Fort Wayne's Smallest Winner

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Team True Royal Camo

58 years old. I moved to Fort Wayne in 1982.  I’ve been married for 35 years and I have two grown children.  I enjoy reading, watching sports, traveling and spending time with my wonderful immediate and extended family.

10:20...

That was my time in the last timed mile of boot camp.  My first go at it (fast walking) was 13:30.  On the 2nd timed mile I got down to 12:04.  Then something went sideways and my 3rd timed mile was slower.  On Wednesday of this week I found my jogging rhythm.  I got back on track and broke through the 12 minute barrier.  Now I can't wait to break the 10 minute barrier.  I was confident I would improve.  At the Run Like a Hero 5K (3.1 mile) I was able to jog the full distance and came in around 38 minutes (just over 12 minutes a mile).  No it is time to lengthen my courses.  I have mulled over prepping for the Fort4Fitness half marathon.  The time table won't work because I also want to do the 4 mile walk with my family.  I can however do the 10K (6.2 mile) and follow that up with the 4 mile walk since they are 3 hours apart.

I am excited for the finale on Saturday.  I am confident that I will be in the neighborhood of 60 pounds lost.  That will be a loss of 23.5% of my starting weight (255.4).  Boy, if I could pull off a total drop of 63.9 pounds that would be 25%.  I will see that, and move past it, because I am not done.  I'll be meeting with my personal trainer tomorrow and we are going to layout my post boot camp strategy.  I am going to continue to set goals and I am going to make meal planning and diet journaling a permanent part of my lifestyle.  My beautiful wife has lost over 25 pounds while supporting my efforts.  We are both committed to a healthier lifestyle together.

I've had a lot of structure these last 15 weeks that played a key role in my success.  I need to find my new 'groove' in post boot camp.  I am confident I can do that.  I still have access to all the resources I need.  I just have to be a grownup and seek help when I need it.  At 58 I think I can do that.

I have so many people to thank that have had an active and supporting role and getting me to where I am (and where I am going).  The best way I can thank all of them is to keep them in my prayers.  I will ask God to bless them, cloak them with his love and guide them to follow his will.

Thank you!

 

1990...

Jun-28: That's how long it has been since I have been under 200 pounds.  As of this Monday's weigh in I am at 202.  I have no doubt that I will hear Rick read off my next weigh in starting with a "1".  It feels great to have shed 1/5 of my body weight.  Since F.W.S.W. isn't just about cutting calories, I have more energy from having worked out for the last 12 weeks. 

It's time to focus on carrying my 'good habits' from boot camp to my daily life.  I realize that I adapted well to the diet I am on because of two critical components.  I meal planned - I love grilled food so I grilled every weekend for the entire week.  Each evening on week days I decided what I would eat the following day and organized it.  I never allowed myself to leave the house for the day having to 'wing' whatever I would eat that day.  The other critical thing is logging what I eat.  My Fitness Pal is a free app and is easy to use.  I know that I can't keep track of my daily calories in my head.  Even though I have stuck with similar foods each week I know it would be easy to guess incorrectly on my total calories.

When it comes to exercise I have to develop the self-discipline to make it my top priority everyday.

I am going to miss he structure of boot camp, but I am ready to leave the nest and try out my new wings.   

 

295,000...

21-June: That is a very significant number for me.  At weigh in on Monday morning I was 0.6 pounds from losing a total of 50 pounds so far in boot camp.  So being a numbers guy I wondered, "How many calories have I burned to reach this point after 11 weeks?".  It's been 80 days since the program started.  I have been under a 1,400-1,600 calorie a day diet (let's average that out to 1,500) and it takes 3,500 calories to create a pound on your body.  Doing the math that means I have burned 295,000 calories to reach my current weight of 206 pounds.

How many more calories can I beat down before boot camp comes to a close?  If I can keep up my average I'll lose 67 pounds, and weigh in at 188 at the reveal. It's all up to me.  I have been given the tools (and the instructions).  I know it can be done because I am doing it.  I have an amazing support structure that is rooting me on.  I am feeding off of all of this...

it will happen, and I can't wait!

 

A month...

16-June: Eleven weeks in the rear view mirror and just 4 weeks of boot camp left.  Going in I thought the workouts would 'eventually' become easier than sticking to the diet.  While my endurance has dramatically improved I am finding out that my old body is not what it use to be. 

