but it's intervals! It's a chance to push myself. Or, today - walked the dog outside. Chance to work a slightly different set of muscles. Sure, harder to get my heartrate up - but it's still cardio! So, keep logging into SP. Maybe read positive blogs. Secrets of Success. You never know what will inspire (Safari's last blog has inspired me to clean the kitchen *sigh*.. all that talk of energy). Have a good weekend, GetStrongrrr. I'll be watching you :-P Report Inappropriate Comment

RAGAMUFFINKEL 3/18/2011 10:36PM

I feel your pain and that sneak attack. Fortunately I am committed to logging everything I eat even though it is not always the best choices for me. Keep on keeping on and don't let the salami attack!!! Report Inappropriate Comment

TIFFGETSFIT 3/18/2011 10:28PM

BAHAHAHAHA! This is too funny! Yes, I do agree that those old patterns can creep up and get in your head like a little ninja and before you even know it, you are right back into the same old thinking patterns and actions that got you plump in the first place. I have had a really weird day too and I am totally looking forward to a weekend to relax b/c I have been really pushing myself! But I am like you in that I am very very very self aware and I KNOW when those things are creeping on me. Like you, I have to get it all out of my head and into a blog. It's like shaking the etch-a-sketch - lol! Gotta shake those feelings out and move on! And now go throw that dog outside. That's nasty! HAHA! Comment edited on: 3/18/2011 10:28:39 PM Report Inappropriate Comment

SAFARIBABE 3/18/2011 10:05PM

Ok...first off toss that puppy the pillow it's telling you to lay your head on and tell it to hump that instead! You have been pushing yourself hard the last sevearl weeks with Vegas and your crazy work hours, 11 straight days of biking, the constant vigilence on the eating. It's not easy! BUT you are a strong and determined oke and I have NO doubt whatsoever that you will find that puppy a nice new home far away from you! Report Inappropriate Comment

Cardio Workaholic

Thursday, March 17, 2011

So today's cardio session was interesting......

I usually insist on unplugging from work while working out....at worst I'll have the Blackberry handy in case I get an emergency phone call.

Well today got busier than usual, and my best laid plan for a lunchtime workout got superseded by the crisis of the moment. That plus I had to get home early for #2 son's birthday (he's our St Paddy Day's surprise) started getting me peeved around 4:30, when I finally said, "knock it off" kicked everyone out of the front office for the day and hightailed it over to the gym for a 30 minute spin session before going home for a 6:00 dinner and B-day cake. You see I HAD TO WORK OUT TODAY....WE WERE HAVING CAKE AND ICE CREAM (Haagen Dazs Dark Chocolate)

Well I just got suited up, sized up the bike, and plugged in my headset, when the Blackberry starts flashing it's annoying light; "You have mail!"

So I read it.....and got pissed off....and replied.....then they replied back with another dumb answer....and I got pissed off.....repeat this 3 or 4 times.

10 minutes later I got on the bike and started my warmup routine....heart rate cruising up through 120, almost at 130......and the red light flashed again...see previous paragraph....

Well I continued biking, kept pace as well as I could with my usual tunes, but it wasn't my most vigorous routine. Usually I'm up about 110 RPM around 23-24 MPH, gusting up to 27-28 MPH during some especially hi-tempo tunes, heart rate settling in around 145-150, peaking to 165-170 during same tunes.

Today was mild in comparison. Pedal, up the cadence, see flashing light, read e-mail, slow down, type & send e-mail, pedal, blah-blah-blah.

In the end it was a workout. I felt better having gone than if I hadn't and I'd have just been more pissed communicating with these people if I had not worked out, so it was probably better for them and for me.

Lesson learned: Be unreachable for those few precious moments of ME TIME to exercise!

Spark on friends!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SAFARIBABE 3/18/2011 10:00PM

First off...dump the Crackberry...the iPhone doesn't flash at me. Next...set it to pull rather than to push the emails. That way you choose when you pick them up! Come on Man....you've conquered a bum hip...you conquered rehab...you kicked butt in Vegas....you telling me you can't conquer a little metal fruit?? WTG on getting in that ride tho! I'm going to try the bike tomorrow. Walked almost 6 miles today including round trip to work and home! Tomorrow's another day and if I saw your posts right, you are planning some serious R&R! And well deserved it is! PS Hope you saved me some ice cream! Report Inappropriate Comment

TEXAS_GRL 3/18/2011 7:02AM

Nooooooooo not the flashing red light. HMMM mine is flashing right now. :) Glad to see despite the crazy day, you got your cardio on. It wasn't what you would normally do, but most people would of blown it off....so that is a an accomplishment in itself. Important lesson to have learned ~ Your time to exercise is for you, not to share with the company. Keep on bikin.... Report Inappropriate Comment

