5 1/2 Months (an update on life)
164 Days. That’s how long I’ve been neglecting this tumblr. That’s like missing an entire baseball season. I’d get on my dashboard and read some posts now and again, but I didn’t really have the time or the desire to post. Granted, I would still cruise FB a couple of times a week, clean out my inboxes, read the news, etc. but I needed a break from life on the internet. And posting about my daily habits was just one more thing that I didn’t want to have to do at the end of the day.
But, it’s been a long time and I figured I owed it to my followers (those of you who are still active and following me) to give a brief update on some of the major things that have been going on since we last “spoke”.
On weight loss:
I think I have gotten my overall weight (currently 180 lbs…down from 213 lbs when I began this tumblr almost two years ago) into a great place. I’ve been hovering around this weight for quite some time now, as long as I keep my food intake and activity levels in check. I’m no longer concerned with what the scale reads. I strictly use that tool, in combination with these three items, to help me figure out lean body mass and fat percentage. I don’t necessarily have a plan of attack at the moment other than I want to focus on building muscle for the time being. And as an added bonus, my body fat seems to be decreasing steadily.
I’m still not completely happy with the way my body looks. I’m definitely more comfortable with it, but I know that there’s still a lot of work I can do to improve it. I’m not going to lie, it feels great to hear people tell me that I’m not fat any more, but I still feel fat. When you’ve been overweight your entire life, how do you switch off that mentality? Basically, it all boils down to what Kevin Spacey’s character said in American Beauty: “I just want to look good naked.” Me too.
On eating habits:
I’ve given up on counting calories. Too much work, for what seemed like very little return value. Instead, I’ve switched to eating Paleo. For those not in know, this diet consists mainly of fresh, organic vegetables & fruit, humanely raised animals fed a natural diet, some nuts & seeds, and healthy fats. Period. That’s it.
Now, I’m not about to go into all the health benefits of this dietary lifestyle & try to convert all haters out there (believe me, I was once a hater myself). That’s not my intention. I’m also not going to go into what is “not allowed” to be eaten and all that. You obviously have a computer, so look it up yourself. Instead, I just want to say that I have never felt better about what I am putting in my body, or had more energy than I do with my current diet. I feel good about preparing basically all of my own food, knowing where it comes from, and taking the time to savour the meals I create.
On training:
This has been a roller coaster journey for me, especially in the last three months. I’ve learned a lot about my limits, and how to properly listen to my body. Important things to know when doing things like Crossfit and endurance running. Now, when it comes to balancing those two activities, along with work, wedding planning, and a social life, I’ve been having problems.
When the year started, I was in active training mode for the NYC Half-Marathon. I started a 12 week Hal Higdon plan about a week late, and really hadn’t been running regularly since late November. For the first couple of weeks, it was easy enough to incorporate crossfit into my training program as my 2x/week strength days. But then I signed up, at the very last minute, for the 60 Day Paleo Challenge at my box (crossfit gym). A drastic change in diet, coupled with shitty outdoor weather (remember all that snow we got in Jan & Feb???), a boat load of work, and fighting an illness for two weeks forced me to make a decision. I couldn’t continue to do both crossfit and half marathon training. And given the weather, my late start, and all the runs I had been missing…I chose to drop out of the race and stick with crossfit. I decided to focus on building muscle, embracing a Paleo lifestyle, and wait for the weather to turn before I started running again.
I’m glad I made the decision to drop the race. I’ve seen some tremendous progress in my strength training the past 2 months and will hopefully be a better runner for it. I’d be lying if I didn’t mention that the week leading up to the half, I seriously considered running it, just to say I did it. But the practical side of my brain talked me out of it last minute. Besides, why hurt myself when I’ve got a much bigger race at the end of this year?
So, now you’re all caught up on my weight loss stuff. I’m not sure where this tumblr is going to go next…maybe I’ll focus on balancing crossfit with running, or a Paleo lifestyle while endurance training. I can tell you one thing, it will definitely not be as stat heavy as it has been. And I’m going to try and post more photos too. We’ll see…
But I also wanted to take a moment to say “thank you” to the fitblr community at large. You guys and gals have been great, and without you, I probably never would’ve signed up for crossfit. Or seriously considered eating Paleo. Or gotten out the door on shitty mornings to get that run out of the way. You’re progress has inspired and motivated me to keep going on countless occasions, even when I haven’t been posting. So, THANK YOU!!!!
