Sorry for the delay in the updates, I’ve been quite busy with my day job and the side stuff.

This past week I went to Bintulu for some site visits.  While this trip was great as far as learning more about my employer and our industry, it wasn’t so great for my diet and excercise challenge,  I have nothing to blame but myself.  Ididn’t make working out enough of a priority.

Now that I’m back in Kuala Lumpur, that has changed.  I have put in two hours of cardio and one 100 push up challenge workout since Saturday (more on this later).

Overall, my diet wasn’t too terrible while I was in Bintulu.  I continued the trend I’ve been on for the past couple of weeks.  Since I’m waking up a few hours before breakfast, I have a small snack, usually fruit after my morning workout.  I eat a very large breakfast, pretty much eating whatever I want and making sure to get plenty of protein.  I then eat a moderately sized lunch, trying to make good, low fat choices.  I’ll then have a very light snack at dinner time (at least three hours before bed).

I did learn one ver important thing about myself this week.  I am severely addicted to caffine.  Diet Coke wasn’t readily available and I refused to switch to the high sugar regular Coke.  As a result, I experienced several crashes that had me reeling like a junky.  I definitely need to address this.  But that will have to wait until I get back to the States.

I started week three of the 100 push up challenge today.  I’m spreading this out a bit more than week to week, but it seems to be working.  Week three is a big step up in volume.  Too big of a step for me.  I felt good that I made the 25 push ups on the first set (my starting max out was 24).  But the last set of 25 proved to be too much and I had to stop twice during that set.  So, now we evaluate and adjust.  I’m stronger than I was when I started, so I will figure out how to keep my improvement going.

I’ve pushed up my return home to this Wednesday night.  So, I should be back in the US and on my feet Friday morning.  That means that I’ll have a weigh in on Sunday morning.  On line with goal, I should be down another 4 lbs, but I’m really hoping it is closer to 8 lbs.  As a reminder, my last weigh in had be at 218.5 lbs and I really want to break down below 210.

See you on Sunday!

Okay, so now I’ve been traveling for better than a week.  And overall, it has been a great trip healthwise.

I finished out my week at a company family day at Sunway Lagoon water park.  I wasn’t in the mood to do much in the water, but I did have one trip highlight.  I met the 100kg weight limit (with shorts, shoes and shirt) to do the Zipline.  yea me!  This is particularly good because it was a mid-day weight and I almost always weigh more during the middle of the day than I do first thing in the morning (as much as 5 lbs more some days).

I took Saturday and Sunday off for workouts, given that I had done an hour of cardio for seven days in a row, I felt I was entitled to take a couple of days off.  Don’t worry, I was back on the elliptical this morning.

I kept my food intake at a minimum.  I may have actually gone too low as by Sunday afternoon, my energy level was low and this morning I struggled to maintain the pace/heart rate levels from last week.  But I did persevere.  A good breakfast, lunch and dinner today has me felling better.

Tomorrow morning I catch a flight out to Bintulu to do a three and a half day site visit.  I should be on the go quite a bit, and probably won’t have as much control over the content, timing and amount of my meals.  I’ve been very regimented this last week (more on that in a later post), so this definitely will be a challenging week ahead.  Wish me luck!

Here I am on the other side of the world, literally.  Kuala Lumpur is a beautiful place and I strongly recommend a trip here if you ever get a chance.  It is truly one of the best samplings of Asia you’re going to find.

I’m here for work, which means I am spending my days in the office (you can see the Petronas Towers in the background of this picture, can you see me waving?).  I hope to get outside a good bit more over the weekend.

In the mean time, I have been fairly well disciplined with my workouts.  Which takes me to a funny story:

I showed up at the gym yesterday at 5:30am.  The security guard told me they weren’t scheduled to open until 6:00am, but that he would get someone to open up for me.  How is that for service?  Well, they guy he went to go get showed up about 10 minutes later and told me they don’t open until 6:00am.  So, I went back up to my room and waited the 20 minutes.  Okay, maybe it wasn’t so funny.

So, I’ve managed an hour of cardio each day since I got here (and plan to do the same today).  I have a very good relationship going with the elliptical!  I’m also back on track for the 100 Push Up Challenge (completing Day Two of Week Two today).

