Starting Week 5, Day 29

Well, here we are starting Week 5.  This morning I took Week 4 progress pics, and I am pretty happy with how they look and the progress I have made.  I am aiming to make the next 4 weeks even better!  I had some ups and downs but all in all I happy with how things are going thus far.

 

I have been able to get into a few pairs of pants and a couple pairs of shorts I haven’t been able to get into for a while and I am happy with that of course.  I have not been perfect by any stretch of the imagination over the past few weeks, and I am looking to tighten up in a few areas over the next 4 weeks of this challenge.  I went a little too loose on a couple free days, I got that stinky stomach flu, and I had to move around a few workouts.

All in all I am off to a great start of this challenge but I am looking forward to having an even stronger middle 4 weeks, and then a kick butt finish!

Off to get some exercise!

UBWO

Had a great cardio and abs workout at the gym this morning. I split up cardio between a number of machines, and also mixed in some abs as well. Was a great workout, and had the gym mostly to myself til nearly 6:30. It was pouring rain and a mild thunderstorm when I got up at 5 am so I cabbed to the gym. I can’t afford to cab every day that it rains, so I will wait til after work on most rainy days, but I felt it was important to get in there early today, coming off being sick and immobile for better part of 4 days.

Last night I did a great ubwo, and I was expecting to be weak due to lower levels of food intake for a few days cause of the stomach flu but I was feeling good, strong and focused! I am really having great workout sessions this challenge, and I am enjoying each session. Other than my left shoulder, I am having next to zero pain while doing the exercises, and even that was only one session a week ago. I avoided overhead presses for a week but I was back to them yesterday so even that is feeling good now.

All in all I am pretty excited with how things are going!

Saturday ramblings

Things have been pretty quiet for me the past couple days. I am really happy with the progress I have made this week and the effort I put into my challenge. I am really starting to believe that I am going to have a GREAT challenge and that I am going to stick this out to the end.

A successful challenge or transformation is as much a mental exercise as it is physical. You have to not get to high or too low and just remain positive and keep the end goal in mind. I tend to get too up in the high times, and too down in the lean times, so this is something i must constantly work on.

Next Sunday I am going to take some week 4 progress pics, and i am looking forward to seeing them. I feel that I am really making good strides, and I am hoping the pics will show that. Regardless how they will turn out, I am just going to keep working on putting one good day in after another and keep chugging on thru to the end!

Just a quick update…rocking along

I am exhausted so this will be a short update.

My youngest daughter has a pretty nasty stomach flu that i had a few months ago, and had the absolute, bare none, sickest 12 hours of my life. Poor little thing is 45 lbs soaking wet and has probably vomitted 25 times over the last 30 hours. If vomiting for distance were an event, this little 8 year old, would win. But i digress. We are trying to keep her fluids up, and have consulted two nurses so far. If she is not better by tommorrow, off to the hospital.

Today has been a very long day starting at 5 am this am, then the gym for UBWO and a cardio session cause I had time before work. Was a great session, and I find I am benefitting by sometimes spacing out my weight workouts a little more. As long as I get 3 in over 6 days I am happy. I have not missed one yet, but I did do two after two days off.

I also got 14934 steps on the pedometer today, following up 12000 yesterday. I played an hour of tennis tonight with my buddy and got my butt kicked! Lost 6-1 6-1! However it was a lot of fun and just getting back to where I feel like doing a sport, let alone on a day like I had today, gym, work, walk 4km home, etc is a great sign. I want to get back to a more active life, and for me that includes golf, tennis, occassionally basketball, and hopefully someday, pickup hockey again.

Anyway I am absolutely pooped and the gym will be calling in 7 hours. Until tommorrow….I’m out!

Another great workout in the bank

Had a great exercise weekend, but an overboard free day yesterday. I got up very early yesterday as i had fallen asleep on the couch early in the evening and I was on the walking trail at first light. I got 16000 steps all told yesterday on the pedometer.

Today I ran on the treadmill a little bit, had my best weights session of the year for a lbwo and gotten in about 25 min of wii fit so far today.

treadmill 5min run/5min walk warmup

leg press 12*180/10*270/8*450/6*540/12*360-12*80 front squat
seat leg curl 12*80/10*105/8*135/6*150/12*115-12*70 lying leg curl
seat calfs 12*70/10*95/8*105/6*105/12*10*95-25*bw

treadmill 5min run/5min walk

Great workout all in all in strength and form. I was focused and working hard. Like i said went a little much on the eats yesterday, had a few beer at the George Thorogood concert i saw last night and had some bbque in the afternoon. I have had a good day eating today tho and I am feeling good about where I am starting week 3 of my challenge. Well I am off, make it a great week everyone!

