Wealthier and Healthier

Day 31

2011-05-18T03:37:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 28.0%
Body Fat  : 32%
Weight    : 252.2
Trend     : 252.2
% Lost    : 2.28%

----- ----- -----

1-Day %   : +00.36%

30-Day %  : +18.62%

365-Day % : +36.89%

What is it about May and birthdays? Seriously? Last night I attended yet another birthday party, with all the obvious cake and snacks. This one one-upped the norm however, as we were served steak, potatoes and salad in an outdoor barbecue setting. Great fun, for sure. Not easy for someone trying to get over the mental block of calorie-watching. 

Day 30

2011-05-17T04:08:00.001-07:00

Workout % : 30.0%
Body Fat  : 32%
Weight    : 253.2
Trend     : 252.2
% Lost    : 2.28%

----- ----- -----

1-Day %   : +00.38%

30-Day %  : +17.82%

365-Day % : +36.29%

2 more days of work and then I'm off for 6. It is during those 6 days that I absolutely must figure out a way of succeeding on this program. 

Day 29

2011-05-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 32.3%
Body Fat  : 32%
Weight    : 254.2
Trend     : 252.1
% Lost    : 2.32%

----- ----- -----

1-Day %   : +00.81%

30-Day %  : +17.46%

365-Day % : +36.05%

Not surprising, but Sunday was a tough day. In a hurry today, so that's all you get.

Hopefully Monday is a better day.  

Day 28

2011-05-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 33.3%
Body Fat  : 31%
Weight    : 248.8
Trend     : 251.9
% Lost    : 2.41%

----- ----- -----

1-Day %   : +00.90%

30-Day %  : +16.74%

365-Day % : +35.52%

Great Saturday. Got in my treadmill run. Ate pretty good food. Won $120 in a charity poker tournament. All in all, a great day.

Today may prove more challenging. We're going out for a birthday lunch, so I'll have to be careful with the restaurant menu. If things go according to plan, I'll get home early enough to get in my Sunday workouts.

Day 27

2011-05-14T08:28:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 32.8%
Body Fat  : 32%
Weight    : 250.0
Trend     : 252.2
% Lost    : 2.28%

----- ----- -----

1-Day %   : +01.14%

30-Day %  : +16.06%

365-Day % : +34.94%

Blogger was down yesterday when I attempted to make my post, so skipping Day 26 was through no fault of my own.

Anyhow, it seems as though the bad news my girlfriend was expecting will not come pass...which is terrific. My own news came through, and it was pretty much what I was hoping for. In a few weeks time I'll be moving into a new position at work. Nothing in the way of accompanying raise, but there will certainly be tremendous opportunities for me to take advantage of.

With that said, I can finally get back to the workout program. I need my workout % up around 80%...which means I have a lot of work to do over the next few weeks.  

Day 25

2011-05-12T04:14:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 39.2%
Body Fat  : 32%
Weight    : 251.4
Trend     : 252.6
% Lost    : 2.11%

----- ----- -----

1-Day %   : +00.34%

30-Day %  : +12.46%

365-Day % : +33.04%

The most stressful week ever continues.

In fact, is there anything more stressful than a threat to your employment that comes at the same time as a huge expense? 

Once this passes, hopefully by the weekend, I vow to get back on track.  

Day 24

2011-05-11T03:21:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 40.4%
Body Fat  : 32%
Weight    : 251.8
Trend     : 252.8
% Lost    : 2.05%

----- ----- -----

1-Day %   : +00.67%

30-Day %  : +11.07%

365-Day % : +32.36%

Neither the good news nor the bad came to pass yesterday. I suspect my good news will arrive before the end of the week, and it relates to a potential promotion at work. I suspect my girlfriends news will likely not arrive; it it does, we'll know today. I'd rather not discuss what it's about until it comes to pass (hopefully never).

The new numbers represent the change in our Net Worth Trend. It's a 10-day moving average of our net worth. I go through our bank accounts almost every morning, recording balances. The spreadsheet does all the calculations to tell me how we're doing. It's useful if only to see the trend-lines projected into the future. Those help us stay motivated when we recognize where we'll be in 5 years time if we keep up the pace of the last X days/months.

Day 23

2011-05-10T03:35:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 45.2%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 250.4
Trend     : 252.9
% Lost    : 2.01%

Much better day yesterday.

There's some potential bad news lingering today for my girlfriend, and some potentially good news coming for me. This could either be a very good day or a very bad day, time alone will tell.

Day 22

2011-05-09T17:11:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 43.2%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 254.2
Trend     : 253.2
% Lost    : 1.90%

The weekend clobbered me, again.