The hotel I’m staying at has a great breakfast buffet.  I am making sure to get a very good breakfast each day.  I figure it would be very hard for me to overeat at breakfast.  I’m getting a good solid lunch, but watching my fat (mostly fish and grilled beef and chicken).  Then I eat very little for dinner (more like a snack).  The hotel also has a very nice happy hour (free beer/wine and hors d’oeuvres) that I’m avoiding like the plague.

I’m making sure to get plenty of sleep.  Well, it isn’t so much a choice as my body is mad at me for the whole jet lag thing.  Thirteen hour time shifts are brutal!

Despite the travel, I’m doing quite well right now.  The only measure I have for that assessment is how I feel.  Isn’t that the most important thing anyhow?

I’m not talking about the store (I’m over twice as old as anyone that should be wearing those clothes is).  I’m talking about a gap in my weigh-ins.  Even though I’m posting this on Sunday, I actually did this weigh in on July 3rd.

Down yet another pound since my last weigh in on Sunday (and this was really just half a week).  Not too shabby, huh?

Yes, this was an off-cycle weigh in.  Why?  And what is all this “Gap” stuff?

I’m traveling in SE Asia this month and actually won’t be returning home until August 2nd.  I’ll be going a month between weigh-ins, which is actually a bit scary.

I know I could use a scale here (or I could have brought my scale from home), but I want to try going without the training wheels for a bit.  I still know what I want and that comes more from look and feel than what the scale tells me anyhow.

So, the plan for the month (yes, I’ll be answerable to you, so there will still be regular posts):

- Eat sensibly (order good food and don’t feel compelled to finish the plate)

- Snack regularly with fruits and nuts to keep my metabolism going.

- No alcohol.  I might treat myself to a chocolate every now and then (can you say turn down service?).

- At least five hours of cardio work per week (break that into five to seven workouts, mostly in the morning on an empty stomach).

- Resume the push up challenge at week two.

- Begin working back, biceps, shoulders and abs in two to three high rep/short rest workouts per week.  Along the push ups (chest and triceps) this should begin to tone the muscles I’ve buried in fat and set up a platform for me to begin to build muscle mass after I break 200 lbs (going down of course).

I’m almost looking at this trip as an fitness boot camp.  When I’m not working, I plan to be active.  No hanging around the hotel room.  This hotel, which is where I’ll be for most of my stay has an excellent fitness center and the breakfast buffet has a lot of good choices (and many bad ones).  I’m in a good place, physically and mentally.  Let’s go!

Well, lets just call a duck a duck.  Yes, I did a great deal of walking while in DC, but to be frank, I didn’t really watch what I was eating, or drinking.  The results speak for themselves.  I put on three pounds.  I am not happy about that to say the least.

But, I am committed to turn this around.  Today is a new day.  I’ve started on the right foot, watching my eating, timing out my meals, etc.  I’m also committing hold my Mardi Gras captive until I get below 215 lbs (basically, a ten pound drop).   It might take me a month to get there, but I will.

Thanks to all of you who have offered support!  It really means a lot to me!  Onward!

One and a half pounds lost this week was a welcome sight.  I faced some big challenges to my program.  I have had a bad gold and as a result didn’t go to the gym.  I also had to take a road trip with my daughter for a band thing.  We also had our neighbors over for dinner to thank them for their help.

Generally, I was able to keep my eating in check this week, which is what made the difference.  I did partake of alcohol, but nothing too massive.

My cold is finally winding down, so I should be able to get in the gym a few days early this week.  I am taking my daughter to Washington, DC on Wednesday (parlaying a business trip).  That should mean a lot of walking.  I just need to keep my eating in control and it should be a good week.

All cross America we are beginning to feel the pinch at the pump. I’ll admit it, my truck takes almost $100 to fill up, which is a sobering thought. But ever the optimist, I starting thinking about this from a slightly different perspective. Maybe, just maybe, $4 per gallon of gasoline is a good thing.

Hear me out.

When our budgets get squeezed, we each have to resort to changes in our behavior in order to make ends meet. Exactly what changes are we making as the result of rising costs?

I for one am not going out to restaurants as often (yes, that is a part of my eating/diet plan), but it definitely is cheaper to buy groceries for a family than to eat in a restaurant. As a result, I’m eating better. I’m also eating less as I look to stretch a meal into leftovers for the next day’s lunch.

