Showing posts with label Gaming Weight Loss. Show all posts
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Instead of running a normal Half Marathon this year, we decided to do something a bit different. Lisa and I ran the Full Marathon Relay as a two person team. So, this meant running six and half miles...resting for an hour while the other runs...and running another six and a half miles. It sounded like an interesting challenge so we went for it!
As soon as we began training for it, we realized that it was going to be more difficult than we realized. First of all, we are so used to running together that long runs alone are now awful. In addition, we didn't anticipate how difficult it would be to get ourselves running again after taking such a long break. But, we take challenges head on and worked to get ready for the race.
As race day neared, we sat down and made our plans for getting around the 26.2 mile course that winds through Champaign, IL. We not only needed to get to the next relay station, but also wanted to be somewhere half way between each point to cheer for each other. Lisa made us a great plan of back streets that got us around without much issue. We decided to bike the entire course a week before so we could get familiar with the route. It was a lot of fun, but my back was killing me by the end of a 2.5 hour bike ride :)
We decided to walk the 5k race the night before with family and friends to get our legs warmed up for the next morning. It was nice to get out there and get rid of some pre-race jitters and ending on the field at Memorial Stadium was really cool. We had a few friends running in their first 5k ever so it was awesome to be there and cheer them on.
There is a different feeling when you show up for race day. All of your concerns about success start to go away and the energy makes you feel like you can do anything. This is why we tend to run a bit too fast the first mile, but we get adjusted quickly. I was there to see Lisa take off from the start line and then I jumped in the car with her mom to get to the first cheering location. Lisa came by at about mile 3 and we were there to take pictures and give her a high five. We then headed over to the first relay station!
The first six and a half miles wasn't too bad and I kept close to my normal running pace, but it was so much less fun running alone. Once you have a running partner to talk to, encourage, and get encouragement from...it's really hard to go back solo. The second leg for each of us was really difficult. Having stopped for so long and then running the second half of 13.1 miles was pretty tiring on our own. At times, the only thing that kept me going was knowing that Lisa was waiting for me and that we got to cross the finish line together.
It was a great experience that I'm really glad we did, but I seriously doubt I will run this way again. Running together is way more fun!
As soon as we began training for it, we realized that it was going to be more difficult than we realized. First of all, we are so used to running together that long runs alone are now awful. In addition, we didn't anticipate how difficult it would be to get ourselves running again after taking such a long break. But, we take challenges head on and worked to get ready for the race.
There is a different feeling when you show up for race day. All of your concerns about success start to go away and the energy makes you feel like you can do anything. This is why we tend to run a bit too fast the first mile, but we get adjusted quickly. I was there to see Lisa take off from the start line and then I jumped in the car with her mom to get to the first cheering location. Lisa came by at about mile 3 and we were there to take pictures and give her a high five. We then headed over to the first relay station!
It was a great experience that I'm really glad we did, but I seriously doubt I will run this way again. Running together is way more fun!
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One of the best feelings in the world is the the excitement that builds in the moments leading up to a race! It's even better for me if it's a race that I'm running for the first time and I get to see all new sights and people. So to make things even more exciting, Lisa and I have decided on a new long term goal of running a race in all 50 states!
In 2012 we managed to run races in three different states:
Rantoul 5k - Rantoul, Illinois (first race)
St. Louis Half Marathon - St. Louis, Missouri (first half marathon)
Wine & Dine Half Marathon - Disney World, Florida (my dream race)
We think we can get through three or four states a year and can't wait to see some parts of the country we've never even visited. When possible, we'd like the race to be a half marathon...but our rule is that as long as it's a race (5k or more) it counts. I've created a new blog list on the left side to list our first race in each state!
One of the best feelings in the world is the the excitement that builds in the moments leading up to a race! It's even better for me if it's a race that I'm running for the first time and I get to see all new sights and people. So to make things even more exciting, Lisa and I have decided on a new long term goal of running a race in all 50 states!
