So Joe…

Well, it’s Sunday, time to take my measurements. Here’s the results:

• Weight: 150.5lbs (down 1.5lbs)
• Body Fat: 15.5% (scale=16, caliper=15, down 1%)
• Belly: 33.25″ (down .75″)

Not bad, I’m almost there. If you remember from my original goal, I wanted to get to 150lbs, 15% body fat, and 32″ belly by June 1. I’m pretty suprised, not only that I’ll hit that almost two months early, but that those three different, and not strictly related numbers, have all come so equally close to my goal at the same time. Damn I’m good!

Now that I’ve figured out the formula to loosing body fat, which is actually pretty simple if you are willing to do the work, I need to change things, and it will probably become more difficult. I’m gonna stay with the current plan for one more week, which should easily hit my target weight and body fat, and come within .5″ of my belly goal. Then I’m going to change things up to try and gain muscle, and loose body fat. Weight lose will likely stop decreasing for a short time, and then go up slowly as the muscle mass replaces the body fat (muscle weighs more than fat). This is going to be difficult, since I’ll be eating more calories to promote growth, yet trying not to have any of that go to fat.

I’m going to try and do weight training three times this week (as long as the muscles feel like they’re ready for it). I’ll try to balance getting enough workout in, while still allowing enough opportunity for muscle growth. Stay tuned, things should get interesting!

Bowled last night. Not so good, I had a 125, 135, and 155 (my average is 145). Pretty inconsistant. We were lucky to win one game, and the series, only be cause John (one of the three on our team) bowled a 202 that game, so we won by 71 pins, which clinched the series total as well.

I have two different ways I can hold my ball, each seems to work equally as well, so when I start sucking, I usually change my hold and it seems to help for a while, until that hold starts to suck, and I have to switch back. I’m fairly certain that’s not how the pros do it. I need to alter my style so I can have one technique that works every time.

I’ve currently got a straight ball, but I’d like to get a hooking ball (if you don’t know, when you see a ball curving dramatically, it’s at least partially because the ball is specially designed to do that, the balls the bowling alley provides are straight balls, so you really have to put spin on them to get any curve). I’ve been waiting to try and improve my consitency with the straight ball before I add more variables with a hooking ball, but maybe the kooking ball will force me into something completely different so I can try starting from scratch.

Anyway, not much else is new, rowing and eating and drinking as usual, hoping to keep that body fat on a negative slide. Starting to think about what alterations to make to my diet, and I’ve already also started moving the weights around a bit more, so hopefully I’ll be able to measure some small increases soon.

Haven’t checked in for a bit, so here’s a catcher-upper. Friday was St. Patricks day of course, I took the day off and met my siblings downtown. I walked to the bank (probably 1.5 miles), then kept walking down KK until it was time for the bus to come, I made it to Clement, just past the new Outpost, so based on how long it took, that should be just shy of 3 miles. Met Josh at BW3’s, was filled pretty much to capacity. Mooched off their pitcher of Bass, then we moved down the block to Brothers. I recognized the inside, can’t remember what it was called when I was there last. We had Guiness there, and my brothers friend kept ordering shots. I’m not big on doing shots, especially whiskey, but i ended up doing three shots of Jameson (Irish Whiskey). My sister joined up with us there, and I think I had three Guiness before we moved on. We ended up getting picked up by someone in a university van to take us to Champions, which is near Oakland and North Ave. Had another Guiness there and then we decided it was time to get some food, so we walked over to Pizza Man. Hadn’t been there in probably 15 years. Got another Guiness there while we waited for a table, and then noticed that Josh was petering out. He got to BW3’s at 11am, so he already had 4 hours of drinking before I even got there, and it was now showing. So, Cristin and I decided we better get him out of there, so Josh’s friends stayed, and the three of us caught a taxi back to Cristin’s place.

We needed some beer (at least Cristin and I) so while they went up to her apartment, I went across the street to the Metro Mart to get beer. I picked up some Beemish (got a free T-shirt for it!) and headed back over, and then even though I asked before I left, I couldn’t remember what apartment she was in! I was able to get into the building (people are to trusting when they let you follow them through security doors), and I knew the location of her apartment on the floor, I just didn’t know what floor. So, I tried 7, nope, 8, nope, then I thought, 10 sounds kind of familiar, bingo, found ‘em. Then of course we debated how a cell phone would have simplified things, but I just hate phones, and don’t want to pay $40-$50 a month for the three times it might come in useful. So, now that I’m back from the store, we decide not to order out, but instead, get some steak and potatoes, from the store I was just in. so, Josh decided he needed a walk and headed over. Dinner was delicious, and Val (sister-in-law) stopped over after work to pick up Josh, and give me a ride home (thanks again Val!).

Waking up Saturday morning, I had a headache. I only had 6 beers I think, must be the three shots that did it. So, I was moving pretty slow all day, missed my morning row for the first time in about a month. I did get out for a walk at 6pm, and by then was feeling pretty much normal again.

Got up this morning, ready to see what my weekly measurements are. My belly’s feeling flatter (I’ve always got my hand on it now like I’m pregnant or something, just appreciating the change) so hopefully the Chinese lunch and St. Patrick’s Day didn’t set me back to much. Here’s the results:

• Weight: 52lbs (down 3.5lbs)
• Body Fat: 16.5% (scale says 17%, caliper says 16%)
• Belly: 34″ (down a full inch!)

I think the scale may be losing it’s reliability, I heard that the lower your body fat, the less reliable those are. I have a hard time believing I could loose 3.5lbs, and a full inch of belly, yet no body fat, so I will probably have to rely a bit more on the caliper measurement.

