After getting the exercise disks I see it is based on a 7 day schedule with the last day being stretching (i.e. an easier day). So after talking with Lisa I decided to make Saturday the easy day so I would be free to work on the house or other family activities. That would mean a Sunday start for the big P180X experiment, and it also meant I had 5 days to “get ready”, what ever that means. So over those five days I took steps to get my diet in line, because the sad truth is no matter how hard you “bring it” you cannot out exercise a bad diet. That is especially true as you get older. Heck my ability to out metabolize my diet ended at 22 years old thanks to some stellar genetics.
The other thing I did was work through the stretch video three times as I figured it couldn’t hurt and just might help. I could handle just about all of it except for the plow as it cut my breathing off. It will be interesting to see as I progress how that improves. Anyways I really like the structure of the DVD with the countdown clocks, and the slight banter between the participants. I am sure I will have it memorized before I am done. But Tony, Pam the blam, Shauna the super freak, and the seething Phil go from head to toe over the course of an hour. Actually I don’t know if Phil is seething but I was amused to find a lot of online speculation about his hidden anger, mostly due to his stone face expression.
I also took a before photo but that isn’t coming up unless I get a decent after to go with it. The beginning numbers are 256#’s and 35.1% fat, but that is spread out over 76 inches so it isn’t too bad, he said wishfully. The only nagging injury I have is some slight ITBS on the right side, but that requires some pretty unique positioning to aggravate.
Showing posts with label Life Experiment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life Experiment. Show all posts
Monday, April 26, 2010
Glass Houses and Such
The sad part of procrastination is that one day the piper must be paid. I had this discussion with my son just the other day about getting into and paying for college. You can have all the fun you want in high school but all it ends up doing is increase the cost of the next phase of life. For him that meant he had reached the 100% point of putting his paycheck towards college. If he continues to waste time that would mean he will need to forgo his freshman year and work fulltime. I am alright either way but I wasn’t sure he was. I guess time will tell.
But this post isn’t about him, or his choices, that is his story to tell. I have procrastinated my health so long now that I crossed over the 100% line. Not taking care of your health as a young(er) person just means you will be less energetic, tired, and overweight; but definitely not anything dangerous. But I am forty now, the dangers for me are legitimately scary. I am easily old enough for a heart attack or a stroke. I am hitting most of the risk factors pretty solidly.
So I was sitting in a hotel the other day getting used to live television and I ended up watching infomercials, specifically Tony Horton and the P90X system. I am always doubtful of infomercials, especially when it comes to my health; but this looked pretty straightforward. Plus I have a few friends who have successfully used the system, so I know it can be helpful. After a little online research I was pretty sure it could help for three reasons. First I already had the equipment I need to do the program at home. Second it seemed to integrate a lot of bases; strength, fitness, and flexibility. Third, and probably most important to me, it is highly structured and visual.
I also realize the results shown on the commercial are not really within my reach at this time given the amount of weight I want to lose, but I have seen enough evidence to feel confident that two rounds would be pretty dramatic, so a P180X so to speak. My goal for this first round of 90 days will be to lose 30-35 pounds, be able to keep pace with the videos (more on that later), and generally to be ready to get super intense for round two. I realize some might feel I should be “intense” from the get go, but trust me at 50 pounds overweight and generally not exercising (besides the bike) for the last two year I am more concerned about not injuring myself until the rust falls off.
But this post isn’t about him, or his choices, that is his story to tell. I have procrastinated my health so long now that I crossed over the 100% line. Not taking care of your health as a young(er) person just means you will be less energetic, tired, and overweight; but definitely not anything dangerous. But I am forty now, the dangers for me are legitimately scary. I am easily old enough for a heart attack or a stroke. I am hitting most of the risk factors pretty solidly.
So I was sitting in a hotel the other day getting used to live television and I ended up watching infomercials, specifically Tony Horton and the P90X system. I am always doubtful of infomercials, especially when it comes to my health; but this looked pretty straightforward. Plus I have a few friends who have successfully used the system, so I know it can be helpful. After a little online research I was pretty sure it could help for three reasons. First I already had the equipment I need to do the program at home. Second it seemed to integrate a lot of bases; strength, fitness, and flexibility. Third, and probably most important to me, it is highly structured and visual.
I also realize the results shown on the commercial are not really within my reach at this time given the amount of weight I want to lose, but I have seen enough evidence to feel confident that two rounds would be pretty dramatic, so a P180X so to speak. My goal for this first round of 90 days will be to lose 30-35 pounds, be able to keep pace with the videos (more on that later), and generally to be ready to get super intense for round two. I realize some might feel I should be “intense” from the get go, but trust me at 50 pounds overweight and generally not exercising (besides the bike) for the last two year I am more concerned about not injuring myself until the rust falls off.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
It has been a long time
Between the pneumonia, the week I spent in bed, and making up that week at work; I have been busy. Isn’t it always the case that it is exponential for making up work that you have missed? That is it takes two days to make up one missed day. So a week off was a killer to catch up. Plus it wasn’t like I was well when I got back to the office; I was just able to sit up for an 8 hour day.