EMILLER22 3/18/2011 4:57AM

LOL at Crackberry. Don't you love that blinking red light? Good job for still getting a workout in, you still burned off some Haagen Daaz (love that stuff). Report Inappropriate Comment

GETMOJOBACK 3/18/2011 12:53AM

Good lesson learned! We all need the ME TIME to exercise! It is hard to avoid getting worked up when "they" do things that have you saying to yourself, "what were they thinking, oh yes, they weren't thinking at all!" So yes, it is best to get that power workout in after you are done conversing. My treadmill really gets cranked up when that happens! Great job getting some workout in even if it wasn't the one you had planned! Comment edited on: 3/18/2011 12:54:30 AM Report Inappropriate Comment

JONESINATOR 3/17/2011 10:48PM

HIDE THE CRACKBERRY. Report Inappropriate Comment

KARIRDH3 3/17/2011 10:42PM

Yes. It is SO important to set time aside for YOU. YOU DESERVE THAT. Report Inappropriate Comment

What's up with the PLANNED cardio numbers? Do they really permit us to eat more?!?

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

So not a lot to write about today. I'm back on track with my home routine, which includes 3 days a week at the gym to lift weights AND now trying to add more cardio 3 days a week as well....I think I can find the time....juts need to find the energy.

I feel a little beat today, mostly because I just finished my most difficult weight routine; chest, shoulders, triceps. And I picked up right where I left off 3 weeks ago, which isn't too bad.

It's the food I need to keep an eye on. I can tell that home life is not like life out of a hotel room.....there's always food around here and it's too easy to get to. I'm focused on portion control at meals (everything shall be weighed!) and making sure to stay in the low end of my range.

Now the odd thing I noticed on my nutrition tracker is that once I adjusted my planned weekly cardio up (from 10 minutes/day 3x a week to 30 minutes/day 3x a week) my calorie limit jumped up by about 250 calories a day.

That's what I need, permission to eat more. Yeah, I know, more cardio means more calories to replenish, but really?!? REALLY?!?

So I'm going to ponder that one. I don't need my subconscious making things any more difficult than they already are.....no subliminal messages saying, "Hey it's OK, remember Sparkguy said you could...."

If that means fudging the PLANNED numbers in the cardio tracker, then so be it

cheers all

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

JUDYGREG 3/20/2011 1:45PM

Sparkpeople sugguest a range of calories for the time and amount of weight you want to lose. If you want to lose quickly that range will be lower than if you want to lose slowly. But still that range is a few hundred calories. Eating at the top fo the range the days you exercise a lot, and eat at the low range when you rest or have an off day. If you shorten the time for which you want to lose the weight the calories will decrease. I find the estimates of calories are a bit high, so maybe you need to eat a little bigger portion, maybe you don't. If your weight loss stalls, it might be too few calories for your activity level. I know if you eat 900 calories a day, and exercise 60 min. a day, you will NOT lose the weight you should. Your body goes into starvation mode, and conserves all our fat. Raising those calories to 1200 will cause you to lose FASTER! Ripley's believe it or not! TRUE! Report Inappropriate Comment

STARL_73 3/18/2011 11:24PM

My problem with the SP calc is the part where they put in your exercise. If I put in I'm going to do 45 minutes cardio 5x a week, it expects me to burn xx calories through exercise. But when I actually input my workout - before the end of the week, I get warnings that I'm not eating enough - because the calculated calories burned in the tracker is way more than their initial calc. Report Inappropriate Comment

JUNEBUG1944 3/17/2011 8:46PM

Wait until you change your cardio to 60 minutes a day...whew, you can eat a whole cow and still stay within your calorie range. I'm not sure about such a drastic increase! I'm sure you're so glad to be home...even with the food hanging around...I need the food police at my house! I baked chocolate chip cookies again...sob... Report Inappropriate Comment

SAILSCALL 3/17/2011 7:56AM

This just means you get to drink more beer! Happy St. Patrick's Day. Report Inappropriate Comment

SAFARIBABE 3/17/2011 6:48AM

It's all true. As your cardio goes up so does your calorie requirements AND you still see results! That's why when I hurt my back the first time I was so quick to adjust my cardio time to nil so that my calorie tracker would adjust as well. I know it's counter intuitive b/c we think like a diet...workout hard and eat less and that will get us to the goal but that's WRONG! LOL Try it for a week and see what happens. Have faith in the process...it got you this far didn't it? Report Inappropriate Comment

HEALTHIERKEN 3/16/2011 11:29PM

You mean you didn't get the message about how eating too few calories in relation to your calories burned will result in your losing *less* weight? It's quite like havning a school marm tell you to straighten up and fly right : ) : ) : ) Report Inappropriate Comment

