Long-time no write!

OK, so it's been about 11 months since I last posted on this blog. "Why?" you ask? As you might expect, it's because I've not kept up with my progress. Frustrating, for sure!

But, ups and downs are a part of what happens. So, what can I learn from my failures? What can I do differently?

Back in July of 2011 I hit as high as 251 pounds and started this blog at 247.5. Over the course of time since I stopped blogging, I first kept at it, getting down to 219.5 in February of this year. I then gradually gained back weight, although not to my starting point--in July when I started working at it again, 235.5. As of today, I'm 225.5, down 10 pounds. Not yet to my low of 219.5, but not so far from it.

As to what I can do differently, it has to do with a very gradual plan, adding elements slowly (especially exercise), tracking better what I do, and not being too ambitious (I guess that's connected to doing things gradually). The idea is to keep adding elements of my exercise plan, but only as I feel ready, not according to a pre-set schedule.

In a way, getting "back on the wagon" was inspired by an article in The Atlantic: The Perfected Self, by David Freedman, plus a follow up:  How Smartphone apps are changing our lives. Much of this is about how tracking behavior can change it, plus other Skinnerian techniques.

I took a look at smartphone apps and chose two, one with some hardware as well: Fitbit, which has the hardware to measure the steps you take (and how many "stairs" you climb each day); and MyFitnessPal, which from reviews, had the best way to measure what you eat (calories, fat, protein, carbs, etc.).

The point of measurement is, of course, feedback and that the very act of writing things down (or punching them into your smartphone)--i.e. tracking your behavior--begins to change that behavior.

My fitness plan builds on several things:

1. walking every day (usually in the mornings, but I use the Fitbit to track almost all my walking)
2. ride an Exercycle (we bought a recumbent bike earlier in the summer--not fun to exercise hard in the Texas summers!) - this will eventually be Sprint 8 training
3. do my traditional core exercises (plank, side plank, bird-dog, psoas stretch)
4. Foundation Training -- less traditional exercises for those who have trouble with their back--this works on the "posterior chain," back muscles, plus glutes and hamstrings, and how they should function properly
5. bodyweight resistance exercise (from Convict Conditioning--yeah, the concept and marketing is a bit weird, but it's a well thought-out sequence of traditional exercises (pushup, pull-up, etc) from easy to hard versions, with a logical progression sequence

More about all of these individually later, but at this point I've been walking every morning (not necessarily on Sundays), just around my neighborhood, about 1.3 miles. I've started the bike a couple weeks ago--just twice a week, building up from 10 minutes to 14 (eventually to 20). I've also been doing my traditional core exercises after the walks 2-3 times/week. The next to be added will be the Foundation training exercises, which are tricky to learn to do correctly, so I'll need my wife's help, looking at the video and book and watching my form--the whole point is to re-educate your body and the way it works, then strengthening the correct set of muscles. It'll take some time.

I'm also working on improving sleep--if you remember, not a strength of mine! First step has been to shut off the TV and computer earlier--started at 11 PM, now 10:30--I've been mostly compliant and it's helped. The challenge is as I go to more evening concerts now, I tend to be wired when I come home (often 10:30 or so already) and have used watching TV to unwind. Have to see how that works. No big improvements, but some nights I now sleep through (last night was an example) instead of waking up and being up for 1-2 hours.

More on all of this (and reports to track how I'm doing) later!