Running: A FEVER

I keep close track of calories, trying to slowly cut to a point that would level me out at 204 pounds, the weight I was at the end of the contest, but without starving and dehydrating myself to that point. Weight (change since Jan 2018): 215 (-59) Workout time: 40 Minutes Total Distance (total since Nov 2017): 1.87 Miles (74.08) Steps: 14,117 Goals: (1) Run 10.5 miles in one day by 11/18/18 (2) Lo...

I see my general practitioner, who breaks down the possible causes of my arm pain. He also displays his artistic skills on a sheet of exam table paper, preserved here as the featured image. The problem is with a pinched nerve in my neck. It also may be complicated by scoliosis, because it seems my shoulders are unbalanced. Lots of good information here. Weight (change since Jan 2018): 212 (-62) Wo...

I visit my doctor and get some information about what might be happening to my back and causing the arm pain that I have been experiencing. Heading out under the light of the moon on an early Saturday morning, I ponder moving forward with my health after the weight loss contest. I talk about my "cheat meal" and, with all the things going on with my body right now, decide not to run again for a whi...

Today I learn something from Dave Jackson's Logical Weight Loss podcast : calories burned depends on, among other things, total body weight. So I'll be getting more accurate information from my fitness watch now as I periodically update my weight in the app. The end of the "Biggest Loser" contest at work, which I am going to win by the way, is so close I can taste it, and I plan to immediately res...

I start the workout coming straight from the grocery store, which makes an excellent opportunity for an accurate diet report. I discover my medical mantra, which is "Take care of yourself, your body is your most important asset." Oatmeal, the superfood, comes in flavors that add 30-100 calories, but provide a little variety. Edamame is available in the area of the frozen foods section where natura...

I find myself a twelve-hour away from home on a short trip to the east. In a hotel that is way too hip for me, I find a gym and record the first ever Running: A FEVER episode from a treadmill. This is a good example of a situation that makes exercise and healthy dieting inconvenient. I find some ways to deal with this, though. The trip is short, so I just bring most of my food with me in a cooler....

It is the first day of spring and a beautiful one, though it was freezing when I left for work this morning. I give a full definition of anabolism and catabolism in the first ever Chemical Biology section of the Medical Department report. Two things happen when you have enough water and are not dehydrated. Anabolic hormones are released causing growth of muscle tissue vs. destruction (catabolic ho...

In addition to trying out my rain suit for the first time on the trail, I present a lengthy hydration report including a reference to what bodybuilders call anabolism , which, per BioNinja.com means "the synthesis of complex molecules from simpler molecules including the formation of macromolecules from monomers by condensation reactions". Translated, this means basically building, as opposed to c...

The MOVE! Program at the VA is "a weight management, health promotion program designed to improve the lives of Veterans. MOVE!'s core ideas—encouraging healthy eating behavior, increasing physical activity, and promoting even small weight losses—are easy to follow and based on the latest in nutrition science. With the help of your MOVE! Care team, you can reduce health risks, prevent or reverse ce...

I take a walk on breaks at work on an early Sunday morning when no one else is at the office. As the biggest loser contest draws to a close I begin to reflect on the journey we have taken together so far. I recognize the importance of setting a goal, the concept of a motivating factor that is not just the destination, but a passion that drives the daily grind of making my way to that goal.  Statis...

I went to Walmart to try on some jeans. I've gone from a size 44 to a size 38. I'm still putting off buying a new wardrobe because I'm not down to my ideal weight yet. But at least I know where I stand. I've lost six inches in my waist. I talk a little about the BMI controversy. Fortunately the biometrics standards at my company account for that somewhat by allowing a waist measurement to suffice...

The contest has gone nine weeks and I am in the lead. I look forward to winning the prize to offset some of my recent purchases of workout clothing. I'm going to finish the contest but I do not plan to do this again. I hope I don't have to, but I am now convinced that just losing weight is not the goal, and can be dangerous if a lot of weight comes off in a short period of time. Here is a spreadsh...

I start the day with already over 7,000 steps, and though I'm only going a half mile, I'm hitting the hills and increasing my pace to be a little more aggressive, and build strength. I had a consultation with a dietitian today, and got some great information that I'll detail in a special episode. But she was pretty amazed at the fact that I am still losing weight, because most people plateau earli...

Today I'm off to a sports nutrition store near where I live called Complete Nutrition. In talking with some fellow "losers" at work I found out they can provide a body composition report. The report give weight of fat, water, and muscle/skeletal tissue, BMI, body fat and muscle by percentage of total weight, and, weirdly, the weight of various body parts.

Because I am trying to improve my strength I am taking trails with more variance in elevation. I think I will get more resistance and challenge my muscles by walking up and down the hills. One thing I learned from the body composition test was that I need to build muscle. No big surprise there, as I suspected that my weight loss included muscle as well as fat. I am considering different options. I...

An update on fashion, snacks, and the 10,000-step rule.

I have a lot to talk about today. Philosophy, Medicine, Diet. I start the six-meal-a-day plan and share exactly what I typically eat on one of those six-meal days.

I take a walk with my friend Tom Rohr, president of the St. Anthony of Padua Educational Society (Padua Media), and founder of the Padua Podcast Network. Tom is a serious walker, sometimes walking 10 miles in an hour and a half. It is a great way to listen to his favorite podcasts. I tend to get really involved and take on a lot of activities, so I need to live longer to do everything I want to do...

Today I start my strength training. I missed my second walk this week, and I'm moving up to walking three times a week as I continue to come back from my knee injury. Today is the first day of my strength training and I do just one exercise, one set of six curls. Another addition to my routine is walking at work. Every hour I get up and make a couple of laps around the inside of the building and t...

I find out that I have been too extreme in my diet and have to make some big adjustments. I talk about this and more as I walk on a cold and rainy day.

I wanted to give a little more information about the workout from Episode 33 in which the recording was cut short. I'm a little impatient now, and that needs to be tempered with the realization that I cannot go all out right now. I'm just coming back from an injury. In a way, my impatience is a good sign. I am motivated and gung-ho to get fit. This motivates me and I hope you are motivated to get...

I am now hitting the trail every three days, up from the weekly workouts I did for the first three weeks back from the injury. I am very happy to be injury free and pain free. Since I've been on this ultra-low diet, some negative effects are happening. One of the things to be aware of when losing weight quickly is that medications can be less effective. Not just because my body mass is less, as in...

Patience is the fortitude and willingness to wait as long as I have to, to move forward when I need to, and then continue on. Determination is the energy that drives me. I make a couple of wrong turns and need more patience. My brain is not operating well because I did not eat today or drink enough water. The routine is becoming this: I lose weight before Thursday weigh-in, then gain it back over...

A lot of things prevented me from getting in the mid-week workout this week. This might not have been a problem when I was doing this every day, but now I am out of the habit. This week I did not get the sleep I needed or the food I needed. I think this led to me going off the rails last night and overeating. I lost four pounds last week and gained it all back in one night. Need to get three meals...

Fitness Department : I am very happy that I had no ill effect from the last run a week ago. These are definitely low-impact workouts. But that's how we get back into it, one step at a time, one minute at a time, one run at a time. I plan to increase the frequency of workouts to two, then three per week. I've had so much time off that I've gotten used to using that time for other things, so now it...