On the other hand I am quite satisfied by the diet structure.  I have a core group of foods I rotate into my meals.  I grill lean beef, pork and chicken breast on the weekend for the entire week.  I also grill vegetables for the week and I make up a batch of my soon to be famous fresh salsa to put in my lunch wraps and on salads.  

I know now what the two critical success factors are to maintaining a healthy lifestyle...

1) I have to have an aerobic workout six days a week.

2) I have to plan, prepare and log everything I consume.

If I were told that during boot camp I would lose 45 pounds in 10 weeks (and I would feel good) I would not have believed it.  There is no way I am going to keep of this level of physical activity the rest of my life.  The reality is, I don't have to.  I know I am going to continue a rigorous workout schedule until I lose between 70-80 pounds.  I have no doubt it will happen.  Once I get there I will adapt my exercise to increase strength and regulating my weight (Thank you EJ).

I actually see the diet side as the bigger challenge.  I am content with how I am eating now.  That said I know, as sure as the sun came up this morning, that I will drift back to bad habits of grabbing what 'looks good' if I don't continue to plan-prepare-log everything that goes into my body.

That is what I pray for, "Lord, please keep my focus on plan-prepare-log... forever!"  I am currently accepting all prayers said on my behalf to do exactly that.

 

I've done the math...

5-June: After a very disappointing loss of only 1.2 pounds two weeks ago I followed that up with two weeks in a row dropping 6 pounds plus.  The week going into Memorial Day weekend I knew I would have plenty of time to get out and jog plus the neighbors were on vacation.  I mowed their lawn and mine twice that week.  I easily sweat out six pounds doing that. (Side note - as hot as it got I realized that I was less tired after mowing two lawns than just mowing mine a couple months ago.)  So I went into the Memorial Day weigh in feeling pretty confident.  Sure enough I dropped 6.2 pounds.

Yesterday, prior to the weigh in, I wasn't thinking I'd come close to the previously weeks lost.  As such hearing Rick read off my weight and Tina stating the loss of 6 pounds caught me (pleasantly) off guard.  

Now looking back and comparing the weeks they were indeed different, but they sum up the same.  My diet has been quite consistent since the start, but I am working out more 'efficiently'.  Quite simply, I'm not tiring out as fast; I can reach a cardio-level of exercise and maintain that level longer.  

I thought losing 50 pounds in 15 weeks was going to be a daunting task.  A few weeks back I realized I could set and reach a higher target.  Now I'm looking at how I am trending and I think I need to increase my goal.  It's all math.  Burn more calories than you take in, weight goes down.  I have 6 more weeks of structure before I get kicked out of the nest and I'm on my own.  I'm going to take advantage of it.

Stay tuned to see how this plays out.

 

1.2 pound drop for the week...

22-May: Say what!?!  It was bad enough when I had two weigh ins drops in the 2 pound range.  Then I sprang back and had a 4.6 pound drop last week.  I thought, "Okay, that was the valley; I'm back and I am going to finish out dropping over 3 pounds a week for the rest of boot camp with perhaps 1 or even 2 drops in the 2+ pounds range".  I can deal with that.

I felt good about last week. I feel better, I can and am pushing myself more.  I felt like I had a good week.  Well I didn't, and I won't accept it.  I am still trending above my personal goal to drop 55.5lbs. and get below 200 pounds by the end of the 15 weeks, but I have very little room for poor results.  It's time to amp it up!  The solution is quite simple in theory - burn more calories.  That's it.  So I am going to do just that.  More aerobic activity - now!  I will not hear a 1 - point - something again for the rest of boot camp when I step on that scale. 

 

Endurance...

12-May: As we wrap up week six the word that is present in my mind is endurance.  I could probably swap that out with the phrase "Getting into shape".  I am getting through most of the exercises without feeling like I am going to collapse.  Don't get me wrong, I'm exhausted, but it is shifting from barely being able to do the exercise to pushing myself during the exercise.  We had our first running class today. Full disclosure - the only running I did was the last 100 feet when a couple of young pups challenged this old man to "run it in with power".  I showed them I had a little left in the tank.

I knew I couldn't jog let alone run for 40 minutes.  I actually started out in a jog, but it felt like I had lead boots on. I was so 'clunky'.  I reverted back to my fast walking.  Probably with about 15 minutes to go I willed  myself to find a jogging rhythm.  I did.  It wasn't pretty, but I maintained that pace to the end.  I haven't jogged that long in at least 20 years!