Rantoul 5k - Rantoul, Illinois (first race)
St. Louis Half Marathon - St. Louis, Missouri (first half marathon)
Wine & Dine Half Marathon - Disney World, Florida (my dream race)
We think we can get through three or four states a year and can't wait to see some parts of the country we've never even visited. When possible, we'd like the race to be a half marathon...but our rule is that as long as it's a race (5k or more) it counts. I've created a new blog list on the left side to list our first race in each state!
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As soon as I was finished with My Extra Life Gaming Marathon, it was time to do my first Zombie Run! I mean...who needs to sleep right? Also, I couldn't let Lisa do the run alone and hear about how she got infected because I wasn't there to be slower than her and get caught in her place.
I wasn't sure what to expect, but assumed it was a 2 mile run where I'd need to speed up occasionally to avoid Zombies. Oh man, it was way different. We each were given a belt with three flags on it and in order to "survive" we had to make it to the end with at least one flag left. They put is in groups of 9 plus an ROTC guide and loaded us on an evacuation bus so we could get to the evacuation helicopter safely. Along the way, the bus stops and we find that our driver has been infected! We opened the rear door of the bus and everyone poured out and ran toward the bridge.
As we approached the bridge, I got my first eerie feeling. It was a single person bridge that we had to cross with a zombie standing at the other end. The guide yells "We have to run for it!" so we all took off across the bridge. The rest of the evening was us jogging to the next point and then all out sprinting...not what I was expecting!
As we approached one of the locations, I was looking behind us as a group of slow moving zombies were coming our way. Then suddenly a couple more came running out of the brush right beside of us and I turned to stare one in the face! I was able to turn quickly and get away with all of my flags, but that got my heart rate up quite a bit. It got dark during our run and a good portion of it took place in thick woods. It was pretty freaky overall.
We got through most of the encounters without losing a flag...until we ran into some of our friends. They decided to wrap their arms around us and hold us down until another came and took our flags! It was a rough encounter, but a lot of fun. They had great costumes and their makeup was professionally done.
The Zombie Run was a total blast and I'm really happy we did it. Next year we are talking about changing roles so we are Zombies while our other friends get to experience running the race. I was able to hold onto one of my flags and make it out alive!
I wasn't sure what to expect, but assumed it was a 2 mile run where I'd need to speed up occasionally to avoid Zombies. Oh man, it was way different. We each were given a belt with three flags on it and in order to "survive" we had to make it to the end with at least one flag left. They put is in groups of 9 plus an ROTC guide and loaded us on an evacuation bus so we could get to the evacuation helicopter safely. Along the way, the bus stops and we find that our driver has been infected! We opened the rear door of the bus and everyone poured out and ran toward the bridge.
As we approached the bridge, I got my first eerie feeling. It was a single person bridge that we had to cross with a zombie standing at the other end. The guide yells "We have to run for it!" so we all took off across the bridge. The rest of the evening was us jogging to the next point and then all out sprinting...not what I was expecting!
As we approached one of the locations, I was looking behind us as a group of slow moving zombies were coming our way. Then suddenly a couple more came running out of the brush right beside of us and I turned to stare one in the face! I was able to turn quickly and get away with all of my flags, but that got my heart rate up quite a bit. It got dark during our run and a good portion of it took place in thick woods. It was pretty freaky overall.
You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe via RSS or email. Please support the blog by doing your Amazon.com purchases through this link.
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It's been way too long since I've given an update on my training progress for the Disney World Wine & Dine Half Marathon! There is now just 25 days until the event and I've made huge strides since completing my Couch to 5K course earlier this spring.
Yesterday I completed my first 11 mile run...took two hours of constant running at an average of 10:55 minute miles. I still can't believe that I'm now capable of this kind of run, but it was a slow build up of endurance over many weeks of training. I'm convinced that it would have been way more difficult if I didn't have my running partner, Lisa, to keep me motivated on these long runs. I'm super excited (and relieved) that she will be there to run the half marathon with me!
I've had some struggles along the way...with the major one being a knee injury on my first attempt at 9 miles several weeks ago. My IT band (the muscle that connects from the outside of your knee) was injured and made it really difficult to run more than a couple of miles. The distance I could get with each run varied, but I was getting really concerned about making it to 13.1 miles.
