2010.02.27 - W1D3 - 179

So far so good.  I know it is only the third day, but I'm feeling great about this new life.  Jess and I talked at night before going to bed, and she is being very supportive, understanding, and also agrees to hold me more accountable for my actions and keeping to the plan.

Diet

Breakfast - Pancakes with Fruit
1/4 Cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 Tbl maple syrup
2 Tbl EggBeaters
1/2 Cup skim milk
1/4 Cup blueberries
1/4 Cup strawberries

Snack - 1/4 Apple & 1 Tbl Almond Butter

Lunch - Tuna Sandwich & Apple

Snack - 1/4 Apple & 1 Tbl Almond Butter

Dinner - Pita Pizza

Exercise

For my workout, I did the third workout in my series - the FatBurner Program.  This seemed to be a combination of the cardio and sculpting programs on Thursday and Friday.  I really enjoyed the pacing of it, since it didn't lump together all the serious cardio up front, but mixed up the kicking, punching, and the normal cardio.  I did 17 minutes of this program tonight.

2010.02.26 - W1D2 - 180

It was weird not to weigh myself today, I weigh myself every day (don't know why anymore, as I wasn't using it to motivate me to lose weight), but now that I'm only weighing myself once a week (Thursdays).  I'm glad to start measuring myself, too!

Diet

Meal and Approximate Daily Time
Breakfast 0700
Snack 1   1015
Lunch      1130
Snack 2   1545
Dinner     1700

I will try and stick with this schedule as close as I can every day.  I broke my one snack (250 calories) into two smaller (125 calories) snacks.  This will keep the meal placement a little closer together.  I spaced the meals based on me needing 2400 calories/day = 100 calories/hour.  So my 320 calorie breakfast should be good for 3.2 hours (about 3 hours 15 minutes).  Hence why my first snack is at 1015.

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Protein Powder and Blueberries
1/2 Cup oatmeal
2 Tbl chocolate protein powder
1/4 Cup blueberries
3 Tbl skim milk powder (easier for work)
I just make some hot water at work, add it to my dry ingredients, and voila - instant oatmeal!

Snack - 1/4 Apple & 1 Tbl Almond Butter

Lunch - Tuna Sandwich & Apple

Snack - 1/4 Apple & 1 Tbl Almond Butter

Dinner - Pita Pizza (adding tuna instead of chicken for Lent)

Yesterday I was able to get 12 cups of water in, 8 at work and another 4 at home.  This seems like a good amount to start with as I try to get up to 1 gallon per day.  Basically, it is about 1 cup an hour while I'm awake.

Exercise

I got the DVD's back today, so I did the first 20 minutes of the "Sweat 3-4" routine of Power 90.  It started with 4.5 minutes of stretching - basic stretches like neck rolls, shoulder rolls, arm stretches, and leg stretches.  Following after that was 5 minutes of Power Yoga.  This was a lot of Plank to Upward Dog to Downward Dog.  After 2-3 of these Crescent was added, and then finally Crescent to Warrior.  I was able to work through this without stopping, so at least I'm not as bad as I was a year ago when I couldn't make it through the Power Yoga!  After this, it was the pure cardio routine with knee ups, jumping jacks, and the like.

Calculations

For those that wonder how I calculate the numbers (BMI, BF%, WHR) in my posts:

BMI = 703 * Weight / Height^2

BF% = 486.37 / (1 - 0.18745 * LOG(Waist - Neck) + 0.15187 * LOG(Height)) - 450

The BF% formula was developed by the US Navy.  While it isn't as accurate as calipers or body scans across all body types, I have found it matches up to the numbers I got when using calipers.  So I now pretty much use the formula!

Since I am 69" tall, this simplifies to:

BF% = 450 * (LOG(W - N) - 1.0585) / (6.8248 - LOG(W - N))

and a pretty good linear approximation to this (pretty much dead on at higher body fat %, but only differs by about 2% BF% at low body fat) is:

BF% = 11/8 * (W - N - 5)

For example, if you have a 16" neck and 34" waist, the real formula gives 15.9% compared to 17.9% using the linear approximation.  My current numbers, however, give 41.9419% (real) and 41.9375% (linear).  Regardless, I will be using the Navy formula for my postings.