No further comment at this time.

Financial Status

2011-05-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

This is Wealthier and Healthier.

Thus far, the focus of the blog has been entirely on the "Healthier" portion of that. It's time to get to the other half.

Obviously I won't post daily updates on my financial status; the situation simply doesn't change often enough to warrant it. I will post summaries on a semi-regular basis though.

Our financial situation right can be summarized as follows:

We "own" a home, insofar as we live in a house that we own roughly 2.85% of. Yay mortgage.
We don't have any outstanding consumer debt, though there are a line of credit and a government loan left over from our days as students.
Our investments are paltry, but do exist.
We both have pretty good jobs and make solid salaries.

The long-term plan is to get ourselves into a situation that allows us financial independence. I don't think either of us needs to be "rich", we just want to be able to pursue goals that make us happy, without having to go through the monotony of corporate life.

To get there, we need a plan. Step 1 is consolidation of bank accounts. As it stands, we have accounts at 5 different banks. We pay monthly fees to 3 of them. We want to consolidate that down to 3, at most. We'd go lower, but we like that our online bank (ING) pays good rates on our emergency fund. We also have employer funded retirement accounts through a bank other than the one we're going to do our day-to-day banking with. We don't currently pay any fees on that account above and beyond the regular investment fees, so there's no strong desire to move that money until that changes (or we are no longer with the same employers).

Changing banks sounds like it should be easy, but it isn't. There's a long list of things to do. In my next post, I'll go over that list and let you know which parts were easiest and most difficult in our situation.

Day 21

2011-05-08T11:01:00.001-07:00

Workout % : 45.7%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 255.2
Trend     : 253.0
% Lost    : 1.94%

Forgot to post yesterday. It was easy to forget posting about weight loss in the midst of a huge binge eating festival. It started with $1.00 hotdog/soda at a park. It continued with a pizza party for dinner and popcorn during the movie.

I have to investigate how to separate out the fun parts of my life from food. It seems as though I can do well and stay on target, provided I remain a shut-in. As soon as life happens, food follows.

It doesn't help that I popped something in my shoulder on Friday. Nothing major, but it's been stiff since then. Makes sleep a little tricky, but it seems much better today than yesterday, so I'm hoping I'll be back to my version of 100% by tomorrow morning.

Day 19

2011-05-06T03:09:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 57.1%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 252.0
Trend     : 252.9
% Lost    : 2.00%

The fireworks are flying in my life, and I've failed to keep my focus through the storm. My girlfriend is on the verge of quitting her job, frustrated by the pressure. My boss one-upped her though, and actually submitted his resignation.

Change is most certainly in the air; I need to grab on to it and ride the wave.

Day 18

2011-05-05T03:57:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 69.6%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 253.2
Trend     : 253.0
% Lost    : 1.96%

Another day, another challenge. I think I pushed myself too hard for a couple days. As a result, I really wasn't feeling it Wednesday. I did get my morning workouts in, but I couldn't bring myself to the gym at lunch. I didn't get home from the office until around 9PM, so my evening workout didn't materialize either.

Day 17

2011-05-04T03:14:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 73.7%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 252.2
Trend     : 253.0
% Lost    : 1.96%

Hit a bit of a wall yesterday. At this point, I think the reality is that my body can only withstand so much. I couldn't will myself to get the gym at lunch yesterday; I was aching pretty much head-to-toe and my mood was most definitely sub-par.

I did get my morning workouts (100/100 and a treadmill run) under my belt, so that's something.

Day 16

2011-05-03T03:58:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 85.7%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 251.4
Trend     : 253.1
% Lost    : 1.93%

Great day yesterday. Got all 3 workouts.

Started the day with my 100/100 workout, which is my attempt to get to the point where I can do 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups every morning. I'm about 10% of the way there, but it's a start.

Followed that up with an upper-body cycle and a 30-minute elliptical session at the gym over lunch. It really feels great to get that mid-day workout in. Not only does it make the day go by much quicker, it also helps clear the mind.

The evening was time for day 2 of Power 90, which consists of the Sweat 1-2 and Ab-Ripper 100 videos. The Sweat 1-2 workout is pretty simple, and I can actually complete it. The Ab-Ripper is more challenging, mainly because I sport a significant obstacle to doing sit-ups.

Day 15

2011-05-02T03:36:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 77.8%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 253.0
Trend     : 253.3
% Lost    : 1.85%

Back on the right track. Used the treadmill last night, and I actually made it through about 6 minutes without passing out. It`s not much, but it`s a start.