I’m also driving my Can-Am Spyder (a three wheeled motorcycle) to work. It burns much less gas than my truck. And because I lean into the curves, it is working my core more than driving a car or truck. Yes, that is relatively minor, but small changes do make a difference over time. I’ve also considered walking to work (although the 90 degree plus days with South Arkansas humidity would leave me a bit unkempt). Are more people walking? Or at least walking to the closest bus/subway stop? I imagine so.

My girlfriend (fancypants) was telling me that the company she used to work for is now allowing all employees to work from home one day per week as a way of helping their employees deal with the higher commuting costs.  Fewer cars on the road, driving fewer miles also means cleaner air.  Think about that one for a while.

Another area where I can see a potential positive is where companies might cut back on employee travel to make it through the economic slump.  Less travel means fewer business meals and tempting hotel bars/mini-bars.  I definitely feel more comfortable sticking to plan when I’m home.  I’m not sure my travel will be reduced (due to the nature of my job), but for many, I could see this being a real possibility.

I’m not so sure that paying more for gas is a curse. It might just be a blessing for many of us. What do you think?

It has been an interesting week.  I didn’t meet a single diet or exercise goal that I set for myself. 

The hotel I was staying in didn’t have a fitness center and I didn’t see one around the area.  Not that I would have had time to exercise.  I seem to be constantly going, even when I shouldn’t have been.  It was training at Disney World, but I never saw the park.

What was there were plenty of opportunities to eat and drink, both for social and other reasons (collegues from the course and friends who live in the area).  That and much better restaurants than I have available at home.

Then I finished my week off with a terrible cold.  I arrived at home yesterday and hit the bed, waking this morning almost sixteen hours later.

But somehow, this has happened: 

I’ve lost three pounds this week!  All goes to show you that there are basic truths in life, but even they may not be absolutes every time.  I know I won’t always get the positive end of that every time, so I still need to strive for consistency.

By all accounts, a one and a half pound loss week should be a good one.  But I can’t help but be a bit disappointed.  I really worked hard.  I guess I shouldn’t complain.

Working out in the higher altitude was harder.  Since I had a higher heart rate, I wasn’t able to go as fast on the eliptical.  As a result, I showed a lower calorie burn for the time worked.  I hope that the workouts did improve my fitness even though it shows a lower calorie expenditure.

The high altitude also affected my sleeping.  I slept, but I didn’t wake feeling rested.  When I got home yesterday, I went straight to bed and slept for 13 hours.  I also slept well last night (9 hours).  I feel much better today.

While I was in Ecuador, I was pretty good about my eating and alcohol comsumption until my last day.  The group went out for lunch at a very nice Argentine restaurant.  I spent the rest of the evening relaxing in the bar (yes, big mistake).  For the time being, I’m not going to abstain from alcohol, but will work to control my consumption.  I may have to rethink that to reach my goal, but right now I’m losing at the rate I want to and I don’t see a reason to punish myself. 

I am again facing a travel week, leaving for Orlando on Monday, returning on Saturday.  My strategy is as follows:

• Bring food with me (protien bars, almonds, etc.)
• Stop by a market and get some apples, milk and water.
• Continue my cardio workouts in the hotel fitness center or in a local gym with a day pass. 
• I’m going to up my workouts to 90 minutes a day.
• Make good choices at dinner (avoiding breads and fried food).
• Avoid bars and limit alcohol with dinners.

I’m well on my way with my weight loss and fitness challenge.  A little over a month and I’ve lost 8 1/2 pounds.  I know these first pounds are the easiest.  But I feel like I have traction.  I’m more driven now than I was when I started!

Onward!

Yes, I’m on the road again.  This time to Ecuador.

As it always goes with travel, I’m hit with the diet challenge.  But this place brings a new challenge.  Altitude.

How does that affect me?  Well for one, it makes my workouts harder.  Where I usually have an active heart rate of around 95 bpm, here it is closer to 120.  So, I’m getting to my target heart rate faster, but I also fatigue faster.  I’ve still managed to get a workout in each day except Tuesday.  And I’ll be in there today as well.

Another effect of the altitude is that I’m not sleeping well.  I think it has to do with my breathing.  I feel like I’m breathing more shallow during the day and I imagine that affects my sleep.

Ecuador is also on the Equator.  As a result, the sun is shining directly down.  If I were one to do my workouts outdoors, I’d also have to take that into account and ensure I’m wearing sunscreen.  Even a small amount of exposure here could result in a sunburn.

So far, this week has been relatively good.  I could have eaten better, but I feel like I’m on track.  Weigh in on Sunday.