A few weeks ago, I started looking for something to help and came across this IT Band Strap that holds the muscle in place and keeps it from rubbing against the knee. This was a miracle for me. Once I started using it, the pain went away almost immediately and I was able to do longer runs again. Not only that, but it's allowed my knee to heal over that time and I CAN run without it now...though I'm not going to do that until after the race just to be safe :)
Aside from this injury, it's just been a matter of slowly increasing my run distance each week and getting ready to run the 13.1 on November 10th. I'm right on track and can't wait to experience my first Half Marathon, especially since it's at my favorite place on earth.
I'll update more as I get closer to race day!
Yesterday I completed my first 11 mile run...took two hours of constant running at an average of 10:55 minute miles. I still can't believe that I'm now capable of this kind of run, but it was a slow build up of endurance over many weeks of training. I'm convinced that it would have been way more difficult if I didn't have my running partner, Lisa, to keep me motivated on these long runs. I'm super excited (and relieved) that she will be there to run the half marathon with me!
I've had some struggles along the way...with the major one being a knee injury on my first attempt at 9 miles several weeks ago. My IT band (the muscle that connects from the outside of your knee) was injured and made it really difficult to run more than a couple of miles. The distance I could get with each run varied, but I was getting really concerned about making it to 13.1 miles.
A few weeks ago, I started looking for something to help and came across this IT Band Strap that holds the muscle in place and keeps it from rubbing against the knee. This was a miracle for me. Once I started using it, the pain went away almost immediately and I was able to do longer runs again. Not only that, but it's allowed my knee to heal over that time and I CAN run without it now...though I'm not going to do that until after the race just to be safe :)
Aside from this injury, it's just been a matter of slowly increasing my run distance each week and getting ready to run the 13.1 on November 10th. I'm right on track and can't wait to experience my first Half Marathon, especially since it's at my favorite place on earth.
I'll update more as I get closer to race day!
You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe via RSS or email. Please support the blog by doing your Amazon.com purchases through this link.
Follow @JamesonDurall
I finally finished the Couch to 5k running plan last week and have to say it was a major success. By the end I was running a straight three miles in about 30 minutes which is better than I had hoped for with no experience running as of 10 weeks ago. HERE is the plan that I used and would suggest it for anyone that's considering running.
People keep asking me how I stay motivated to run consistently and the truth is I do enjoy it, though I hated running when I was younger. A lot of it was learning to run properly and building my endurance safely. But, here is what I go through on EVERY run:
First Mile: My legs hurt and I feel like I'm going to hurt the whole time
Second Mile: The pain is mainly gone, but now I feel run down and question why I'm doing this. I consider just walking but always push through.
Third Mile: I forget all of the pain and quitting and now feel like I could run forever! I usually increase my pace a bit here and push hard to finish the mile.
As I begin increasing my distance to eventually be around 5, 5, 8 for my normal runs...i'll be curious to see how the feelings change.
Next up...training for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon at Disney World! I have 21 full weeks to train and have spent the last few weeks researching and modifying my plan to be ready for 13.1 miles on November 10th. I have some friends that are going to be running with me, so there's lots of motivation to keep going.
I've been doing three miles, three times a week recently and am now adding an additional EZ run on Sundays along with 2 days of cross training(elliptical). I've also added in 2-3 days of upper body and ab workouts each week so by the time I get to Orlando I should be ripped ;)
My Tuesday and Thursday runs will slowly increase to about 4 miles each at my normal running pace of 10 min/mi then my Saturday runs slowly increase in distance until I get to the 13.1 adding about a mile every other week. The long run will be at a little slower pace at first until I discover what kind of pace I can keep up for that long of a distance. I'm nervous, so wish me luck.
I finally finished the Couch to 5k running plan last week and have to say it was a major success. By the end I was running a straight three miles in about 30 minutes which is better than I had hoped for with no experience running as of 10 weeks ago. HERE is the plan that I used and would suggest it for anyone that's considering running.
People keep asking me how I stay motivated to run consistently and the truth is I do enjoy it, though I hated running when I was younger. A lot of it was learning to run properly and building my endurance safely. But, here is what I go through on EVERY run:
First Mile: My legs hurt and I feel like I'm going to hurt the whole time
Second Mile: The pain is mainly gone, but now I feel run down and question why I'm doing this. I consider just walking but always push through.