You gotta live it

“You can’t fake it if you’re going to make it, you got to live it”

Hank Williams

A line from a 20 plus year old Hank Williams song is a funny place to get motivation for a 12 week fitness challenge, but it applies none the less.
6*130
Last night I fell asleep on the couch after supper around 7 and didn’t get up til 10:15 and missed my chance to go to the gym. I did not do it intentionally, and I did no wake up once. However being pretty tired, I should not have put myself in the position to fall asleep. Compounding the problem, this morning rather than get my lazy butt out of bed this am before work (work at 7:30 am) I stayed in bed. Besides my current BFL challenge, I have an ongoing “biggest loser” contest with a buddy of mine, which ends two weeks from today. Loser cuts the others grass. THis is a bigger price/prize than money, as there will be pictures, razzing for years to come, and pride on the line. I lost the weigh in (every Wed) by half a pound. Had I made those two gym workouts, I would have likely taken the week.

All day I was on tilt, mad at myself beating myself up about it. Is this going to be another round where i start off gung ho and blow it? No way. I am making this count. I am finishing what I start this time if I have to crawl over that finish line. As I said before, this isn’t about 12 weeks and then back to the old habits. This is setting up the next 12 weeks. That 12 weeks is setting up the next 12, 24, 36 etc. I want to make health and fitness part of my life again. I want to be lean and strong and vibrant. I don’t want to be overweight, achy and sluggish anymore! I got to stop talking, and start “LIVING IT” as Hank says.

I went to the gym tonight and got a fantastic workout in. Sets were in good form, and strength was there.

10 min walk treadmill 4.0 mph flat

45 degree leg press 12*180/10*270/8 *410/6*500/12*320-12 *80 front b squat
seated leg curl 12*85/10*100/8*115/6*130/12*100-12*65 lying leg curl
seat calfs 12*70/10*95/8*105/6*105/12*85-25*bw standing calfs

10 min walk treadmill 4.0 mph flat

pedometer for day 9412

Yesterday
pedometer 5301
bike 9.32 km (mountain)

No more feeling sorry for myself. No more not trusting the program. I am finishing up day 11 today of my challenge. One day at a time I will make this a successful challenge, the best I have ever had. Doesn’t matter what curve in the road I come on, I am finishing this.

UBWO done!

Went to the gym tonight for a great UBWO. I got it done on time (within 46 min)and I got a great workout in. My strength still leaves alot to be desired but it will come.

Hammer incl 12*35/10*45/8*55/6*65/12*40-12*100 pek dek
pulldowns 12*70/10*85/8*105/6*120/12*90-12*50 b row
sh hammer 12*35/10*45/8*55/6*65/12*40-12*15 side lats
b curl 12*40/10*50/8*60/6*70/12*50-12*50 preacher
over ext 12*25/10*35/8*43/6*50/12*40-12*40 pushdowns

pedometer 10415
bike 6.2 km
Wii 23 min

Another good BFL day in the books. Starting off Week 2 well.

VLog from day 2

Here’s a video blog I took today while out on my walk.

Starting thoughts

Well I updated my personal blog on my main page of www.shaneleighton.net/blog which has all my posts from my 452 different blogs spanning all my interests and of course the pictures that I just posted this am are on there. I don’t advertise my blog to my friends or to anyone else for that matter but I don’t hide it either. I mean I use my real name! haha. I was going to take them down and wait until I had good “afters” but you know what? This adds positive pressure and acountability to get the job done.

I have been laboring for years over 200 lbs. I have gotten as low as 202, gone as high as 245 last November when my doctor put me on a 3 week supply of a cortisteriod for my back. I haven’t been under 200 lbs since late 2000. I want to get below that magic number and never go back. I have no business being over 200 lbs at 5’9 and it would do wonders for my knees and particularly my back.

There are dozens of reasons why I want/need to get in shape. And actually I have been working on a list that I can read on the days when the motivation wanes. It’s not new stuff. It’s stuff I have written over and over the last 7 years. One thing or another got in the way. I do have self doubt. I do have a part of me that says in the back of my mind “who you kidding Leighton? This is the same as the other 2 dozen times you have tried this”. However I am determined to make this right. I am determined to be a good rolemodel health wise for my family and finally step up and see this thru.

I plan to post alot during this clallenge. It will be an honest account on the good days and bad. Some days there will alot of posts. Some days, I may miss. However, I will document the journey, the ups and downs honestly and completely. And it does not get much more honest than those befores. Yeeesh….lol.

BFL Official challenge Goals, Pics, measurements

Pics and Measurements are done, and they are not pretty. I am happy with my recent progress, down 15 since April 17th. It’s a good time to do my first official completed challenge after litterally 25 or more false starts. This one will see me cross the finish line.

5/25/2008
weight 225.9
BF % 30
fat weight 67.7
lean wght 158.2
neck 17.5
Chest 48 – 46
waist 47 2/8 – 44
lt biceps 15 3/8 -13 4/8
rt biceps 15 2/8 – 13 6/8
lt forearm 12 4.8
rt forearm 12 2.8
lt thigh 26 2/8
rt thigh 26 3/8
lt calf 16 3/8
rt calf 16 1/8

Goals

1. lose 24 scale pounds
2. lose 10 percent bodyfat percentage
3. wear size 36 pants
4. 84000 pedometer steps
5. 600 km biked (stationary/recumb or mountain)