172.5: Holding My Own

Weight loss, like fitness, is a never-ending story of lessons learned (the hard way I guess). The latest chapter in this story occurred about a week ago. I was basking in the glory of sub 170 as you recall. Then my throat starting hurting a little.

And then Monday hit my like a rabid typhoon.

I've never gotten so sick so quickly. I immediately did what anyone would do in that situation - I bought a bag of potato chips and a quart of ice cream. (I may need professional help.) At any rate, I comforted myself, my fever broke, and I got better if not afraid to get on the scale three days later. It stepped on the scale thinking 175-176, but lo and behold, just 172.5! I think that was as thrilling as the 169 because it means that this sub 175 weight is very real. (I should know this by my body, but the number is still my barometer.)

Since then, it's been an entire week with zero training. Holy cow, that's crazy talk. I needed it, obviously, but I'm back on and while I'm not closely monitoring my weight, I'm closely monitoring my diet...with a couple notable lessons learned:

1. Don't diet without supplements. I'm simply too hard on myself not to take at least a multi-vitamin. (No doping jokes - I don't dope. OK, joke away, I still don't dope.)
2. Don't shoot for deep weight loss at the peak of winter - that's just dumb.

I'm not planning on getting on the scale for a while. When I got right to 170, I sort of panic'ed and overdid it (all) and got sick. Not worth it and not what I'm after. If I watch my caloric intake, good things will happen.

169: Can It Be?

My last post was a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. I was sitting high on the hill, looking down at my lowly pre-170 self in pity, basking in the glory of an inevitable victory in the Battle of the Bulge. Since then, I not only didn't break 170 (that's what I get for counting my chickens before they're hatched), I flew up to 184 pounds. Truthfully, at that weight, I was pretty discouraged (it was October). I was still in shape - I rode over 4,000 miles on my bike in 2012 - but I was definitely not slim. And I was definitely knocked off the hill.

Then I got an invite to Team Bikeman.com (a cycling team). It completely set me straight and galvanized my determination. I went back to my old friend My Fitness Pal and started to count calories. I also got unexpectedly involved with a private Facebook group, which has been AMAZING. Empathy truly changes behavior, buhleed dat. It's equally important that my wife Jill is on exactly the same kind of path at exactly the same time so we rely on each other for strength.

I quickly shed the first 4 or 5 pounds. I expected that. I went through November on a decent steady pace and was learning the ins and outs of my weight (e.g., I'm about a pound lighter at 7 a.m. than I am at 5 a.m.). It was going well.

Then I hit 175. That's where I normally pat myself on the back, call it victory and assume 170 is right around the corner. But this time was different because my goal isn't 170 anymore.

It's 160.

That said, 175 was still a barrier. I stabilized around 173, which is great for me. I even had a 172.5 in there. Then the holidays hit and I stopped counting calories from 12/25 until about 1/5. Good idea because I would've been really discouraged I'm sure - I had a massive binge Christmas Day (can one person really eat that much junk in just one day?). When I resumed, I was at 173, and quite happy with that (I had probably swelled to 225 175 or so but out of sight, out of mind). I quickly regained my form, but felt stuck in the 173-175 range.

So I upped the ante by reducing my (net) caloric intake to 1410. I'm still pretty pissed upset about that but the results don't lie and today was a monumental day in the history of Minus 10.

For the first time in a LONG time (over a decade at least), I got on a scale and it was below 170. Holy shit cow! It's hard to believe. In fact, the actual weight was 168.8 but I had the phone in my hand and I'd just gotten out of the shower. Minus 10 (which is really minus 35 from my max weight of 205) has happened, even if for just a moment!!

Of course, this is a pretty dehydrated post workout weight, and my 5 a.m. weight was 172.0. But I don't care, I'm celebrating here and now. If I keep working, I will stabilize this sub 170 weight. It's not a given, I know, but it's within my grasp.

Did I say holy shit cow?

173.5: What Will I Do?

When I said that minus ten was inevitable, I honesly only half (or maybe three quarters) believed it. I got on the scale today, and my doubts were removed. So then, the question looms - what will I do once I'm at 170? I don't know, but I think I'll try to avoid counting my chickens before they're hatched.

That said, it's really exciting to be almost there - all it took was a boatload of workouts, a geographic change, and an office with absolutely no cakes/donuts/etc. Who woulda thunk it?

176.00: Do You Hear That?

It's the sound of inevitability! We moved to Maryland February 2nd and today is the first day I haven't done something physical. That said, the place we're going to live is almost three times further from the office, so to have already come down to 176 is really great - if I bike to work even three times a week, 170 pounds will be here before Labor Day. 

Very exciting times and while I would "normally" (or rather historically) eat a lot to compensate, but that's just not happening (maybe because I'm just too tired!). No matter how I look at it though, I really believe 170 is inevitable.

xxx.xx: New Beginnings, Is Minus 10 Inevitable?

Since my last blog post in September, we've moved to Maryland, I've gotten a new job, and I'm in a position to ride my bike to work EVERY DAY (or almost every day)!! It's unbelievable. A whole bunch of things are coming together, conspiring to make minus ten a reality. In fact, if we move where we're planning, I'll be riding almost 40 miles a day (and running six days) - is minus ten inevitable? It just might be.

Having said all that, I haven't posted since September because I really stopped trying to eat right. I was still working our pretty well, but I just lost interest in Minus Ten. I think it's partly normal; it was a very long competition season. Part of it was fear - just afraid of failing. But I know that I tend to keep trying and I thought about this blog quite often. I won't weigh myself again for a while (scale is packed away), but I'm re-invigorated.

I still can hardly believe I can ride to work every day. What a dream come true.

178.5: And I'm Sticking With It

Sugar is my Achilles - that was true when I started this blog, it's true now. While I'd like to say that this blog helped - it really hasn't (yet). I'd like to be sitting here at 170 pounds, but I'm not (yet). Those are the facts. Of course, I'm not sitting here at 181 either - that's my consolation prize and I'm sticking with it. That, and the fact that I'm not light headed every time I stand up from seating. Oh, and I am eating healthier. 

In my life I seldom get things right the first time. I ran a marathon on my fourth try, I took 14 years and a bunch of schools to graduate from college, and wedding bliss came around on the second attempt. The other side of that coin is that I also seldom never quit. Minus ten is no different, I'm just in a holding pattern right now as I continue to ramp up for the Seattle Marathon.

That's my rationalization and I'm sticking with it, just as I stick with Minus Ten.

179.0: Clarification

My awesome wife Jill pointed out to me that it wasn't entirely clear why 179.0 was an inspiration to me (from my last post), so I'll clarify. This is a "minus ten" blog after all, and I've only lost two pounds since August 4th, so what do I have to be inspired about?

Well, I'd been eating pretty much anything I wanted and I expected gain some weight but I only really gained a pound (of non-dehydrated weight) - that is inspirational to me because I know that sub-180 is stable. That's a milestone for me. That's inspirational to me because the hard work is paying off.

So then, where does that leave me? Well, right now, I'm ramping up for a marathon in November so the most important thing is to eat right, not lose weight. I'm getting faster and stronger without weighing less and frankly, I was getting light-headed frequently so clearly something wasn't right.

The difficulty, I think, is in the "freedom" I have now. I know I can eat what I want (more or less), but it's more important I eat what I need.

On a related note, I find the relationship between fatigue and eating odd. When I'm beat I wanna eat. Despite the assonance, it's pretty sad and makes no rational sense. Strange.