Then last week I had a four day short course at the University of Minnesota; An Introduction to Food Science. That was more work missed, but at least this time I knew it was coming. By the way that course was really a misnomer. I went to school to become a therapist (double major in Psychology and Family Science) and then went on and got a masters in Organizational Management (yes, I am a degreed MOM). This job working with food was one I took at the time to make money after spending so much time in school (I was on the 9 year bachelor’s program). Well that was fifteen years ago and besides Food Allergies, my actual detailed food knowledge is severely lacking.
So I signed up for this course thinking it might give me the basics to get started. Instead it was more like “So you really know your Chemistry, so let us talk about the specialty of FOOD Chemistry.” I really liked how to make it “easier” the teacher would draw chemical compound diagrams on the board. It wasn’t a total loss because I learned quite a few superficial things, even a couple of really neat things, but ultimately I did get one truly important lesson.
I learned how much I didn’t know, especially since I work in R&D. As a 40 year old with 14 years into a 30 year career I realized I am not just doing this job to earn money before my “real” job. This is my life right now, this is my real job and I shouldn’t really be wasting anymore time. To that end I have decided to take advantage of my local community college and all the online courses now available and learn Chemistry and Food Science.
I am reminded of a brilliant woman from my mission, Sister Pass of Runcorn England. She earned her college degree in Art when she was 90 years old. She was interviewed on National TV at the time and the presenter asked her “Why get a degree at 90?” Her reply has always stuck with me. She said she figure she could have a degree at 90 or not, so either way she would still be 90. Why not have the degree.
So in ten years I will be 50, still stumbling along blindly in my career waiting for my life to begin or I can actually start living it today and get something done. As my secretary used to have as her screen saver, “Life is what happens while you make other plans.”
Maybe it is my midlife crisis, but I really want to start making changes to my life. Get ‘er done before I miss it. I do have a few nagging goals and desires that I will post later, but unlike Lisa I don’t think that will include skydiving.
Then last week I had a four day short course at the University of Minnesota; An Introduction to Food Science. That was more work missed, but at least this time I knew it was coming. By the way that course was really a misnomer. I went to school to become a therapist (double major in Psychology and Family Science) and then went on and got a masters in Organizational Management (yes, I am a degreed MOM). This job working with food was one I took at the time to make money after spending so much time in school (I was on the 9 year bachelor’s program). Well that was fifteen years ago and besides Food Allergies, my actual detailed food knowledge is severely lacking.
So I signed up for this course thinking it might give me the basics to get started. Instead it was more like “So you really know your Chemistry, so let us talk about the specialty of FOOD Chemistry.” I really liked how to make it “easier” the teacher would draw chemical compound diagrams on the board. It wasn’t a total loss because I learned quite a few superficial things, even a couple of really neat things, but ultimately I did get one truly important lesson.
I learned how much I didn’t know, especially since I work in R&D. As a 40 year old with 14 years into a 30 year career I realized I am not just doing this job to earn money before my “real” job. This is my life right now, this is my real job and I shouldn’t really be wasting anymore time. To that end I have decided to take advantage of my local community college and all the online courses now available and learn Chemistry and Food Science.
I am reminded of a brilliant woman from my mission, Sister Pass of Runcorn England. She earned her college degree in Art when she was 90 years old. She was interviewed on National TV at the time and the presenter asked her “Why get a degree at 90?” Her reply has always stuck with me. She said she figure she could have a degree at 90 or not, so either way she would still be 90. Why not have the degree.
So in ten years I will be 50, still stumbling along blindly in my career waiting for my life to begin or I can actually start living it today and get something done. As my secretary used to have as her screen saver, “Life is what happens while you make other plans.”
Maybe it is my midlife crisis, but I really want to start making changes to my life. Get ‘er done before I miss it. I do have a few nagging goals and desires that I will post later, but unlike Lisa I don’t think that will include skydiving.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
The year of living dangerously (Lean)
This
Like a fish, we tend to grow as big as our bowl allows. At 40 years old in a rather large house, I find that we are packing up the corners and crawl spaces rather tightly. Storing stuff I don’t use with the false promise I might use one day, or even more pathetic, it might be worth something someday.
To This
If money wasn’t an issue, I would reduce our possessions to what fits in some panniers and spend the rest of our time biking around the world seeing what there is to see. Memories rather than things would fill my storage spaces. That is all good and well in the what if, pie in the sky theoretical sense, but it does nothing for the here and now.
So to that end I want to try an experiment this next year. I want to be rid of as much as the nonessential, superfluous, stuff that fills my life and my home. I hope to document a lot of this through this site, so stay tuned, there might be some good giveaways, or at least some prime Ebay bargains going.
The corollary is I want to take in, buy, or accept as little in the way of stuff (primarily non-consumables) as possible this next year as well. Experiences or necessities will be the order of the day. That means I will need to finish up buying stuff this week!
Then again it might just be a mid-life crisis and I can’t afford a sports car
So to that end I want to try an experiment this next year. I want to be rid of as much as the nonessential, superfluous, stuff that fills my life and my home. I hope to document a lot of this through this site, so stay tuned, there might be some good giveaways, or at least some prime Ebay bargains going.
The corollary is I want to take in, buy, or accept as little in the way of stuff (primarily non-consumables) as possible this next year as well. Experiences or necessities will be the order of the day. That means I will need to finish up buying stuff this week!
Then again it might just be a mid-life crisis and I can’t afford a sports car
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