Running: A Fever

It is the first day of spring and a beautiful one, though it was freezing when I left for work this morning. I give a full definition of anabolism and catabolism in the first ever Chemical Biology section of the Medical Department report. Two things happen when you have enough water and are not dehydrated. Anabolic hormones are released causing growth of muscle tissue vs. destruction (catabolic hormones) due to dehydration. And fat cells more easily release fat into the bloodstream. So it’s important to hydrate before and after strength training. Confession time again. I’m overdoing my exercise and still on the starvation plan to win the contest, but it is the last week and I will soon be able to go back to a healthier level of intake and work on my health and trying to return to a normal metabolism. Resources on metabolism, anabolism and catabolism: http://www.ergo-log.com/anabolism.html http://www.rsc.org/Education/Teachers/Resources/cfb/metabolism.htm Stats as of March 21, 2018: Weight (change since Nov

In addition to trying out my rain suit for the first time on the trail, I present a lengthy hydration report including a reference to what bodybuilders call anabolism, which, per BioNinja.com means “the synthesis of complex molecules from simpler molecules including the formation of macromolecules from monomers by condensation reactions”. Translated, this means basically building, as opposed to catabolism, which refers to breaking down, and which the same site refers to as “the breakdown of complex molecules into simpler molecules including the hydrolysis of macromolecules into monomers. I have found a couple of new diet options: 99% lean turkey, which has a higher protein/fat ratio than chicken, and diet fruit juice, just 5 calories per serving. My metabolism is still very low and I am strictly counting calories, but on track to finish strong in the weight loss contest at work. Weight (change since 11/20/17): 223 (-46) Workout time: 30 Minutes Total Distance (total since Nov 2017): 1.26 Miles (62.67) Run Di

The MOVE! Program at the VA is “a weight management, health promotion program designed to improve the lives of Veterans. MOVE!’s core ideas—encouraging healthy eating behavior, increasing physical activity, and promoting even small weight losses—are easy to follow and based on the latest in nutrition science. With the help of your MOVE! Care team, you can reduce health risks, prevent or reverse certain diseases, improve your quality of life, and even live longer!” Source: https://www.move.va.gov/ Statistics for March 12, 2018: Weight (change since Jan 2018): 225 (-44) Workout time: 27 Minutes Total Distance (total since Nov 2017): 1.09 Miles (58.77) Run Distance: 0 Miles Heart Rate (min/max all day): 51/96 Steps: 10616 Goals: (1) Run 10.5 miles in one day by 11/18/18 (2) Lose 100lbs by 12/25/18  

I take a walk on breaks at work on an early Sunday morning when no one else is at the office. As the biggest loser contest draws to a close I begin to reflect on the journey we have taken together so far. I recognize the importance of setting a goal, the concept of a motivating factor that is not just the destination, but a passion that drives the daily grind of making my way to that goal.  Statistics for March 18, 2018: Weight (change since Jan 2018): 220 (-49) Workout time: 26 Minutes Total Distance (total since Nov 2017): .84 Miles (61.41) Run Distance: 0 Miles Heart Rate (min/max all day): 49/79 Steps: 5675 Goals: (1) Run 10.5 miles in one day by 11/18/18 (2) Lose 100lbs by 12/25/18

I went to Walmart to try on some jeans. I’ve gone from a size 44 to a size 38. I’m still putting off buying a new wardrobe because I’m not down to my ideal weight yet. But at least I know where I stand. I’ve lost six inches in my waist. I talk a little about the BMI controversy. Fortunately the biometrics standards at my company account for that somewhat by allowing a waist measurement to suffice (37 inches or less for men, 35 for women) if my BMI is too high. I’ve been trying six meals a day for a while and it is really working out well. I don’t get hungry, and I always have plenty of energy throughout the day, so that concept now has my full endorsement. Weight (change since Jan 2018): 221 (-48) Workout time: 18 Minutes Total Distance (total since Nov 2017): .84 Miles (60.57) Run Distance: 0 Miles Heart Rate (min/max all day): 47/94 Steps: 8328 Goals: (1) Run 10.5 miles in one day by 11/18/18 (2) Lose 100lbs by 12/25/18