Third Mile: I forget all of the pain and quitting and now feel like I could run forever! I usually increase my pace a bit here and push hard to finish the mile.
As I begin increasing my distance to eventually be around 5, 5, 8 for my normal runs...i'll be curious to see how the feelings change.
Next up...training for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon at Disney World! I have 21 full weeks to train and have spent the last few weeks researching and modifying my plan to be ready for 13.1 miles on November 10th. I have some friends that are going to be running with me, so there's lots of motivation to keep going.
I've been doing three miles, three times a week recently and am now adding an additional EZ run on Sundays along with 2 days of cross training(elliptical). I've also added in 2-3 days of upper body and ab workouts each week so by the time I get to Orlando I should be ripped ;)
My Tuesday and Thursday runs will slowly increase to about 4 miles each at my normal running pace of 10 min/mi then my Saturday runs slowly increase in distance until I get to the 13.1 adding about a mile every other week. The long run will be at a little slower pace at first until I discover what kind of pace I can keep up for that long of a distance. I'm nervous, so wish me luck.
You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe via RSS or email. Please support the blog by doing your Amazon.com purchases through this link.
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Weeks seven and eight were very similar, consisting of three 25 minute and 28 minute runs without breaks. I'm still finding that the gradual increase in running time is doing well for me and my endurance as well as my pace is increasing with each run. My last run can be found HERE on Runkeeper (imported from Garmin), though I don't like how they add in my warm up and cool down walks to my overall pace.
You will find a section like the one above in most of my runs. No, this isn't an error in my watch...this is my dog deciding to stop abruptly and take a dump on the sidewalk. This is me coming to a dead stop, backing up to pick it up...then hitting him over the head with the filled plastic bag for making me stop ;)
I've been really enjoying my Garmin Forerunner 910xt and find the Garmin satellites are extremely accurate. It even shows accurately what side of the street I am on. I really love their website and software, but I don't like that I can't choose exactly what stats I show to the public like with Runkeeper. You can check out the accurate results of my run HERE on the Garmin Connect site.
One more week to go then I start training for the Disney World Wine & Dine Half Marathon!
You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe via RSS or email. Please support the blog by doing your Amazon.com purchases through this link.
One more week to go then I start training for the Disney World Wine & Dine Half Marathon!
You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe via RSS or email. Please support the blog by doing your Amazon.com purchases through this link.
Follow @JamesonDurall
Week Six turned out to be a bit rough for me. I pulled a muscle in my left foot on my 2nd run of the week and had to take nearly a week off from running. The good news is that the muscle pull came from a 5 mile run that I did with a friend...I wanted to see (and learned) how far I could push my self. So, I did the three runs across two weeks but am now back to full speed and on track again.
I'm now in the point of my 5k training that there are no longer intervals in my run. It started with a straight 22 minute run and next week will move up to 25 mins. I'm anxious to see how my body handles no walking breaks, but so far so good.
I have found that the GPS on my phone is not very accurate when running and was adding about 20% to my distances and making my times seem better than they should be. After trying a couple of other apps to confirm this is the case, I decided that it's time for me to get a GPS watch.
After doing several days of research, I settled on the Garmin Forerunner 910xt with heart rate monitor. This watch not only has extremely accurate run data but is also designed to handle swimming and biking info. I plan to add these two activities to my training in the near future and felt it was best to spend the extra money to get a watch that will work long term for me. It arrives today and I can't wait to try it out!
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I'm now in the point of my 5k training that there are no longer intervals in my run. It started with a straight 22 minute run and next week will move up to 25 mins. I'm anxious to see how my body handles no walking breaks, but so far so good.
I have found that the GPS on my phone is not very accurate when running and was adding about 20% to my distances and making my times seem better than they should be. After trying a couple of other apps to confirm this is the case, I decided that it's time for me to get a GPS watch.
You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe via RSS or email. Please support the blog by doing your Amazon.com purchases through this link.
