Extremely Hungry After Strength Training

To begin, I did great on my calories yesterday, but I decided I would like to try grazing over an extended period of time.  When I got home I went through my strength training routine again.  For those that don't remember it was:

• 40 jumping jacks
• 10 push ups (regular)
• 25 crunches
• Stretching

 3 full sets of the exercises below:

• Bench Press (shoulder width) - 12 repetitions - 50 lbs plus bar
• Lat Pulldown (wide grip) - 12 repetitions - 50 lbs total
• Dead lift - 12 repetitions - 50 lbs plus bar
• Barbel Curl (shoulder width) - 8 repetitions - 50 lbs plus bar

After 3 full sets, I did:

•   40 jumping jacks
• 10 push ups (knees down)
• 25 crunches

All of the weight and repetitions remained the same, but I did feel a little stronger this time.  I worked through the routine faster, but still did each exercise slow and precise.  I took shorter breaks and managed to get the whole routine done in about 20 minutes.  My muscles felt more pumped up than last time and I could feel more results this morning.  I also noticed that my muscles are starting to show more and I am open to the fact that this could merely be a placebo effect.

Now the real problem, after my workout I was starving!  I had some water and felt a little better so I went to sleep.  When I woke up this morning I was a lot hungry than I usually am.  I realized after eating breakfast that I was still hungry.  Luckily for me I was able to get my hands on a protein bar and after eating it, I was no longer hungry.  I can only assume that my body was begging me for protein and I haven't been ingesting enough.  Today is my cardio day, but depending on my choice either Saturday or Sunday will be my strength day.  I will try eating some protein before my workout and see if that helps.  If not I will try to eat some protein after my workout.  I need to find a low calorie, high protein item that I can have on-hand for strength days.

Tomorrow, I will have a post up about strength training calories and MyFitnessPal.  I will be weighing myself tonight and I will post my updated weight on Monday when I start blogging again.  If you notice the widget at the top right, you will see that it says I have lost 9 pounds.  This will be updated tonight, but I will officially post my weight on Monday.  Tune in next week to read about my first full week of exercising for Daddy Weight Loss!

Pumped Up and Slimming Down

I want to apologize for not posting yesterday, but I was very busy.  On Tuesday night I finally set up my "gym" in the basement.  I have my weight bench, lat tower, and a carpeted area for floor exercises.  I put 50 lbs of weight on each piece of equipment as a starting point and it seems to be a good weight for me.  My exercise routine was:

• 40 jumping jacks
• 10 push ups (regular)
• 25 crunches
• Stretching

 3 full sets of the exercises below:

• Bench Press (shoulder width) - 12 repetitions - 50 lbs plus bar
• Lat Pulldown (wide grip) - 12 repetitions - 50 lbs total
• Dead lift - 12 repetitions - 50 lbs plus bar
• Barbel Curl (shoulder width) - 8 repetitions - 50 lbs plus bar

After 3 full sets, I did:

•   40 jumping jacks
• 10 push ups (knees down)
• 25 crunches

Every exercise was done slowly to pay close attention to form.  Once I get comfortable with each exercise, I will add more weight.  I am of the school that believes that proper form and motion is far more important than tons of weight or loads of repetitions.  After this workout I felt fantastic and really pumped up.  I listened to fast paced music and only took breaks between sets to stretch.  My muscles only started to fail right at the end while doing push ups, which is why I did them with my knees down.

Last night I walked/ran for 15 minutes early on in the night.  We went out and about and I did really good on calories and still managed to eat some frozen yogurt.  I tried "grazing" yesterday and ate small meals or snacks every 2 hours and it curbed my appetite tremendously.  Just before getting ready for bed, I took the bike out and went hard and fast for 15 minutes around the neighborhood (about  1.5 miles).  I would have gone further and longer, but my bike isn't working right.  I am hopefully taking it to the local bike shop this weekend, so that they can look it over.

Today so far I have tried going back to 3 square meals instead of grazing and it is terrible.  I think I might go to grazing completely.  Tonight I will be doing weight training once again and tomorrow will be the first day on a multivitamin.  Come back tomorrow for more about my Daddy Weight Loss journey!

A little nervous...

My back in the mirror

Okay, so I have finally manned up.  I never planned on putting pictures on here, but I was thinking last night that it would be a great way to show my progress.  Also, it is hard for all of the readers out there to imagine what I look like.  My starting weight was 235 pounds in these pictures, my goal is to weigh in at 150 pounds.  