I also picked off my Power90 series night with the Sculpt 1-2 workout. I`ve done this workout before, and it damn near kills me. A few years back, a buddy suggested I give the P90X workout a try. Having watched those videos in comparison to the original P90, I can only laugh. I`m not sure I could make it through the stretching portions of P90X.

Day 14

2011-05-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 71.4%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 254.4
Trend     : 253.3
% Lost    : 1.84%

Back-to-back setback days; have to hate the weekends. Did a lot of yard work, got my workout in, and still...an evening of party-type foods does me in.

On the plus side, we acquired a treadmill yesterday. At no cost to ourselves. It seems like a fairly good treadmill too, in that I can actually run on it without it shaking all over the place and falling to pieces. Having the treadmill at home will make it infinitely easier for me to get my weekend workouts in.

Day 13

2011-04-30T07:03:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 66.7%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 253.8
Trend     : 253.2
% Lost    : 1.89%

Kind of a step back yesterday. It completely slipped my mind, but yesterday was the last day of work for a bunch of my coworkers. That means a team lunch for everyone, and no gym for me.

Disappointing that life so easily interferes with these plans.

My goal for the next couple of days is to avoid the implosion that happened last weekend.

Day 12

2011-04-29T03:21:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 100.0%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 251.2
Trend     : 253.1
% Lost    : 1.92%

That's more like it. Having put together a new, more realistic training program, I think it was mentally easier to get my 3 workouts in yesterday.

My morning workout is simple I'm calling it the 100/100/100. 100 sit-ups, 100 push-ups, and 100 jumping jacks. Not complicated, not time consuming. Perfect for the morning.

Made it to the gym yesterday as well. I got in an upper-body cycle and a 30-minute elliptical trainer workout.

It seems that my weight always goes up following the 1st day back to the gym. I have 2 theories.

The tiny bit of immediate muscle gain causes a temporary bump in weight.
Whether it's a mental fabrication or not, I feel a lot hungrier on gym days and end up eating more food.

Regardless, I'll stick to it and hopefully we'll begin heading back down and get under that 250 mark again.

Day 11

2011-04-28T05:27:00.000-07:00

Workout % : N/A
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 250.8
Trend     : 253.3
% Lost    : 1.84%

I've had to restart this workout program. On some level, I recognized that my original plan was far too ambitious. It's hard to stay motivated when you're in such horrible physical condition that you can't make it through 7 minutes of a 55 minute workout.

So, I re-planned. I planned long term.

Starting on Sunday, I'll begin the Power 90 program. I've kind of done this before, but never had the motivation to get through the entire 90-day program. Truth be told, I've never even made it to the 2nd half of the program. This time will be different.

Day 10

2011-04-27T16:40:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 19.4%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 250.0
Trend     : 253.6
% Lost    : 1.72%

It's truly time to turn this ship around. While the results have been pleasing, I've really struggled to make the necessary lifestyle changes.

Well, summer is here. My excuses are gone. It's time to get serious with this deal.

Day 9

2011-04-26T05:21:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 22.2%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 249.8
Trend     : 254.0
% Lost    : 1.56%

Keep on keepin' on.

The only significant lifestyle changes I've managed to stick with have been eliminating soda from my diet, and not eating before bed. Despite such a half-assed effort, I'm losing weight.

I fully intend on getting to the gym today, and will be making use of that time to do some much needed studying.

Day 8

2011-04-25T15:41:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 26.1%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 250.0
Trend     : 254.4
% Lost    : 1.37%

Continuing with the theme from the entire long weekend, workouts were nothing more than a pipe dream. Managed to not float too far above that magical 250 pound mark though, so that's something.

Another long, stressful day at work. I really need to work on the my work-life balance if I'm going to be successful. I'm promising myself that I'll get to the gym at lunch tomorrow, come hell or high water.

Day 7

2011-04-24T07:03:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 28.6%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 249.6
Trend     : 254.9
% Lost    : 1.17%

Well, we're one week in. I've done well enough diet wise (simply cutting out late night snacks seems to have had a major impact) even though I've dropped the ball on my workouts.

To tip the scales under 250 today was pretty significant. For a few years, I maintained a weight inside the 240-250 range. Then I went above that, and couldn't get back under...until now.

I'm setting a goal for myself of a sub-240 weigh-in before the May long weekend, which is 4 weeks from now. Shouldn't be too difficult, provided I stick to the plan.

Day 6

2011-04-23T07:46:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 31.6%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 252.6
Trend     : 255.5
% Lost    : 0.93%

Coming up on one week, and success has been somewhat "meh". The results are coming, slowly but surely, which is really all that matters.

Having said that, I need to find a better way of getting in my daily workouts. I also need to find a way of avoiding weekend eating binges...it's a lot easier throughout the work week.