The contest has gone nine weeks and I am in the lead. I look forward to winning the prize to offset some of my recent purchases of workout clothing. I’m going to finish the contest but I do not plan to do this again. I hope I don’t have to, but I am now convinced that just losing weight is not the goal, and can be dangerous if a lot of weight comes off in a short period of time. Here is a spreadsheet I developed for biometrics tracking at work: https://Biometrics_Spreadsheet It will calculate your BMI and also provides an evaluation of compliance and financial benefit based on the requirements of my employer regarding company-provided insurance. Enter your height in inches, weight in pounds, sex and age, and optionally, waist measured at the belly button, and blood pressure. The rest of the fields will be calculated based on these numbers. Weight (change since Jan 2018): 221 (-48) Workout time: 26 Minutes Total Distance (total since Nov 2017): .96 Miles (59.73) Run Distance: 0 Miles Heart Rate (min/max all da

I start the day with already over 7,000 steps, and though I’m only going a half mile, I’m hitting the hills and increasing my pace to be a little more aggressive, and build strength. I had a consultation with a dietitian today, and got some great information that I’ll detail in a special episode. But she was pretty amazed at the fact that I am still losing weight, because most people plateau earlier. I think there is a chance for me to recover my metabolism and avoid the yo-yo effect. But now I can begin the process of developing a good maintenance diet so I can keep fit in the long term. I may not be able to lose the total of 100 pounds I set as a goal to lose this year. I need to be willing to change for the better. It’s about gaining health, not losing weight. This is difficult, and it’s going to be difficult, which is why I need a fever for it. A passion to stay fit. And in the end, it is well worth it. Weight (change since Jan 2018): 225 (-44) Workout time: 27 Minutes Total Distance (total since Nov 2017

Today I’m off to a sports nutrition store near where I live called Complete Nutrition. In talking with some fellow “losers” at work I found out they can provide a body composition report. The report give weight of fat, water, and muscle/skeletal tissue, BMI, body fat and muscle by percentage of total weight, and, weirdly, the weight of various body parts.

Because I am trying to improve my strength I am taking trails with more variance in elevation. I think I will get more resistance and challenge my muscles by walking up and down the hills. One thing I learned from the body composition test was that I need to build muscle. No big surprise there, as I suspected that my weight loss included muscle as well as fat. I am considering different options. I will probably join a gym to have access to machines that will help me isolate different muscle groups. I am also starting some work on my abdominal muscles. I have to do exercises that don’t fatigue my right arm, which has suffered, probably, from a combination of rapid weight loss and scoliosis.

An update on fashion, snacks, and the 10,000-step rule.

I have a lot to talk about today. Philosophy, Medicine, Diet. I start the six-meal-a-day plan and share exactly what I typically eat on one of those six-meal days.

I take a walk with my friend Tom Rohr, president of the St. Anthony of Padua Educational Society (Padua Media), and founder of the Padua Podcast Network. Tom is a serious walker, sometimes walking 10 miles in an hour and a half. It is a great way to listen to his favorite podcasts. I tend to get really involved and take on a lot of activities, so I need to live longer to do everything I want to do. That’s my motivation. It’s great to be out on a beautiful day walking with a friend. Tom is also a listener, and now has a good visual of what I do during the show.

Today I start my strength training. I missed my second walk this week, and I’m moving up to walking three times a week as I continue to come back from my knee injury. Today is the first day of my strength training and I do just one exercise, one set of six curls. Another addition to my routine is walking at work. Every hour I get up and make a couple of laps around the inside of the building and this is improving my step count for the day. I get some running clothing bought and ordered, and I try to level off my caloric intake to a reasonable level of 800-1200 per day, as close as I can get to the upper number while continuing to lose weight slowly and evenly.

I find out that I have been too extreme in my diet and have to make some big adjustments. I talk about this and more as I walk on a cold and rainy day.

I wanted to give a little more information about the workout from Episode 33 in which the recording was cut short. I’m a little impatient now, and that needs to be tempered with the realization that I cannot go all out right now. I’m just coming back from an injury. In a way, my impatience is a good sign. I am motivated and gung-ho to get fit. This motivates me and I hope you are motivated to get started if you haven’t started yet. After the six weeks off, I did have some resistance to get started again, but I did it, and now I am exercising twice per week. Even though I did not record that last time, I was talking the whole run, which did what it usually does, distracted me and inspired me. My knee is fine, I haven’t had pain for the last three weeks. And if you YouTube, you can also get the podcast there. Weight: 236 (33 lost) Workout time: 0 Minutes Distance (total): 0 Miles Run Portion: 0 Miles Heart Rate (min/max all day): 49/99 Steps: 4798 Goal: To run 10.5 miles in one day by 11/18/18