At this rate, it’s possible I could reach my weight and body fat goals by next week, and the waist measurement a week or two after, so that would put me almost two months ahead of schedule, pretty amazing since I was thinking shortly after setting the goal that it might be to aggressive, and maybe I should cut it back. I’ll need to start thinking about what I’m going to do next. I’d still like to loose more body fat, but I think I should start focusing more on building more muscle. So, I think I’ll prepare a more aggressive workout schedule (while still allowing proper recooperation time), and recalculate my calorie needs to stop the weight lose, and promote muscle growth (more calories, yay!) To keep body fat from going back up, I will still continue with cardio work, and I’ll be careful about the type of calories I’m consuming, focusing on natural foods much more, and a higher percentage of protein than I have been.

Got up at 6:30 this morning, and got the row in with the standard ‘Daily Show’. I then returned a movie to Blockbuster before heading off to work. I subscribe to Blockbuster’s online plan, which is just like Netflix. I used to subscribe to Netflix, but Blockbuster had a lower price at the time, and also gave free coupons for their stores, so I switched. Now, I get a free movie in the store every week. Well, lately I haven’t been to happy. I’ve got about 10 items on my list, 6 of them are listed as available, yet nothing is being mailed. I’ve had this problem for a while now. I was on the 8 disc month plan, but noticed I was only getting about 3 on average at a time, so I dropped my subscription to 3. Before doing that, I complained to their customer support, all they did was give me a coupon for a free movie. So anyway, now I’m paying for 3 at a time, and they aren’t shipping me anything. I go to the store with my free coupon, and their’s nothing interesting there (which is also why I only have 10 movies on my list). I see talk about how peer-to-peer trading is affecting movie attendance. Bullshit. Their’s nothing worth seeing in the theater, that’s the problem. I walk down the ‘recent release’ wall in Blockbuster and 95% of it is crap. Stack on top of that Blockbusters inability to meet their obligations in my membership, and I’ve had it. I’m dropping Blockbuster all together, and I’ll go without for a while (and I rarely go to theaters, to many obnoxious kids).

I like to speak with my wallet. If I’m not happy with a company or service, I’ll stop giving them my money. I got tired of the restaurant that was across the street from me a few years back (well, tired of one of the owners actually), so I stopped going. Less than two months later they closed their doors. The gas station  west of my house could never keep paper for receipts in their pumps, and the credit card readers hardly ever worked. I stopped going there, they closed that same summer (now owned by a different company). Not happy with something, don’t give em your money, even if it means going out of your way. Let your dollars speak, they speak louder than you think.

I did some weight training yesterday, and then my brother came over and watched Sopranos with me. DAMN! They haven’t lost anything, that episode certainly left me ready to see more! Afterwards I went for my walk. It was just sprinkling a bit when I left, but by the time I was half-way done it was raining. Oh well, I’m getting used to the rain. Went to bed at midnight as usual.

Woke up a little before 7, got out of bed a little after 7. I’ve decided to stop doing the interval row, it burns less calories than my normal row, and I don’t look forward to doing it, so I’m afraid it might make me break the habit. So, I did a standard row, and will continue that every day.

Rudy was on when I was rowing, what a great movie. I always forget that one when I’m thinking of my favorites. If you’ve never seen it, you must, it’s a superb inspirational film about a kid with great drive and determination to get himself on the Fighting Irish football team at Notre Dame. Towards the end when everyone is cheering Rudy! Rudy! Rudy! Rudy! I nearly break into tears.

After work, it was time to bowl. We won the first game and I hit my average on the head. Second game wasn’t quite as well, few pins below my average. Then things fell apart, and I barely broke 100 on the third game. Besides the first game, we lost the other two and the series (got destroyed the third game actually). Had a Southern and Sprite and a Bloody Mary afterwards in the bar to wind down.

After I got home it was time to walk again, so I bundled up and went out about 9:30pm. ‘The light’ went out when I was a block away. My range is improving apparently. Listened to some more Anthony Robbins, it’s a long series called ‘Getting the Edge’. I’m on day 3 of 7.

Well, it’s getting late, so I’m off to bed.

Didn’t post yesterday, kept myself pretty busy. I did row of course. It was nice outside, so come afternoon, I pumped up the bike tires and took it out for a ride (first time I’ve been on it in quite a while). I headed west on Howard, the plan was to ride 10 miles, 5 miles out, then 5 back. As luck would have it, the 5 mile point ended up being at the bottom of a big hill, just before 6th Street. So, I had to ride all the way back up the hill (It’s a big hill), and to make it even better, as I was going down the hill, I felt a few drops of rain, and going back up, that turned into a sprinkle. A mile later, it was pouring out, and I didn’t have my water-resistant jacket on, just a pullover. Oh well, little rain never killed anyone (well, actually I’d bet it has, but nevermind that). So, anyway, I ended up riding 10.6 miles in 36 minutes, an average of 17.6mph. Damn, worked me good, I was huffing and puffing most of the way, and the tops of my legs were burning, but it burned over 600 calories. I may need to raise my seat a little bit so I can get a better angle on the pedals.

After dinner I went for my walk. The main light that’s responded to me was on when I was a couple blocks back, but it went out when I was probably 150′ away. None of the other lights reacted. I’ve been listening to some Anthony Robbins, good stuff.

So, it’s Sunday now, time for measurements. I’ve worked pretty hard this week, as hard as I did last week, even though I had a few more calories (but also burned a few more as well). Visually I couldn’t really tell much of a difference between this week and last week, so I went in ready to be a little disappointed. Here’s the results: