Fatty's progress is stagnating. Last month I ran well over 100 miles but only dropped a HALF pound of fat. Pathetic.
I know exactly what my problems are.
1.) I now have conflicting goals. Improving at running and losing fat are fighting against each other. The reason is simple. I do too much running. When focusing on losing fat, you are supposed to switch up your exercise every 6 weeks or so. Otherwise your body adapts and you burn fewer calories overall. Well, let's see. I've been focusing on jogging/running since December. That's 30 weeks!! I'm adapted. Since, I've been training to run a race, I have been hesitant to move away from running too much.
2.) I'm losing a little muscle. Now some muscle loss is totally normal when losing a lot of weight. But, I'm having a hard time keeping up my protein. Also, the longer runs burn protein. It's a tricky balance. I'm not maintaining it very well right now. So, I HAVE to add some resistance training. I started that this month. I know I said you don't need this prior to 35 years old. I stand by that generally. However, my inconsistent protein intake mixed with my longer runs and my body adapting to running... It's a recipie that results in burning the good stuff too. Not acceptable. Weights, here I come. :)
PLAN:
Keep running about 4 times a week (less than I have) in order to MAINTAIN. Meanwhile, add resistance training. Unfortunately, this means more exercise overall and therefore more time spent. After Hood to Coast I can cut back on the running. Until then- forget it.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Monthly Measurements (June)
Weight: 252 (without shoes)
Body Fat %: 25.49
-Fat weight: 64.74 lbs
-Lean weight: 188.26 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of June: 113 miles
Total monthly fat loss: -0.5 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: -0.5lb
Total monthly body fat % change: -0.10%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down about 22.67 pounds of fat since the first of December. I'm behind now. But I have a secret weapon. Details to come.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
I can do this. It's not my most comfortable pace. But, I can do it.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
I haven't done this yet. But, I think I'll be there without a prob.
Time Left to acheive goals: 1.5 months. YIKES!
Body Fat %: 25.49
-Fat weight: 64.74 lbs
-Lean weight: 188.26 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of June: 113 miles
Total monthly fat loss: -0.5 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: -0.5lb
Total monthly body fat % change: -0.10%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down about 22.67 pounds of fat since the first of December. I'm behind now. But I have a secret weapon. Details to come.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
I can do this. It's not my most comfortable pace. But, I can do it.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
I haven't done this yet. But, I think I'll be there without a prob.
Time Left to acheive goals: 1.5 months. YIKES!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
HALF MARATHON
So, I've been interested in signing up for a half marathon. There's this one on 4th of July that's pretty flat. BUT, it's like $60 to sign up and another $22 if you want the t-shirt. I really don't want to shell out that kind of dough. So, I figure I'll see what happens. Maybe I can do one on my own.
Well today I went running with a couple of guys from church. We plan out a route of 8.7 miles and hit it this morning. Now, my previous milage high in one session was 10.5 miles set when I was like 18. I've been meaning to beat that.
I'm doing the 8.7 with the guys today and I'm feeling good. So, I tell them goodbye at the end so I can get to 11 miles- a new high. But, why stop at 11 when 13.1 is a half marathon right? So, I didn't. I did ALL 13.1 miles on the flat Springwater Trail.
Granted, it took me a full 2 hours and 25 minutes. That translates to a pace of about 11:05 a mile or about 5.5 mph average. I was pretty tired at the end. I'm pretty sure I was out of glycogen (suger for muscles) which is what it means to "hit the wall". If I had planned it better, I would have some more stuff to eat and drink to maintain the suger. If so, my time would have been better. In any case, I can now say that I've completed a half marathon. Picture a fat, short-legged dude busting out over 13 miles. It's okay to laugh. I mean.. I would.
Lastly, I want to give props to my new jogging partner Eric Moffat. He's joining me at 5:30am 4 days a week to bust out 6-7 miles. It's speaking to me. He's a big part of why my total milage this week is 37.77- also a new record for me. Thanks Eric!
Fatty Out.
Well today I went running with a couple of guys from church. We plan out a route of 8.7 miles and hit it this morning. Now, my previous milage high in one session was 10.5 miles set when I was like 18. I've been meaning to beat that.
I'm doing the 8.7 with the guys today and I'm feeling good. So, I tell them goodbye at the end so I can get to 11 miles- a new high. But, why stop at 11 when 13.1 is a half marathon right? So, I didn't. I did ALL 13.1 miles on the flat Springwater Trail.
Granted, it took me a full 2 hours and 25 minutes. That translates to a pace of about 11:05 a mile or about 5.5 mph average. I was pretty tired at the end. I'm pretty sure I was out of glycogen (suger for muscles) which is what it means to "hit the wall". If I had planned it better, I would have some more stuff to eat and drink to maintain the suger. If so, my time would have been better. In any case, I can now say that I've completed a half marathon. Picture a fat, short-legged dude busting out over 13 miles. It's okay to laugh. I mean.. I would.
Lastly, I want to give props to my new jogging partner Eric Moffat. He's joining me at 5:30am 4 days a week to bust out 6-7 miles. It's speaking to me. He's a big part of why my total milage this week is 37.77- also a new record for me. Thanks Eric!