Rick and Tina said the middle five weeks are the grind.  I understand that, but on the other hand I feel the transformation.  Even if it is slow I am anxious to see what I'm able to do each day as it comes.  With building endurance comes a shift from survival mode to challenge mode.  Challenge mode is much more fun!

 

The belt doesn't lie...

5-May: Rick, the founder of FWSW has a saying, "The scale does not lie."  You may have an off week, but not two in a row.  I was a bit disappointed with my weigh in Monday dropping 2.6 pounds.  My weekly average is 5.4 pounds so far which is above my personal goal of 3.7 a week, but I worry about plateauing. 

I see the loss in my face (how much grey matter can I lose before I have to be concerned?) but I wasn't really noticing it elsewhere.  Then the drop off in weight loss had me feeling blue.  Yet Tuesday morning as I dressed I notice my dress pants were bunching up.  I use to suck it in to get them on and fasten the belt.  Well I had pulled the belt a hole tighter without even noticing it.  Now I had to smooth out the pants at the belt line.  I can handle that!  That fat is coming off!

Now we are 1/3 of the way through boot camp.  It is all happening so fast.

I am keeping my self motivated.  I want to jog and run again, I want to bound up a flight of stairs without getting winded, I want to be comfortable in my skin,  I want to be healthy!

Thank you Dear Heavenly Father; please help me to maintain the focus! 

 

How do they keep finding dormant muscles on me...

27-Mar: This is the end of week 4.  I am happy with my weight loss of 4.4 pounds this week (total of 19.2 so far).  The program's goal it to 'guide' participants to lose 50 pounds in 15 weeks.  That comes out to an average of about 3.3lbs per week.  As everyone knows, in any weight-loss regimen, weekly weight loss will tapper over time.  So while I am 'ahead of the curve' now it will be harder each following week.  On top of that, I have tweaked my personal goal.  I initially weighed in at 255.4lbs.  It would sure feel good to get below 200 pounds (for the first time in 28 years).  That requires a loss of 55.5 pounds.  So I have this reoccurring slogan playing in my head, "The road to 199.9 is 55.5."  Those extra 5.5 pounds translates into a weekly average drop of 3.7 pounds.

While I am concerned over keeping my weekly weight loss large enough to accomplish that I am thinking the trainers have the 'secret sauce'.  After four weeks I thought my only challenge with the workouts would be simple fatigue.  Of course they are going to push us harder each week; no surprise there.  What I didn't expect this far into the program is that they have me move'n and a shake'n in ways that are still finding long lost body parts, that at one time, served the purpose if supporting and aiding me with motion.  Oh my! This week has been a wake up call (pun intended).  Each day a different part of me has ached and I keep thinking, "Shouldn't I already be 'in tune' with moving every which way, and loose without feeling a new twinge where it didn't twinge earlier in the program?"

I am converting the physical pain into psychological gain.

There is a method to the madness.  The trainers are keeping my body guessing.  No planing out with Fort Wayne Smallest Winner.  I'm on the road to 199.9 and I am gonna get there! 

 

Now that has some flavor...

17-Mar:  Last night we did our weekly weigh in at St. Francis University.  The reason for that is the weigh in was followed up by a presentation by nutrition major students that prepared a variety of foods that we can incorporate into our menu planning.

My weight loss was 4.6 pounds.  I was hoping for 5+ and I was dreading if I came in under 3 pounds.  That puts my two-week total at 14.8 pounds... I'll take it!  I can't say I notice it physically, but I can confidently say I feel it emotionally.  I am more driven; this is going to work! 

The trainers are picking up the pace and psychologically I'm loving it - I just wish my physical side responded the same way.  It's exhausting and it hurts during the exercise.  Of course it has to; nothing worthwhile comes easy.  There is no way I could do this on my own.  The combination of the trainers driving me and my teammates supporting me is having a spectacular positive impact of driving me well beyond where I would have called it quits during a workout on my own.  What a blessing.

Back to the presentation put on by the St. Francis Students.  They set up four stations where they showed us the ingredients and discussed the preparation of foods and infused drinks.  They did a fantastic job and the best part was the tasting!  There was banana zucchini muffins (moist and favorful); baked chicken (with a bread crumb coating) and vegetables (deep fried taste without the oil); layered salad in a jar (so it can be prepared in advance) great time saving idea.  Lastly there was infused water.  Fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices including flavored vinegars.   The orange-vanilla sip was like a scoop of ice cream.

Olive Twist, a store off W. Jefferson was also there showcasing olive oils and vinegars.  The take away from all of this was that watching what you eat doesn't mean flavor has to take a back seat.  There are countless ways to keep your foods 'interesting'.  The mind set is quality over quantity.

 

I've met my Waterloo...

13-Apr: On Tuesday morning I heard a term that my mind had erased long ago - crab crawl.  Suddenly a chill ran down my spine; then a flashback to a pudgy ten year old in Pop Warner football contorting his body into a nonhuman form created a surge of fight-or-flight adrenaline (trust me it was of the flight variety).  It was my personal Bataan death march.  But, it did not happen. At least not yet.  So, on Friday morning as we did our warm up walk around our training area at Spiece Fitness I witnessed the trainers laying out cushioned workout mats.  Gee, nothing bad can happen on such and inviting surface, right?  As I made myself comfortable on the floor I thought about how fast week two went.  It was almost over.  Not quite.  We were going to do an assortment of leg lift-n-holds.

Oh baby!  I thought holding my arms up, and to the side, for an extended period was the worse pain I would feel while standing still.  Boy, was I proved wrong.  Any 'civilian' reading this thinking, "What a wuss!"  I invite you to raise your arms straight up now, as straight as if you were handing from a bar.  There, now hold that position and read the rest of this blog.  Hey, no reaching down to move the screen down.  Just re-read what is visible text for two minutes and then feel free to comment.

Let me just tell you, arms ain't got nothing on legs, especially if you walk around on the set I have. 

Week two has gone by fast.  I am preparing to go to my Saturday morning 'Group Power' class (think aerobics with light weights) with the rest of Blue Team.  I am thinking back on all the support I have had this past week from my trainers, my nutritionists, my team, my co-workers, my family, my friends and my acquaintances I crossed paths with this week.  I so feel the presence of the Holy Spirit!  I am blessed, and I thank you all.  Please continue to pray that I will make the most of this gift God has lead me too.

 

10.2...

9-Apr: We had our first followup weigh in on Monday the 9th.  I'm off to a great start with a loss of 10.2 pounds.  It feels greats.  I'm confident that I can stick with the program's workouts and nutrition planning.  I can do this!  The support from the trainers and the nutritionists is more than awesome.  They volunteer their time so they are making a sacrifice their valuable time because they are motivated to help.  That is so evident.  Then there is the camaraderie of my fellow participants.  We have a shared goal and we are striving to achieve it as a team.  

That combination is priceless and will make reaching the goal, which is not to merely take the pounds off - but to keep it off, exponentially more likely.

I am a very fortunate man to have been blessed to part of Fort Wayne's Smallest Winner.  

 

Everyone in the pool...

5-Apr: Our first pool workout was exhilarating.  I can't remember the last time I held a pool wall and kicked in place.  I also can't remember the last time I sweat in a pool!  The buoyancy felt great on my legs that have been tight following our first two 'land based' workouts.  The hardest thing for me was holding my arms straight up.  Perhaps if I did that in the deep end I'd get some buoyancy benefits - I'll need and extra long snorkel.

Back at it tonight.  Blue team is working out together in the 'Group Power' session.  On Tuesday we did 'Zumba' where I was reminded I have no rhythm.

 

I ate a yogurt sandwich...

4-Apr: That's right.  I haven't had yogurt in years.  I picked up plain greek yogurt and added some cinnamon. Wow is that an acquired taste!  To compliment that I had two slices of low cal toast.  After the second bite I made an executive decision - greek yogurt is now a spread.  On the toast it went.  It helped, a little.  Time to google low cal yogurt favoring.

Aside from that I found myself running tarty having my morning and afternoon snacks (which were enjoyable).  Time to develop new habits.

 

Okay...

30-Mar: weigh in is Monday evening - 1st workout is Tuesday morning.  The blue team met with our nutritionists Stephanie & Colleen this morning to start the discussion on adapting to and tracking our new (and improved) meal planning.  I stopped by the grocery and grabbed some 'compliant' foods and seasonings. 

I feel like I'm getting strapped into a wild roller coaster I have never ridden before and I am questioning everything.  Oh well,  time to follow the rules of keeping everything inside the cart and embrace the experience.  No doubt there will be some turbulence, and second guessing, but I have a voice inside me saying, "Oh yeah, it's gonna be one heck of a ride, and in 15 weeks when it pulls back into the station you'll be prepared to keep riding - and life is going to evolve into something very good!"