Finally, the easiest one:

WHR = Wasit / Hip

2010.02.25 - Week1 Day 1 - 181 Days to Goal

OK!!  Here we go, the first day of my journey.  I have gotten as prepared as I can, and I am anxious and excited to see where I end up.  I am going to try and find a format that works, and I'll have plenty of posts to work on getting it right, so if it doesn't seem to work in the beginning, there will be changes made.  I may go back and change the format of older posts, but it depends on how many posts that is!!

Pictures

Measurements/Metrics

Height: 5'9" (don't plan on this changing, so I won't list it again)

Weight: 295.0 pounds (Goal = 160.0 pounds)

Neck:     18.50"  (Goal = 16.0")

Chest:    49.50"  (Goal = 44.0")

Waist:    54.00"  (Goal = 34.0")

Hips:      45.00"  (Goal = 40.0")

BMI:     43.6     (Goal = 23.6 using 160 pounds and 69")

BF%:     41.9%  (Goal = 16% using 16" Neck and 34" Waist)

WHR:    1.2     (Goal = 0.85 using Waist = 34" and Hips = 40")

Diet

Breakfast (0700) - Cottage Cheese and Fruit

1 Cup low-fat cottage cheese

1/2 Cup strawberry

1/2 Cup blueberry

1 tsp honey

Lunch (1215) - Tuna Sandwich and Apple

2 slices of wheat bread

3 oz tuna

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp mustard

2 Tbl dice onion

2 Tbl Egg Beaters

Lettuce

Apple

Snack (1515) - Apple and Almond Butter

1/2 apple

2 Tbl almond butter

Dinner (1700) - Pita Pizza

1 pita

1/2 Cup marinara sauce

sliced mushrooms

1/4 Cup green bell pepper

1/4 Cup onion

1/2 chicken breast

From now on, I will not list the ingredients, unless it is a new recipe.

Workout

Sculpt - 15 minutes

I didn't have the DVD's today (a friend is still borrowing them) so I went downstairs and used the gym for 10 minutes.  I figured I didn't have to stand there for 5 minutes to stretch.  I did some bicep curls, tricep kick backs, lat pull downs, bench presses, leg extensions, and leg presses.  Felt good!

Goals and Plan

OK, so here are some pictures as promised:

This is a picture of me at around 2 years old (circa 1983)

















This is a picture of when I graduated high school (18) (June 1999).

My wife Jess, Maddie (17 months), and me (28) (Feb 1, 2010).









I am definitely at my heaviest now than ever before.  I will divulge all those messy details tomorrow when I record the official numbers and a most recent picture.  Hopefully today will be the last day of my increasing weight, and that I can achieve all of my weight loss goals before I am 30 years old (18 months away).

So we know where I have been, we'll see where I am now tomorrow, and all that remains is to determine where I want to go in the future.  This posting is to lay out my plans and direction so I always have somewhere to turn to when I am feeling a need for motivation!

Looking at various pictures of celebrities and "normal" people that I think have a good body type/weight, I would say that my goal weight is somewhere between 160-170 pounds.  So I will set my goal weight at 160 pounds.  This also falls in line with a large framed man's ideal weight range (156-167 pounds).  In order to monitor my progress, I will keep weekly track of the following measurements:

Weight
Neck Circumference
Chest Circumference
Waist Circumference
Hip Circumference

NOTE: I don't know what my current measurements are, but will identify my goal measurements tomorrow when I take my current measurements!