RAGAMUFFINKEL 3/16/2011 10:29PM

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource /calorie_calculation101.asp tis article helps you figure out how many calories you need to consume to continue to lose weight as you increase the number of calories burned through exercise. I recently calculated caloric need based on calories burned during exercise...it reulted in the need to increase calorie intake by 125 calories per day. prior to that I had been trying to stay near the bottom of my range. as a result of the calculations I set my calorie tracker so that it would reflect the minimum number of calories I need to eat to continue losing at a rate of 2 pounds per week. Report Inappropriate Comment

JONESINATOR 3/16/2011 9:58PM

No no no you DO need more calories! When your calorie deficit grows larger, you do need to compensate by eating more. Sounds like the perfect amount for some almonds, greek yogurt, and maybe a piece of fruit if you ask me. Also, I recommend eating at your mid to upper range on weights days. We may not feel as though we burned as much when we lift, but the afterburn effect actually leads us to burn more during that overall day compared to if we just did cardio. Report Inappropriate Comment

Back in town and on my routine...Hmmmm

Monday, March 14, 2011

Ahhh....the pleasure of being back on my regular routine at work....NOT!

What a hectic day....this was my payback for being out of the office for 2 weeks....tons of reports piled up, stuff I expected to be finished were barely started right, missed deadlines and e-mails by some of my folks....sheesh, this is what I get for delegating.

Not all bad, just busy getting caught up and filled in on details that people "didn't want to bug me with" while I was on the road....thanks people, save it up and bug me all at once when I get back....I'll have to work on that before heading out next time.

Which was the only good news. I've been able to reschedule a few trips, so I'll be in town these next 2 weeks, then off to a few different places at the end of the month and into April.

And I was able to get back to the gym to lift again....nothing atrophied too badly these past 2 weeks and I was able to pick my back, biceps, & shoulder routine at the same weights & reps as when I left....meaning I'm nice and sore as I type.

My real challenge will be to eat as disciplined at home as I did in Vegas. Just due to the sheer madness of the schedule I was on (and determination to avoid "crap") I ended up doing pretty well. Home and work actually have more temptations.....actually just more food all around. Some folks had a birthday party in their section today and kept plowing me with a slice ("No thanks, I'm trying to be good", "Yes it DOES look delicious, but I've got to limit sweets" when what I really felt like saying was, "Sure, let me fill my cake whole with with 500 calories of sugar and frosting , then sit around and complain about being overweight like the rest of you?!? No thanks!!"....but I was nice)

In Vegas I moved around a lot, different buildings, people, offices, etc. I was like a shark...just keep moving. Here, I'm a little more sedentary and graze a little more frequently, but I'm still at 1600 calories today, the low end of my range, so we'll see. Will hit some cardio tomorrow as well

The ramblings are over friends....Good night!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

EMILLER22 3/18/2011 5:23AM

There has been so much crap at my work everyday for the last couple of months. Pazckis, donuts, girl scout cookies, brownies, cake.... it's unreal!!! At first I was ok with allowing myself to have a treat (just a couple of cookies or one tiny piece of cake), but now that the crap keeps coming in, I'm just going to have to say no. Report Inappropriate Comment

GETMOJOBACK 3/16/2011 12:42AM

Darn work fairy is such a slacker! I swear my fairy has been mia for years...... Good job resisting even with pushy peeps! Have a great day on Wednesday! Good night. Report Inappropriate Comment

SAFARIBABE 3/15/2011 10:00PM

Yeah see I could have told you that delegation only works if you have an 8 foot bull whip hanging over your desk. Oddly I find I can go on vacation for a month and leave that thing behind and everything is sorted when I get back. My mail is even sorted into folders -- junk, bills, mags, ads. Just a thought! Report Inappropriate Comment

JUNEBUG1944 3/15/2011 7:13PM

Welcome home. I'm so glad I'm not working anymore! You are so strong! I know it's possible to eat healthy when traveling and I'm so glad that you did! You are amazing! Report Inappropriate Comment

TEXAS_GRL 3/15/2011 7:18AM

Oh no the office sugar trap -- I love how even after you refuse, they keep offering. Or with me, they just leave the stuff by my desk. Way to be strong in the face of temptation. Report Inappropriate Comment

Back home and 3 pounds lighter!

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Hello Spark friends. Today I blog from the comfort of my Florida Room easy chair, rather than the confines of a Las Vegas hotel suite. Life is good, even if we've all been shorted an hour today, thanks to whoever the brain surgeon was who invented Daylight Savings Time!

