August 17, 2012: Day 16 of 30 and Progress Update

8/17/2012: Day 16 of 30
Morning weight: 177.2
Today's calorie count: 1595
Morning exercise: Strength Training:

Repeat the following set 4 times:

• 12 Wide Squat Jumps:  Place an elevated board between your feet (I used two risers) so that your legs are more than shoulder width apart.  Do a body weight squat.  From the squat positions, jump up and bring your feet together so they land on the board.
• 12 Dead Lifts with 15lb dumbbells in each hand:  Dead lifts were described last Friday. 

Repeat the following set 4 times:

• Stairs:  Run up and down 30 step flight of stairs once
• 12 Push-ups:  Do as many as possible on toes (1 only, for me) and complete the rest on knees
• 20 lunges with 12lb ball held over your head (alternate 10 each leg)
• 16 each side Reverse Wood Chop with 12lb ball:  Bend kness, so you are about halfway to squat position.  Hold ball high and to the right of your body, swing ball down and across body until it is in front of left knee, twisting and crunching torso on the way down.  Raise ball back to original position and repeat 16 times.  Switch sides.
• 30 seconds stair touch:  Alternate tapping stair with toe, hopping back and forth from foot to foot as quickly as possible

For the record, everything is sore this morning.  This workout worked me out, good!!!!

Evening exercise: 28 minute brisk walk - did not wear heart rate monitor
Alcohol consumption: None
Younger Next Year pages read:  I am going to catch up on Younger Next Year tomorrow.  Today, I want to share my progress results to date.

First, here's a new picture of my chart!  Can you see the stair steps in my progress line that I was talking about?  In spite of the plateus and occassional upward jags, my trend line has been amazingly consistent for the last 25 weeks.  This chart is my major inspirational tool.  It is the size of two posterboards taped together.  As you can see, I take my picture every Sunday (the same one I post on this blog each week) and glue it to the chart.  I love watching the line go down.  I hate seeing the line go up!  That's part of the inspiration.  I also love really looking at the pictures and seeing the progress.  What a difference 25 weeks can make!!  If any of you are considering a weight loss plan or Get Fit Initiative, I encourage you to make yourselves a chart.  Pin it to your bathroom wall so you see if every single day, several times a day.  You'll see, it works!

We did measurements at my training session yesterday.  Here are my March 7th stats compared to my August 17th status. (I started my program on Feb 27th with a 3 for $99 training package.  I signed up for my first 10 session package on March 7th, so that is when we took my first set of measurements.)  I am also including the photos taken on the days closest to those two days.

WEIGHT
March 7th:  220.4  (Actual start weight on 2/27/12 was 224.0 pounds)
August 17th:  177.2
Pounds lost to date:  46.8

BODY FAT %
March 7th:  39.9% (Ugh!!!)
August 17th:  32.11% (Still Ugh!! but better)
% Body fat lost:  almost 7%

CHEST MEASUREMENT (Directly under pits, above boobs)
March 7th:  40.5"
August 17:  36 1/8"
Inches lost:  4 3/8"

WAIST MEASUREMENT (at Belly Button)
March 7th:  39"
August 17th:  32.5"
Inches lost:  6 1/2"

HIP MEASUREMENT
March 7th:  49"
August 17th:  41.5"
Inches lost:  7 1/2"

March 11th, 2012

August 12th, 2012

I am very pleased with my progress!  If my trend line continues (and I see no reason why it won't) I will be to my goal weight of 150lbs by the end of 2012.

It helps me tremendously to have firm goals and as I am rapidly approaching the completion of my first goal, I have started to think ahead to 2013.  There are many, many things that have helped keep my head in the game over the last 25 weeks.  Two of the biggies have been my chart and my trainer.  When I reach 150, my head needs to stay in the game.  I will still have a long way to go when it comes to getting as fit as possible.  So I have decided that I am going to continue to work with Jeremy once a week throughout 2013.  He and I talked about this yesterday and we decided to make my 2013 goals fitness goals.  I am going to create a 2013 graph with a weight line on it and will continue to track my weight line twice a week throughout 2013.  But I am also going to have a % Body Fat goal line on my chart.  One of my fitness goals will be to reduce my body fat to a certain % (I don't know what that number is - Ruth, any thoughts?).  I'll also set goals like being able to do 12 push-ups from my toes, one pull-up, and things like that.  Perhaps I'll add completing my first triatholon to that list.  Anyone willing to do a triatholon in 2013 with me?  I feel a sense of relief, already, knowing the direction that my 2013 goals will take.  I don't have firm numbers set yet, but I will by the end of the year.  There's time for that, but I needed my brain engaged in the idea of 2013 goals, now. 

Gotta run for now..but we have 4 whole days to get caught up!!!  Enjoy your weekend.