Follow @JamesonDurall
Week 5 turned up the run/walk ratio intensity to much more running than walking. The 2nd run was 8 mins running, 5 mins walking, 8 mins running...while the final run was just a solid 20 minutes of running with no break! That is quite honestly the longest that I've ever run straight and I actually felt like I could keep going...I hit some kind of stride in the last 5 minutes.
My runs are coming with ease now and I find that i'm able to push my speed since I have no concerns of finishing strong. Only one more week of run/walk/run before the last 3 weeks of the program are long runs and gradually building my endurance to 3 miles without a break. Wish me luck :)
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My runs are coming with ease now and I find that i'm able to push my speed since I have no concerns of finishing strong. Only one more week of run/walk/run before the last 3 weeks of the program are long runs and gradually building my endurance to 3 miles without a break. Wish me luck :)
You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe via RSS or email. Please support the blog by doing your Amazon.com purchases through this link.
Follow @JamesonDurall
Week 4 sends the intensity up a notch with the run/walk ration now at 2/1...run 3 mins, walk 90 secs, run 5 mins, walk 2.5 mins, run 3 mins, walk 90 secs, run 5 mins. I'm still really enjoying the timing method since it gives me short spurts to look forward to and keeps my mind focused.
My first run of the week ended up a distance of a 5k!(3 miles) and the overall time was 34 mins since I do a warm up and cool down walk. So, I paid closer attention to the distance on my 2nd run and was able to complete the 5k in 28 mins. The third run got the time down to 27 mins and the overall distance was 3.98 miles.
I'm not at all concerned with distance right now, but am having fun seeing how my time improves with each run and wonder how things will progress as the program has my run/walk ratio getting even further apart. I look forward to my run each day and found that I'm having to fill the off days with strength training since I need to let my legs rest.
Sarah says she wants to get some pictures of me running with Bailey so maybe I'll have something to share soon :)
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My first run of the week ended up a distance of a 5k!(3 miles) and the overall time was 34 mins since I do a warm up and cool down walk. So, I paid closer attention to the distance on my 2nd run and was able to complete the 5k in 28 mins. The third run got the time down to 27 mins and the overall distance was 3.98 miles.
I'm not at all concerned with distance right now, but am having fun seeing how my time improves with each run and wonder how things will progress as the program has my run/walk ratio getting even further apart. I look forward to my run each day and found that I'm having to fill the off days with strength training since I need to let my legs rest.
Sarah says she wants to get some pictures of me running with Bailey so maybe I'll have something to share soon :)
You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe via RSS or email. Please support the blog by doing your Amazon.com purchases through this link.
Follow @JamesonDurall
I also signed up for RunKeeper Elite this week, you can check out my profile HERE. As I start doing longer runs, I'll be able to have it show my progress in real time for people to see. My wife can also use it to find me passed out on the side of the road somewhere :)
You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe via RSS or email. Please support the blog by doing your Amazon.com purchases through this link.
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I've just finished up week two of Couch to 5k and am still really enjoying the program. I look forward to the runs each time and can tell that the method is getting me in shape to run the next stage. My problem with running in the past was that I didn't know how to properly build up endurance and never really enjoyed it.
I took a week off the program for our Disney vacation and though we did a ton of walking there, I found that I was a little more sore than usual after the next couple of runs. Week two consists of the five minute warm up walk and then alternating 90 seconds of jogging and 120 seconds of walking for an additional 20 minutes.
I've found a nice route around the subdivision that gets me close to home as my run ends. I may need to find a way to lengthen in a bit since the coming weeks moves toward more jogging and less walking, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
I took a week off the program for our Disney vacation and though we did a ton of walking there, I found that I was a little more sore than usual after the next couple of runs. Week two consists of the five minute warm up walk and then alternating 90 seconds of jogging and 120 seconds of walking for an additional 20 minutes.
I've found a nice route around the subdivision that gets me close to home as my run ends. I may need to find a way to lengthen in a bit since the coming weeks moves toward more jogging and less walking, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe via RSS or email. Please support the blog by doing your Amazon.com purchases through this link.
Follow @JamesonDurall
Now that I'm off my diet and beginning my journey into living healthier, I'm trying to decide what type of exercise I want to incorporate. I've really been interested in running some of the Disney marathon races, so I've decided to focus on running as my main exercise.