I am now hitting the trail every three days, up from the weekly workouts I did for the first three weeks back from the injury. I am very happy to be injury free and pain free. Since I’ve been on this ultra-low diet, some negative effects are happening. One of the things to be aware of when losing weight quickly is that medications can be less effective. Not just because my body mass is less, as in why children should not take an adult dose, but because the chemistry of my body is changing, body fat percentage is changing, and my metabolism is changing. Be aware of this and consult a medical professional if you start to see this happening. My pants are not fitting as tightly any more. Even if I wasn’t losing weight, my body shape would be changing due to the addition of exercise to my routine. Muscle is more dense than fat, so this wouldn’t necessarily affect my weight. Another change is that I have been sleeping better. The bottom line is that I need to adjust my diet. From here on, the podcast will not be ju

Patience is the fortitude and willingness to wait as long as I have to, to move forward when I need to, and then continue on. Determination is the energy that drives me. I make a couple of wrong turns and need more patience. My brain is not operating well because I did not eat today or drink enough water. The routine is becoming this: I lose weight before Thursday weigh-in, then gain it back over the weekend. My return to exercise requires patience. I had some down time due to my injury. I will not run again for a while, at least another month, per doctor’s orders. It took six weeks to get back to walking. I am now back to the distance I was going when I first started back in November. Right now I am trying to do two workouts per week. I do some dynamic stretching, as has become my custom, and then start walking. The challenge now is to just keep coming out and not to get injured. I need to take baby steps. Patience may be its own reward, but I’m hoping to be rewarded with the absence of injury. Weight: 241 W

A lot of things prevented me from getting in the mid-week workout this week. This might not have been a problem when I was doing this every day, but now I am out of the habit. This week I did not get the sleep I needed or the food I needed. I think this led to me going off the rails last night and overeating. I lost four pounds last week and gained it all back in one night. Need to get three meals a day, 7-9 hours sleep. A rough week, but I can get right back on track. I’m out exercising and am planning to eat three meals today. Moving into this next week, I’m just trying to improve a little at a time…more goodness, less badness. Chicken Lettuce Wrap for One: Place 2-3 green leaf lettuce leaves on a plate. Fry 4oz of ground chicken. Distribute chicken on each lettuce leaf, squeeze lime juice, and top with a tablespoon of chipotle salsa each. Garnish with a pepperoncini pepper or two. Roll up lettuce leaf and eat like a burrito. Weight (lost since 1/18): 241(-28) Workout time: 12 Minutes Total Distance (cum to

Fitness Department: I am very happy that I had no ill effect from the last run a week ago. These are definitely low-impact workouts. But that’s how we get back into it, one step at a time, one minute at a time, one run at a time. I plan to increase the frequency of workouts to two, then three per week. I’ve had so much time off that I’ve gotten used to using that time for other things, so now it will take some doing to squeeze the workouts back into my schedule. The important thing is I’m still back. I’m still keeping the workout short and not exerting myself much. I want to keep this up. Although I set a goal, if I only manage to keep coming out here until the end of the year, that will be an excellent accomplishment. I gain hope from the fact that I know many people my age are running, even competitively. And it should be easier now that I have lost some weight. Medical Department: I’ve lost 30 pounds in the last three weeks. I’ve been trying to eat three meals a day and not be too extreme about my diet. I

As I celebrate 30 episodes, I’m also celebrating a triumphant return after six weeks of being on the injured reserve list due to my knee injury. But I’m feeling much better now, rarely feeling any pain and even forgetting I even had knee trouble. I think it will be better to exercise, I’ve had enough rest. But I have learned from my mistake and I’m taking it easy. One run this week. I’ve lost 21 pounds since starting a “biggest loser” contest at work. Hopefully this will make injury less likely and help my fitness program. I am more serious now about my health, trying to get the right nutrients and maintain muscle mass while continuing to lose weight. There is a device that uses electrical current to measure your body composition – how much is fat, how much is muscle, etc. Weight: 248 (-21) Workout time: 12 Minutes Distance (total): .52 Miles Run Portion: 0 Miles Heart Rate (min/max all day): 52/82 Steps: 3315 Goal: To run 10.5 miles in one day by 11/18/18