Fatty Out.
Monthly Measurements (May)
Weight: 253 (without shoes)
Body Fat %: 25.59
-Fat weight: 64.74 lbs
-Lean weight: 188.26 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of April: 94.32 miles
Total monthly fat loss: 2.3 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: -3.7lb (BAD NEWS)
Total monthly body fat % change: -0.88%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down about 22.17 pounds of fat since the first of December. I'm slipping a little. But, I'm thinking June will make this look better.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
As long as the terrain is flat, I can pretty much do this now. But, I'm not sure the "consistent" part has been acheived. And by "I'm not sure" I mean it hasn't.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
I haven't done this yet. But, I think I'll be there without a prob.
Time Left to acheive goals: 2.5 months.
Body Fat %: 25.59
-Fat weight: 64.74 lbs
-Lean weight: 188.26 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of April: 94.32 miles
Total monthly fat loss: 2.3 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: -3.7lb (BAD NEWS)
Total monthly body fat % change: -0.88%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down about 22.17 pounds of fat since the first of December. I'm slipping a little. But, I'm thinking June will make this look better.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
As long as the terrain is flat, I can pretty much do this now. But, I'm not sure the "consistent" part has been acheived. And by "I'm not sure" I mean it hasn't.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
I haven't done this yet. But, I think I'll be there without a prob.
Time Left to acheive goals: 2.5 months.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Nice Day in May Means 9.5 Miles of Play
Today I actually went out to my first leg in Hood to Coast that I will be running (leg #7). The leg is 5.65 miles and rated "Hard" because of hills. It starts out at Sandy Fred Meyers. Because I wanted a little more than 5.65 miles today, I also ran the following leg (#8) which was rated as "Easy" and was about 4.5 miles.
I parked my car a little from the end of leg #8 and had my wife drop me off at the beginning of #7. It was a pretty nice run. It's all country roads, nurseries, and big houses I'll never be able to afford.
Knowing it would be dog territory, I carried some pepper spray. I was right. I came a little close to having to use it on a German Shepherd behind a fence that had a sign on it saying "Beware of Security Dog." What's that you say? "Big deal, he was behind a fence?" Well, as I was going by, the owner was driving away through an automatic gate- this left no fence between me and Mr. Security Dog. Had I kept going or not noticed, it could have been interesting. Instead, I waited for the gate to close again before I went back to running. The dog didn't notice the gate was open because it was further along down the fence. So, I stood there staring at him through the fence while the gate closed. The kicker- he didn't bark. Nor did he wag his tail. Instead, he just stared at me with a sociopathic look that said, "if you come over here, I will eat you."
In the end, I felt fine except my legs were stiff from the pounding on the cement. I did a cold bath when I got home. That should help.
I parked my car a little from the end of leg #8 and had my wife drop me off at the beginning of #7. It was a pretty nice run. It's all country roads, nurseries, and big houses I'll never be able to afford.
Knowing it would be dog territory, I carried some pepper spray. I was right. I came a little close to having to use it on a German Shepherd behind a fence that had a sign on it saying "Beware of Security Dog." What's that you say? "Big deal, he was behind a fence?" Well, as I was going by, the owner was driving away through an automatic gate- this left no fence between me and Mr. Security Dog. Had I kept going or not noticed, it could have been interesting. Instead, I waited for the gate to close again before I went back to running. The dog didn't notice the gate was open because it was further along down the fence. So, I stood there staring at him through the fence while the gate closed. The kicker- he didn't bark. Nor did he wag his tail. Instead, he just stared at me with a sociopathic look that said, "if you come over here, I will eat you."
In the end, I felt fine except my legs were stiff from the pounding on the cement. I did a cold bath when I got home. That should help.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
MONTHLY MEASUREMENTS (APRIL)
Well, this month comes with good and bad news. My weight has not changed. That is a little discouraging. My milage was down for half of the month and my eating was up. I went from slow and steady to- holding steady. BUT, the news is not all bad. The goods are: Better body composition (less fat, more muscle), better paces, on track for fat loss, fitter, and I'm just a better runner. So, I shouldn't complain. This is why I track all these factors. You see, if I look at the scale alone, I miss all the good stuff. Bottom line: fat loss NOT weight loss is what I'm after. My pants are little looser now than they were a month ago. Nuff said.
Weight: 259 (without shoes)
Body Fat %: 25.89
-Fat weight: 67.04 lbs
-Lean weight: 191.96 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of April: 102 miles
Total monthly fat loss: 2.3 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: +2.3lb
Total monthly body fat % change: -0.88%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down about 19.87 pounds of fat since the first of December. I'm pretty much on track here.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
I thought I would be there by now- or close. I'm not. The speed increases are coming slowly. That said, I've become a little faster in the last month. I'm under 10 min miles and getting close to 9:45. I'm confident that I'll acheive this goal by the race.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
I'm pretty sure I'll get there. As it is, I can do 6.2 miles at 9:55ish pace 5 times a week.