I've been using the elliptical for 30 minutes 3-5 times a week for the last 3 months and have had good results along side my diet. So, it seemed like the transition into running shouldn't be a difficult one for me. When I found out about the Couch to 5k program...I felt it was the perfect way for me to build up my endurance properly.
The program consists of three exercise routines per week, at about 20-30 minutes each, over a nine week period. The first week is a five minute walk and then alternating 60 second jogs and 90 second walks for 20 more minutes. Since I'd been doing so much of the elliptical, I wondered if I should skip ahead in the program but decided to just do the first day and see how it went.
I quickly learned that different muscles get used in running :) My endurance was good from the elliptical, so doing the routine was easy...but the next day my legs and feet were really sore. I ran the 2nd routine after taking a day to rest and my legs were sore right from the start...it took until half way through the routine until they felt warmed up again.
I'm pleased with the workout that it's providing so far and look forward to each run. I'll post weekly as I make my way through to give updates on how it's going. Next week I'll be at Disney World (yes again) and will be doing tons of walking but will be taking a week off of the routines.
Now that I'm off my diet and beginning my journey into living healthier, I'm trying to decide what type of exercise I want to incorporate. I've really been interested in running some of the Disney marathon races, so I've decided to focus on running as my main exercise.
The program consists of three exercise routines per week, at about 20-30 minutes each, over a nine week period. The first week is a five minute walk and then alternating 60 second jogs and 90 second walks for 20 more minutes. Since I'd been doing so much of the elliptical, I wondered if I should skip ahead in the program but decided to just do the first day and see how it went.
I quickly learned that different muscles get used in running :) My endurance was good from the elliptical, so doing the routine was easy...but the next day my legs and feet were really sore. I ran the 2nd routine after taking a day to rest and my legs were sore right from the start...it took until half way through the routine until they felt warmed up again.
I'm pleased with the workout that it's providing so far and look forward to each run. I'll post weekly as I make my way through to give updates on how it's going. Next week I'll be at Disney World (yes again) and will be doing tons of walking but will be taking a week off of the routines.
You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe via RSS or email. Please support the blog by doing your Amazon.com purchases through this link.
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As of this morning, my wife and I are done with the diet! We have been mentally ready for some time now to make this transition, but kept on the plan because the last phase was preparing our bodies to eat normally again.
I
weighed in this morning to find I'm down another 1.8 lbs! That makes a
grand total of 52.4 lbs in 11 weeks on the diet.
We now enter the Maintenance phase which is just regular life with healthier choices. I learned so much on this diet about how to eat better and what things to have in moderation. Our first cheat day is today and I can't wait for Indian Buffet lunch along with Mexican dinner :)
I'll probably do my updates once or twice a month now just to keep you up to date with how that is going and what games, etc I'm doing for exercise.
As of this morning, my wife and I are done with the diet! We have been mentally ready for some time now to make this transition, but kept on the plan because the last phase was preparing our bodies to eat normally again.
We now enter the Maintenance phase which is just regular life with healthier choices. I learned so much on this diet about how to eat better and what things to have in moderation. Our first cheat day is today and I can't wait for Indian Buffet lunch along with Mexican dinner :)
I'll probably do my updates once or twice a month now just to keep you up to date with how that is going and what games, etc I'm doing for exercise.
Follow @JamesonDurall
Having breakfast again was everything I hoped it would be. I'm really liking how this diet phases you off gradually and conditions your body to handle carbs and creating the proper insulin. People often gain back 2-5lbs during this phase, but it's water weight and not fat...inches usually still go down.
I
weighed in this morning to find I'm down another 1.4 lbs! That makes a
grand total of 50.6 lbs in 10 weeks on the diet. It feels so good to hit that 50 lb mark...I didn't think I'd actually get there.
I continue on this plan for one more week and then I'm officially off the diet. I'll continue to make healthy choices and exercise, but will also have one day each week where I can eat anything I want. Next Wednesday is the first day like that and I can't wait!
Having breakfast again was everything I hoped it would be. I'm really liking how this diet phases you off gradually and conditions your body to handle carbs and creating the proper insulin. People often gain back 2-5lbs during this phase, but it's water weight and not fat...inches usually still go down.