 My side

I started using an app called MyFitnessPal for my android phone to count calories.  At first I just want to use it for a baseline to see where I am at and where I need to be.  The app says that for me to lose 2 pounds per week that I will need to consume 1780 calories daily.  I had a low carb Monster energy drink and a banana for breakfast, I currently have 1650 calories remaining for the day.  I think that tracking my caloric intake might be the best way for me to concentrate on a diet, so once I am comfortable with counting calories I will start taking it serious.

 My thigh

Ashley really helped to motivate me last night.  I got home from work and we were both hungry so she made a nice salad and I cooked steaks on the grill.  After dinner she walked with me around the block and then I ran 2 laps around "my track."  After running I did a few exercises in the house:

 Me flexing

• 30 push ups
• 30 crunches
• 15 jumping jacks
• 15 barbell curls (60 lbs)
• 15 dead lifts (150 lbs)
• 15 barbell shoulder press (60 lbs)

 My calf

It has been along time since I have worked out like this and it feels amazing.  I actually broke a sweat while running and maintained momentum while lifting weights.  I don't feel too sore this morning, but I can feel in my muscles that I worked out yesterday.

 My front

Things are really coming together for my weight loss journey and I am hoping that I find success at the end of the tunnel.  The people around me and the people that read this blog are really what keep me going.  The thought of becoming a father is really my biggest motivation, I want to be a role model to him in more ways that one.

 My back while flexing

I will go for a walk tonight for sure and probably do some push ups and crunches.  I don't want to push myself too hard and burn out before it begins.

I might as well, right?

I decided yesterday that I'm going to start running on my lunch break at work.  We have a mandatory half hour lunch that is deducted from our pay each day, and we have a very large facility with a huge parking lot.  I work for a trucking company so we have to have room for tractor trailers so there is plenty of space around the entire building.  I ran yesterday 2 laps around the building, stretching before and after.  I only was able to run 1 today because I had to pick up lunch for our mechanics.  We moved our mechanics tools and parts into the building today so it was a very physical day and I did a lot of lifting.

It is amazing running during lunch, I used to be so tired after lunch when I would just sit around and eat.  Yesterday and today I felt completely rejuvenated and pushed through the rest of the day like it was nothing.  I even received a few compliments on the way to my office today, 2 people said that I seemed to have been working really hard yesterday and didn't stop moving until I punched out.  That made it just that much better!

If anyone else out there has a mandatory lunch break, I would recommend bring a quick mobile lunch and strapping on the running shoes.  Not only does it make you have more energy, but it saves time after work for family.

Morning Run

Sunrise over Presque Isle in Erie, PA

I went for a run this morning and I feel absolutely amazing.  I had a free half hour to spare so I did a little stretching and went running for about 20 minutes.  I was pretty sick last night and I got a few extra hours of sleep so I was already pretty energized.  It was cold out and snowing a little bit, but after a few minutes it didn't really bother me.

I am looking into running a 10k locally in August, but I will know better once the time comes.  I need to make sure that I have free time and also that I am in shape to do it.  I will be running alongside a coworker who has been motivating me through the process of taking up running.

I can't stress enough how amazing a runner's high feels, but it feels even better first thing in the morning.  I feel more lively and productive at work, I am in a better mood, and I don't feel tired like I usually do.  Unfortunately, I have a real problem waking up in the morning so it may be hard to do this on a regular basis.  I am working on my wake up routine and hopefully I can find a system that will help me avoid hitting the snooze button for 2 hours straight.

The picture above was not taken by me, it was taken by Tom Rung and posted on www.city-data.com.  I only posted it because this sunrise can be seen from near my house every morning and it is amazing.  Maybe that will be a personal goal, to wake up and run to take a picture of the sunrise.

Buffet and Running

I went to a buffet last night (Ponderosa Steakhouse) and for the first time in my life I didn't eat all I could eat.  I had 2 plates compared to my normal 4 or 5 and a little bit of ice cream for dessert.  Afterwards we went straight home and our dog George was in his cage, so when I let him out he was very hyper.  I took him out and tied him up to go to the bathroom.  While he was doing his business I stretched.  When he was finished we went for a 20 minute run at the soccer fields.  While running I noticed something out of the corner of my eye, there is a 20 step wooden staircase leading directly to my house!  I didn't see it due to the brush around it, but we ran up that which was definetly a workout. 

We went back in the house and I ate some pistachios and a glass of milk.  Then Ashley and I sat on the couch and watched a scary movie (Insidious) afterwards I had a slight stomach ache and we went to bed.