Time Left to acheive goals: 3.5 months.
Weight: 259 (without shoes)
Body Fat %: 25.89
-Fat weight: 67.04 lbs
-Lean weight: 191.96 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of April: 102 miles
Total monthly fat loss: 2.3 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: +2.3lb
Total monthly body fat % change: -0.88%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down about 19.87 pounds of fat since the first of December. I'm pretty much on track here.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
I thought I would be there by now- or close. I'm not. The speed increases are coming slowly. That said, I've become a little faster in the last month. I'm under 10 min miles and getting close to 9:45. I'm confident that I'll acheive this goal by the race.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
I'm pretty sure I'll get there. As it is, I can do 6.2 miles at 9:55ish pace 5 times a week.
Time Left to acheive goals: 3.5 months.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
HOLY MUSCLE LOSS BATMAN!
So, I'm looking at my latest goal check-up and seeing that I lost more muscle than I did fat. That is NOT good. Here is the problem with the scale. If I just look at weight lost, I did better than usual for the month. But my measurements are showing me that the weight is the wrong kind. Now, it may be that I didn't really lose that much muscle. The measurements aren't perfect. We'll know if there is a little bounce-back next month. However, this is a good opportunity to reflect on muscle loss.
There are a couple of reasons people lose muscle mass:
1. Natural part of aging. Past the age of 35 or so.
2. Inadequate protein consumption.
3. Inadequate overall calorie consumption.
Muscle mass is expensive tissue to keep around. So, when nutrients lack, the body will break down muscle for two reasons. First, it can convert the protein that muscle is made of into energy. Second, by reducing muscle mass the body reduces overall energy demand. Those muscle tissues no longer need to be fed.
Doing this Biggest Loser competition at church, I've noticed many of the guys really reduce calories a lot. They end up losing a lot of weight. But some of that weight HAS to be muscle. We're talking just a salad or just a subway 6" for lunch. On days when there is multiple hours of exercise. That's ballpark 500 calories for someone who should be taking in around 3000ish on days like that. If the other meals are like this, the body cannot hold on to that muscle mass. It is not possible. It needs more energy. It will use both muscle and fat for energy reserves when it has to make up large defecits.
Keep in mind, muscle pounds are EASIER to lose than fat pounds. Why? Fat pounds are composed of around 3500 calories. Muscle is around half of that. The rest of that pound is primarily water. So, your body goes through muscle pounds faster than fat pounds when it's starving for energy.
Why did I lose so much muscle this month? Because I did a hard-core weight loss week like some of the other guys at church. Remember than 9.5 pounds? Some of that was muscle. Yuck! There is no real benefit to dropping pounds of the scale if it comes from muscle. It makes you lose strength AND it lowers your overall metabolism. This is why I've focused on body fat% and fat pounds.
In any case, Fatty will be back to the slow and steady plan this month. No more starvation.
WAYS TO BUILD/KEEP muscle:
1. Eat protein (.6-1 gram per pound of body weight per day for active people)
2. Keep weight loss at 2lbs per week or less.
3. Lift weights. Even if you are not gaining muscle mass (requires calorie surplus) lifting weights can help prevent muscle loss.
There are a couple of reasons people lose muscle mass:
1. Natural part of aging. Past the age of 35 or so.
2. Inadequate protein consumption.
3. Inadequate overall calorie consumption.
Muscle mass is expensive tissue to keep around. So, when nutrients lack, the body will break down muscle for two reasons. First, it can convert the protein that muscle is made of into energy. Second, by reducing muscle mass the body reduces overall energy demand. Those muscle tissues no longer need to be fed.
Doing this Biggest Loser competition at church, I've noticed many of the guys really reduce calories a lot. They end up losing a lot of weight. But some of that weight HAS to be muscle. We're talking just a salad or just a subway 6" for lunch. On days when there is multiple hours of exercise. That's ballpark 500 calories for someone who should be taking in around 3000ish on days like that. If the other meals are like this, the body cannot hold on to that muscle mass. It is not possible. It needs more energy. It will use both muscle and fat for energy reserves when it has to make up large defecits.
Keep in mind, muscle pounds are EASIER to lose than fat pounds. Why? Fat pounds are composed of around 3500 calories. Muscle is around half of that. The rest of that pound is primarily water. So, your body goes through muscle pounds faster than fat pounds when it's starving for energy.
Why did I lose so much muscle this month? Because I did a hard-core weight loss week like some of the other guys at church. Remember than 9.5 pounds? Some of that was muscle. Yuck! There is no real benefit to dropping pounds of the scale if it comes from muscle. It makes you lose strength AND it lowers your overall metabolism. This is why I've focused on body fat% and fat pounds.
In any case, Fatty will be back to the slow and steady plan this month. No more starvation.
WAYS TO BUILD/KEEP muscle:
1. Eat protein (.6-1 gram per pound of body weight per day for active people)
2. Keep weight loss at 2lbs per week or less.
3. Lift weights. Even if you are not gaining muscle mass (requires calorie surplus) lifting weights can help prevent muscle loss.
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