So it's my favorite kind of lazy Sunday. Slept in, got up, grabbed a cup of Joe from SWMBO's morning brew (she gets up at 4:30 AM every day, so it's pretty well supercharged by the time my butt rolls out of bed), cruised the Sunday news shows, surfed with laptop, got caught up on e-mail, snail mail, RSS feeds, etc. during my 2 weeks away from home, unboxed #2 sons plethora of gifts I had delivered last week (got him the Wii complete package for his birthday; Wii fit, extra controllers (for me of course!), balance board, etc.) and asked SWMBO to wrap them up (my opposable thumbs oppose all attempts at gift wrapping). Tonight we take him out for his "Birthday dinner" (actual birthday is 17 Mar....yup he's a St Patty's day baby) which, as usual, is the local Hibachi grill for an evening of flying knives, onion volcanos, and shrimps that dive-bomb into open mouths.

I was incredibly happy this AM to do my weigh-in on our home scale and see it register an ego-boosting 187.2! That made me do a modified Snoopy dance (I'm still walking with a cane, so it was more like a wounded Gene Kelly). With truth in advertising laws still enforced in this country, I moved the Spark ticker down to 188 and declared victory.

As happy as the moment was, minutes later, I began to wonder, "OK, can I sustain this? Was this just an anomaly from 2 weeks of being in a hotel on a crazy schedule? Does this mean I have to do cardio EVERY FRIGGIN' DAY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE?!?!?"

Who the hell knows. I'm resolved to slow, steady weight loss. So far my 9 lbs in about 10 weeks is pretty decent, but truth be told, I'd be happier if the rate was slower, only because I'd be more confident that it was sustainable....I'm suspicious of drastic results, mostly from past experience. But I also love the instant gratification, so my inner schizophrenic is happy with the dilemma.

That's pretty much it for now....I'm back to lazy Sunday mode. Will curl up with the Kindle on the easy chair and get caught up on some much needed reading before Teppanyaki chef singes our eyebrows later tonight.

Cheers all!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

JUDYGREG 3/14/2011 2:17PM

One pound a week IS sustainable. Yes you DO have to cardio for the rest of your life. You body was made to move, and you have to move EVERY day. Use it or lose it. If course, it doesn't have to be the planned exercise you have been doing. Soon you will find other ways to do cardio, and enjoy it more. Playing is cardio too! Report Inappropriate Comment

GETMOJOBACK 3/14/2011 1:14AM

What a wonderful day at home in your easy chair.. Such a marvelous feeling! Great b-day gifts for son! I held out for 13 minutes to be born on the 18th! Cheers and a happy b-day to my fellow pisces I hope the b-day dinner was wonderful and everyone has bushy eyebrows! Have a fantastic week! Comment edited on: 3/14/2011 1:15:45 AM Report Inappropriate Comment

TIFFGETSFIT 3/13/2011 9:26PM

Way to go this week!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, losing weight while out of town is NO walk in the park!!!!!! Hope you enjoyed this lazy Sunday, with eyebrows intact :) Comment edited on: 3/13/2011 9:26:34 PM Report Inappropriate Comment

SAFARIBABE 3/13/2011 8:58PM

Welcome Home!! Way to go on your loss -- you DO know that the tracker takes decimal points right? How much longer before you can Snoopy Dance properly? So much more celebratory. Sounds like those gifts you got your son are just as much toys for dad as for son. LOL Hope you enjoy playing with them! Have a great and restful night. I'll be praying for your eyebrows!! Report Inappropriate Comment

TEXAS_GRL 3/13/2011 7:05PM

Woohooo! Congrats on the weight loss! Most amazing your conquered Las Vegas buffets and came back lighter. WTG on finishing up your streak! You are an inspiration. Sounds like you have a fun evening planned! Enjoy! P.S. thanks for the laugh on my feed... I hear the govt will give back the hour in November. Do you think we should charge them interest? :-) Report Inappropriate Comment

NEEBREW 3/13/2011 4:42PM

Congratulations! You're in "skinny" range! That is awesome! I did an 8 mile run today and I actually thought "Man, I'd rather be doing that than sitting on the couch ANYTIME!" And then I wondered what stranger jumped in my head and said that. But the truth is, even if you DO have to do cardio every day of your life, it sure does beat being a potato that letting life pass by. You're an incredible inspiration! Report Inappropriate Comment

BRADOS 3/13/2011 2:43PM

Welcome back home, my Kindle is charged up as well for a long day of reading (by the way - have you discovered Calibre - the website to setup automatic (and free) delievery of RSS-feeds of your favorite blogs and other periodicals like free Wall Street Journal, etc to your Kindle-free-email account - Love it. Congrats on your hard work and welcome back Report Inappropriate Comment