Making Slow and Steady Progress

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Current weight: 179 lbs. It's sad yet amazing that my weight is the exact same reading from the last entry on January 22.
It would be easy to believe that I am making no progress in my fitness goals, but I believe that fitness is not just read by the
number on the scale. Body fat percentage is another factor, and muscle mass is not accounted for in the Body Mass Index (BMI).
According to the Body Mass Index, I would be considered borderline overweight for someone of my height and age.
I know where I need to make adjustments:

• continue striving for a calorie deficit by reducing total amount of food consumed.
• reduce the amount of refined and processed carbohydrates, which include cereals and breads, but which also include
  cakes and other sweets (cakes and doughnuts are a weakness for me).
• increase the amount of fruits and vegetables.
• pair carbs with lean meats such as fish, poultry, and lean ground beef).

After my then wife and I separated, I made a conscious effort to lose weight by tracking my consumption of carbs and other
nutrients. I used a Word document formatted with a chart. You can download the chart and amend it to your own needs by
right-clicking on the link entitled "The Dieter's daybook" and downloading it to your own hard drive. The whole experiment is described in Men's Health's October issue. The image below was taken in 1999, three years before I became single again. You can clearly see that the guy in the picture had an expanding gut. My level of activity was minimal, and I had not started any resistance or weight training program. Looking at my appearance then, it is understandable how my spouse could become dissatisfied with the physical aspect of our relationship, though that is not the only aspect of a person's marriage that can contribute to the breakup of the marriage.
 

My weight training progress has just about reached the level at which I was operating before I took my three-month hiatus last year.
I have been consistent in my workouts, adding weight to a consistent number of repetitions over time, which has added strength I had lost during the months out of the weight room. My attendance at Anytime Fitness has contributed to progress because it maintains a full free weight array while also having machines available. That way, I can switch up my routine to prevent boredom and to increase "muscle confusion," which promotes growth and strength. It also reduces the amount of time between sets. I can allow for 30 seconds to one minute rest between sets, and then I can go right to the free weights and get into another set of repetitions. At home, I would have to change plates for each set, which adds time to my resting period and limits the variety of muscle groups and methods to work them.

Basketball has helped immensely in terms of maintaining a health weight through daily cardio activity. It prompts me to consume more water and to be more weight-conscious as I move through the dieter's minefield that is my workplace. I have read that too much cardio can undo some of your weight training gains because the muscles feed off themselves in a process called catabolism if their is insufficient energy to feed them. The trick is to provide muscles with food that will help repair them as quickly as possible. I prefer a turkey sandwich, but sometimes a serving of Muscle Milk or a protein bar will do.

I hope you are getting sufficient numbers of workouts, both strength training and cardio, throughout your week. Not only will you feel the difference physically, but your chances of getting sick will go down and your ability to handle stress will improve. The release of endorphins generated by high-intensity cardio and strength training acts as a natural pain killer and pleasure-producer, so if you get a good session in early, your work day will be more enjoyable. If you get it in later in the day, your stress levels from the negative affects of the workday will subside. Your metabolism will increase for hours and even days after your workout, thereby burning calories while you are at rest. Either way, you will be adding time to your life by reducing the chances of life-taking or debilitating disease. That makes me feel good just thinking about it.

Stay healthy,

George
georgecassutto@hotmail.com