8/31/2012: Day 30 of 30

August 31st, 2012: Day 30 of 30

Morning weight: 175.4

Calories consumed: 1500

Morning Exercise: Strength Training as follows:

Repeat the Following set 5 times:
---12 each side, Step up to balance to reverse lunge - 15 lb dumbbell in each hand:  With a 15 pound dumbbell in each hand, step up onto medium stool (about knee height) and bring yourself to a balance on one foot.  Hold balance for a couple of seconds and step backwards off the stool and lower into a lunge position.  Repeat 12 times with each foot.

---16 Jack knives:  Lay down on back on mat with hands straight over head resting on mat.  Raise arms/head/neck/shoulders off the mat (like a crunch) and legs off the mat (leg raise) at the same time.  Touch toes when legs are straight up.

---12 curl to presses: 15 lb dumbbells in each hand:  Start with arms straight at sides holding dumbbells so palms face forward.  Bend arms at elbows and lift weights for a bicep curl.  From curl position lift weights over your head into a shoulder press.

---40 second plank

---16 kettle bell swings with 20lb kettle bell:  Hold kettle bell with both hands.  With feet shoulder width apart, lower into squat position, swing kettle bell over your head while standing straight up.  Keep head up and back straight.  Allow the kettle bell to swing back down between your legs as you bend your knees and lower into a squat position.

Evening exercise: None - Flew to Oregon for the wedding.  Arrived in Florence at about 10:30pm
Alcohol consumed: None

The 30 day plan was a success!  I finished the plan four-tenths of a pound from my goal of 175.0, so that's not bad.  If I rounded to the nearest whole number I would have it my target for the month!!  Over the last 30 days I not only stayed on my trend line through a pretty stressful month, I also thought through a lot of other issues and made some pretty important decisions.

First, I have decided that I am a non-drinker.  The fact of the matter is that although it can be fun to have a few drinks, I never feel good the next day.  The article Ruth shared on my blog about how drinking alcohol sabotages weight and fat loss efforts was pretty enlightening, as well.  When I thought through all of the pros and cons of drinking and compared them to my ultimate goal which is to be as healthy as I can as I age and to be as engaged as I can be in the process, drinking just doesn't fit in with all of that.  I'm not saying I am never going to have a glass of wine again.  But I am saying that I am not going to drink on anything near a regular basis again.  I had a sip of champagne to toast my son and his new bride on Saturday, but it was just a sip.  If I am in France and a superb bottle of wine goes around the table, I may taste it.  But I'll no longer drink to party, or to relieve stress, or to just have a drink.  I believe those days are done.

I enjoyed adding some light exercise to the end of my day.  I am not positive I will exercise every morning and every evening for the rest of my life, but on most days that I spend the majority of my day at work, sitting at my desk, I will add 30 minutes of cardio to the end of my day.  It made me feel a lot better.  That 30 minutes of cardio in the evening is in addition to the hour of cardio or strength training that I will continue to do six times a week in the morning.

Before I started my 30 day plan I already knew that my Get Fit Initiative would not be over when I reached my goal weight of 150lbs, but I didn't know what was going to come next.  I have made that decision.  While 2012 has been and will continue to be about weight loss and getting to my goal weight, 2013 is going to be about getting as fit as possible.  I am going to set a body fat % goal and keep a body fat % chart.  I am going to set fitness goals such as being able to do a certain number of push ups or pull ups by the end of the year.  I am going to train for and compete in my first triathlon.  I'm going to spend a year - after I've reached my goal weight - getting as fit as I can.  I am excited about that!!

I'm not going to use vacationing or stressful events or transitions as an excuse to overeat, not exercise, or drink alcohol.  Being very disciplined over the last 30 days helped me get through a stressful month from a position of strength rather than weakness.  I never gave up on taking care of myself, no matter how stressed I got.  I still woke up every morning at 4:20 to go to the gym, counted my calories, and got in 15 - 30 minutes of cardio each evening.  That gave me a solid starting point for every day.  It's easy to justify over indulging on vacations, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized what a bad idea that is.  When I am exercising every day and eating right, I feel great and I feel really engaged in my surroundings.  That is exactly the way I want to feel when I am on vacation.  Not fuzzy and foggy because I've been lazy and eaten too much crap.  I am going to commit to feeling as good as I can feel every single day, whether at home or away; whether stressed or relaxed.

The 30 day plan is done, but its results will live on with the decisions that I will make every single day for the rest of my life.  Well done!!