I continue on this plan for one more week and then I'm officially off the diet. I'll continue to make healthy choices and exercise, but will also have one day each week where I can eat anything I want. Next Wednesday is the first day like that and I can't wait!
Follow @JamesonDurall
I had another successful week with eating, though I didn't get to exercise very much. I've really been looking forward to finishing this week s I can move into Phase 3 of the diet.
I weighed in this morning to find I'm down another 2.4 lbs! That makes a grand total of 49.2 lbs in nine weeks on the diet. More importantly, I just got my weight under 200lbs for the first time in many...many years.
Today I moved onto Phase 3 which means adding a big breakfast! I now have grains, fats and fruit at breakfast as I slowly train my body to create the proper amount of insulin over the next two weeks. I will likely add 2-5 lbs of water weight over the next month, but with my exercise I should be able to drop that back off very quickly and keep it off with healthy eating going forward.
I had another successful week with eating, though I didn't get to exercise very much. I've really been looking forward to finishing this week s I can move into Phase 3 of the diet.
Today I moved onto Phase 3 which means adding a big breakfast! I now have grains, fats and fruit at breakfast as I slowly train my body to create the proper amount of insulin over the next two weeks. I will likely add 2-5 lbs of water weight over the next month, but with my exercise I should be able to drop that back off very quickly and keep it off with healthy eating going forward.
Follow @JamesonDurall
I had another successful week and with the only "cheat" being some Champagne at a company party. Getting to eat out at lunch occasionally has been nice and I've found it easy to stay on diet at the Mongolian BBQ place near work.
I
weighed in this morning to find I'm down another 2.6 lbs! That makes a
grand total of 46.8 lbs in eight weeks on the diet. I was able to get on the elliptical about 5 times this week, but didn't get much time using weights.
I now have one more week on Phase two before moving onto having a large breakfast every day. I'll finally be re-integrating carbs and higher fats back into my diet at a slow pace and preparing for every day life again.
I now have one more week on Phase two before moving onto having a large breakfast every day. I'll finally be re-integrating carbs and higher fats back into my diet at a slow pace and preparing for every day life again.
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I had another successful week and stayed 100% to the diet plan. The one thing that did suck was that my birthday was yesterday and I wasn't able to eat cake :( I did get to have lunch at Red Lobster which was nice, though the cheddar biscuits taunted me from the nearby tables.
I
weighed in this morning to find I'm down another 3.8 lbs! That makes a
grand total of 44.2 lbs in seven weeks on the diet. I feel really good about the number and know that my added exercise has helped a lot. Along with my elliptical use 3-4 times a week, I've now added in dumbbell exercises to work on my biceps, triceps and shoulders.
I have officially started the four week transition off the diet as of today, which means having animal protein at lunch for the next two weeks. Mongolian BBQ today! (minus the rice and noodles) The last two weeks of the transition are adding a big breakfast of grains(toast, etc), protein(eggs/ham), Fruit and FAT(butter, cheese). Can't wait to eat eggs and toast again...
I have officially started the four week transition off the diet as of today, which means having animal protein at lunch for the next two weeks. Mongolian BBQ today! (minus the rice and noodles) The last two weeks of the transition are adding a big breakfast of grains(toast, etc), protein(eggs/ham), Fruit and FAT(butter, cheese). Can't wait to eat eggs and toast again...
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We have one more full week on the diet before beginning the four week transition back to normal life. The first two weeks will be adding meat at lunch and the last two will begin integrating carbs and fats back into our diet slowly.
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I had a really successful week with 5 nights on the eliptical and a couple of nights doing crunches, pull ups and pushups. My eating was right on plan and I even had my first meal out! A restaurant near work had Salmon and Asparagus...was delicious.
I
weighed in this morning to find I'm down another 6.8 lbs! That makes a
grand total of 40.4 lbs in six weeks on the diet. After having a disappointing loss last week (1.6) this is a huge come back and I'm really happy about it.
We have one more full week on the diet before beginning the four week transition back to normal life. The first two weeks will be adding meat at lunch and the last two will begin integrating carbs and fats back into our diet slowly.