I found out yesterday that I may be on the cusp of inheriting a high-end treadmill. If this comes to fruition, I will certainly be adjusting my workout plan. I think it would be a better idea to just do some jogging every morning (something I would love to do, but am rather embarrassed by the idea of running outside, where people can see) instead of mixing/matching various workout regiments.

Day 5

2011-04-22T13:21:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 40.0%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 254.4
Trend     : 255.8
% Lost    : 0.80%

What a horrible start to the weekend.

Rough day at work led to a lunch at one of the local watering holes (which obviously includes a beer). Followed that up with a less than healthy dinner.

To make matters worse, I only got in my morning workout. Today, it doesn't look like I'll get any of my workouts in. I have to get more disciplined or this plan will not work.

Day 4

2011-04-21T04:54:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 45.5%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 251.2
Trend     : 256.0
% Lost    : 0.73%

So far, so good.

Got through my SWEAT 1-2 (from the original Power 90 series) last night...pretty simple stuff. Then tackled BURN CIRCUIT 2 this morning. A little more challenging, but still not bad.

It's been a really stressful week at work, and I'm definitely looking forward to a long weekend. I haven't gotten any of my lunch time workouts in (or my lunch time saunas!). This has to change next week.

The big challenge coming up will be getting my workouts in over the course of the weekend. If I can do that, and avoid partaking in the binge eating festivities, then I can probably emerge from the weekend sub-250 for the first time in a while.

Day 3

2011-04-20T02:57:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 37.5%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 251.8
Trend     : 256.5
% Lost    : 0.51%

Rough day yesterday. Had an unanticipated lunch meeting that cut into my gym going plans. On the plus side, they served a healthier lunch than they usually do. This meeting caused work for me, which meant I got home far later than normal and missed my evening workout too.

Hoping for a better day today.

Day 2

2011-04-19T04:35:00.000-07:00

Workout % : 50.0%
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 253.2
Trend     : 257.1
% Lost    : 0.30%

Not exactly off to a flying start at the gym. With this new schedule that sees me working out in the morning, I didn't have enough time to get my gym bag together. So I missed my 2 lunch workouts yesterday, though I did manage to get my evening workout in. Last night, I went through the Spartacus workout from Men's Health Magazine. Since I'm starting off from such a handicapped position, I only made it through 1 cycle and 2 exercises before running out of gas.

This morning's workout, the "FIRE 30 Class" from the Turbo-Fire series, is clearly spawned by the children of Satan. I've seen this series in stored and on TV pitched at people as a way to lose weight. Judging by the first video, it will certainly do that. The catch is that you would get the same workout by running on the spot, mixing in random punching and kicking motions with the odd jumping jack. The instructor leads a group of people through a cardio routine, but these people have clearly been practicing. Frequently, and without warning or explanation, she will jump into a different motion.

Having said that, it seems enjoyable and the time went by quickly. I can only imagine that the more frequently I see these videos the easier they'll be to follow.

Day 1

2011-04-18T03:33:00.000-07:00

Workout % : N/A
Body Fat : 32%
Weight    : 254.8
Trend     : 257.5
% Lost    : 0.12%

Difficult getting out of bed this morning. Alarm was set for 5:30, allowing sufficient time for a full morning workout. However, I binged on some of my favorite foods in anticipation of no longer having them (that's so wrong, and I know it), which means I had a restless sleep full of tossing and turning.

I did manage to hurry in today's morning workout, which was "Burn Circuit 1" from the "Chalean Extreme" video series. Not a bad video. The exercises are challenging, though it is somewhat unnerving that the video is led and performed by ultra-thin fitness models.

The rest of today's schedule includes a full day at the office, with a visit to the gym at lunch time. I plan on doing a quick upper-body cycle followed by a 30-minute ride on the stationery bike and a 7-8 minute stay in the sauna.

Day 0

2011-04-17T18:46:00.000-07:00

Body Fat : 32%
Weight   : 257.8
Trend    : 257.8
% Lost   : 0.00%

I recently turned 30. I also recently realized a deep dissatisfaction with my physical appearance. Undoubtedly, the 2 are related facts (30 and the realization, not the weight problem).

I've put together a ridiculously ambitious workout plan that will carry me through the foreseeable future. I've acquired a series of products from Team Beachbody, as well as some from elsewhere on the web. These programs are typically targeted at people far closer to being in shape than I am, but a part of me still doesn't want to make the full admission of just how bad it is.

I recognize that I won't be able to complete the program (at least to start) but hopefully will build up the endurance as the days go by. I'll also do my best to not injure myself...that would put a severe dent in my plans.