I will also be computing the following body composition metrics:

Metric (Ideal, Goal)
BMI (18.5-25, 20)
Body Fat % (15-17%, 15%)
Waist to Hip Ratio (less than 0.9, 0.85)

I will also be displaying a weekly photo collage of 6 photos in the following format:

START         FRONT/SIDE/BACK/FACE
CURRENT     FRONT/SIDE/BACK/FACE

I think that this will be able to show how my body is changing over the course of 6 months, and will hopefully show the changes that are taking place over time.  I am going to try and wear the same clothes in all the pictures and take them in the same spot to minimize any differences in them!

Again, these are just how I am choosing to measure my progress at this point to give me some idea of heading in the "right" direction.  I know there are other measurements I could take (legs and arms), as well as pros/cons to the metrics I've chosen, but I'm more concerned with losing inches from around my torso.  I also figure that the BMI and Body Fat % will track overall body characteristics.  So they are just a way to gauge my progress over the week and give me a pretty standardized goal that has been shown to be suitable for "average" people.

I'm hoping to make significant progress on these goals in the next 6 months, but have no idea what to expect.  The plan that I've chosen to follow is a variation of the Power90 workout and diet by BeachBody.  I bought it about a year ago and had good results when I used it for about 1 month.  Then I started teaching a night class and tutoring on the side for some extra money.  At this point, the excuses kick in on how I had no time for anything, but that won't happen anymore!  I am getting back on track with a commitment to myself and my health - the only way to extend that same commitment to my family!

For those not familiar with the program, you can look it up online, but let me give a brief overview:

There are 3 exercise routines - Sculpt, Sweat, and Fat Burner.  The Sculpt and Sweat are part of the actual rogram, while the Fat Burner was an extra "free" bonus DVD/workout.  You are supposed to work out 6 days a week, alternating between the Sculpt and Sweat routines.  I am going to toss in the Fat Burner routine in there as well:

Sunday - Rest
Monday - Sculpt
Tuesday - Sweat
Wednesday - Fat Burner
Thursday - Sculpt
Friday - Sweat
Saturday - Fat Burner

I don't want to jump into it all at once, since I know that was very difficult last time, making it work in my schedule.  So I'm going to build slowly up to the full routine over the 6 months.  I will start out at 15 minutes/day, then in 3 months (end of May) I will have moved to 30 minutes, then in 6 months (end of August) I will be doing the whole 40 minute routine.  On top of the exercise, there will be a lot of landscaping work at our house, family walks, playing with my daughter to keep her occupied while Mommy is with the new baby, fixing up the basement, etc.  So slowly adding the routine to my schedule will help me out greatly!

The Power90 diet plan basically looks to be between 1300-1500 calories/day.  There is a short list of meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.  I have 3 breaksfasts (300 calories) to rotate, 1 lunch, 1 dinner, and 1 snack.  Not a lot of variety, but all easy to make and prepare the day before.  From what I've calculated, my daily average over a week should be:

Category          My Diet                 (recommended from my research)
Calories           1434                      (2300 maintain, 1600 diet)
Carbs              166 grams (46%)     (197 grams, 50-60%)
Fiber                24 grams               (25 grams)
Sugar               57 grams               (Less than 48 grams.  From fruit?)
Protein             92 grams (25%)     (about 20-30%)
Fat                   48 grams (29%)     (about 25-35%)
Sat Fat             10 grams               (Less than 11 grams, so right on!!)

Seems like this diet follows pretty well set standards on dietary requirements, so I feel comfortable going on this diet.  Also, all of the food is healthy, minimally processed, prepared at home, and natural.
This is around 850 calories less than I should consume normally (from my calculations), so I should be losing roughly 1.6 pounds per week just from the diet.  This will give me an extra loss of almost 44 pounds over the 6 months if the calculations are correct and I follow the plan.

If this works the way I want, then I will definitely try out the Power90 Master Series or P90X programs, but we'll see how I do before I start planning that far ahead!!

So now you know about me, where I've been, where I want to go, and how I plan to get there!  Thanks for making it through the previous two posts.  They shouldn't be that long in the future, just keeping you up to date on my diet (boring and repetitive!!), workout, and weekly progress!