You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe via RSS or email. Please support the blog by doing your Amazon.com purchases through this link.
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A few months ago I heard about Fitocracy, a website in development that turns exercise into a game(similar to Chore Wars). Since I'm a fan of achievements in general, it seemed that using this type of system might add some extra fun to working out. I signed up for the beta, but had completely forgotten about it until I got an email from them a few days ago saying I'm in!
Months ago, my hope was that it would be a motivation to actually begin exercising, but now that I'm already exercising regularly...it's a way for me to track progress and feel extra reward. There is no better example of Gaming Weight Loss than this website! Not only is it helping me track my exercise routines and giving me feedback, but it also provides challenges so you know what exercises to try and how often.
Each time I complete a quest, at least one more shows up for me to attempt. It also lets me know which quests are expiring soon...this gives extra desire to try those out while they are around. There is also the ability to save your common workouts into a routine for easier adding to the days that follow.
You also have the ability to add friends so you can monitor each other's progress and achievements. You can make an additional game out of it by leveling faster than each other and leaving taunts in their feed. My profile is located HERE for anyone that is interested. You have to sign up in order to see it, but I do have a few invites left if anyone is interested. Send me a DM on Twitter @siawnhy
So far I'm still only allowed to do mild exercise with the diet that I'm on, but I'm getting in the Elliptical, Push Ups, Crunches and Pull Ups every day. Fitocracy also has a huge list of exercises in its database and also tells you the proper way to do them. So, once I'm ready to expand I'll have lots of suggestions. I'm really pleased with it so far and will do an update down the road after I've been using it for a while longer.
A few months ago I heard about Fitocracy, a website in development that turns exercise into a game(similar to Chore Wars). Since I'm a fan of achievements in general, it seemed that using this type of system might add some extra fun to working out. I signed up for the beta, but had completely forgotten about it until I got an email from them a few days ago saying I'm in!
Each time I complete a quest, at least one more shows up for me to attempt. It also lets me know which quests are expiring soon...this gives extra desire to try those out while they are around. There is also the ability to save your common workouts into a routine for easier adding to the days that follow.
You also have the ability to add friends so you can monitor each other's progress and achievements. You can make an additional game out of it by leveling faster than each other and leaving taunts in their feed. My profile is located HERE for anyone that is interested. You have to sign up in order to see it, but I do have a few invites left if anyone is interested. Send me a DM on Twitter @siawnhy
So far I'm still only allowed to do mild exercise with the diet that I'm on, but I'm getting in the Elliptical, Push Ups, Crunches and Pull Ups every day. Fitocracy also has a huge list of exercises in its database and also tells you the proper way to do them. So, once I'm ready to expand I'll have lots of suggestions. I'm really pleased with it so far and will do an update down the road after I've been using it for a while longer.
You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe via RSS or email. Please support the blog by doing your Amazon.com purchases through this link.
Follow @JamesonDurall
It was nice to be back home and on a normal eating schedule again! I also got 4 nights on the elliptical in during the week, so I'm pleased that my energy levels are back to normal. Being back at work keeps my mind off of food entirely.
I weighed in this morning to find I'm down another 1.6 lbs! That makes a grand total of 33.6 lbs in five weeks on the diet. While the number is a bit low, they said it's expected around this point. I really want to get it up a bit though.
While I have been following the diet just as usual, except for the Champaign we had on New Years, I want to kick things up a bit. I only have two more weeks fully on the diet before we start the 4 week transition off of it. I'm going to exercise more and see if I can get my weight loss next time up around 5lbs.
See other Gaming Weight Loss posts
It was nice to be back home and on a normal eating schedule again! I also got 4 nights on the elliptical in during the week, so I'm pleased that my energy levels are back to normal. Being back at work keeps my mind off of food entirely.
While I have been following the diet just as usual, except for the Champaign we had on New Years, I want to kick things up a bit. I only have two more weeks fully on the diet before we start the 4 week transition off of it. I'm going to exercise more and see if I can get my weight loss next time up around 5lbs.
You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe via RSS or email. Please support the blog by doing your Amazon.com purchases through this link.
See other Gaming Weight Loss posts