Again, thanks for any support you provide in words or prayers!

RPK

A History of Ray

I am going to start off this blog with a history of my life.  For anyone that comes across this blog, I think it would be beneficial for you to know where I am coming from, and some of the things that have gotten me to where I am now.  By no means is this an autobiography, but it will hopefully provide some insight into my life - from my perspective!!

I was born on Thursday, 25 August, 1981.  I have a twin brother, and one-year older sister, and two great parents.  My family has lived in the same general area of Metro-Detroit my whole life, except for a one-year "trip" to Germany while my dad worked for VW.

I graduated valedictorian from Stevenson High School (UCS) in 1999 and went to Oakland University to pursue higher education.  I received a BS in math and physics in 2002 and a MA in math in 2003.  When a job offer I was pursuing fell through, I continued working on my Ph.D.  I eventually had to leave this program and find a job, so I went for my secondary teacher certification program in math and physics.  I was unable to find a job in the general area I was living, but was lucky enough to land a job as a US Army civilian cost analyst.  I have been working at this for nearly 4 years now and actually love my job.  I do miss teaching from time to time, but realize that with the way the education system is run, it is not a job I will probably enjoy in another 5 years.

I have always been overweight, and it has always bugged me.  In elementary school and junior high I was "husky".  I continued to be chubby in high school, and it wasn't until senior year that I decided it didn't matter what others thought and opened up a lot more.  While I didn't have many friends, I did have a lot more kids that were fun to be around, but academics always came first for me.  I attended all the dances and social activities of the like alone, but didn't go to prom.  At the time I didn't care, but I realize that it would have been fun had I been with someone in a relationship.

During the summer following my senior year I met my wife, Jess.  We met online (AOL IM!), and after several months of chatting decided to meet.  She was more beautiful than her pictures, and after a couple months of dating, we became boyfriend/girlfriend.  Jess is honestly one of the best things that has ever come into my life.  I say "one of" because I now have children - which are a direct result of her, so maybe she is the best thing...  Oh well!

Jess is very thin and beautiful, and it amazes me to this day that she is with me.  I know I treat her the best I can, but a guy like me and a girl like her only get together in those romantic comedies.  She has brought about many healthy changes in my life - mostly dietary - like drinking water and getting out and walking more.  These few changes, however, haven't been enough to change my health around - more needs to be done than drinking water and occassionally going for walks.

We were married in September 2005 and lived in a nice condo.  We did a lot of work inside the condo, but after that was done in a couple of months, there was no more work to do.  Perhaps if I had a lawn to mow or snow to shovel it would have helped out more, but we couldn't afford houses at the time we got married.  We have since moved into a house, and I really like having a lawn to mow and snow to shovel.  There is a lot of landscaping work scheduled for this spring/summer, so that will be a lot of time outdoors!

After I got my job as an analyst, we saved up enough money and decided that we could start trying to have kids.  The reason we had to wait was that we both had talked at length (before and after marriage) that we wanted Jess to stay at home with the kids.  Both of our parents had created this family type and made it work and we felt that the sacrifices were well worth it.  So much so, that we wanted to do the same.  Living on one income presents its difficulties, but we just do what we have to do to keep it possible.

Our first child, Madeline Grace, was born on 29 August, 2008.  She was so beatiful and perfect!!  After about a year, we decided to start trying for a second kid, and sure enough our second is due on 16 April, 2010.  We don't know if it is a boy or girl - we loved the surprise with Maddie - and just love not knowing until the birth.  The nursery is getting set up, and there will be tons of stuff to do in April.  Another reason for getting my health goals in place now, getting a schedule in place, and trying to get all the good habits before my life is turned upside down again!!

Well, I think that is pretty much it.  My next post (tonight or tomorrow) should hopefully include some photos of me and my family, some of my overall goals and what I want to achieve, my current status/measurements, and the plan that I hope to follow.

Thanks to everyone that provides me with daily support, prayers, and suggestions!

RPK