11 weeks out

Oct 12, 2010

Weight: 310
10/11/10

I just realized it has been 4 weeks exactly since I posted to my blog.  My goal was to post weekly on my surgiversary date but I guess that is shot.  My feelings lately have been very ambivalent.  I'm grateful that the frequent hunger I was experiencing seems to have abated somewhat.

I still struggle with lots of fears that I won't make it to goal, I'll gain weight back, etc.  I've failed lots of times, and every time the scale doesn't move, I worry that I'm done losing.  I know that some people will think I worry too much, and others will relate to what I am writing.  My feelings are what they are.

I also struggle with feelings of envy which make me feel down when I see others losing faster than me.  I feel happy for them while at the same time I wish I could have their same results.  I've decided to do my best to sublimate those feelings, or divert them into positive directions.

For example I normally abhor competition, because someone always has to be the loser, and competing with others or feeling as if I can never measure up to others has always made me feel bad about myself.  I can't seem to avoid it on OH with all the tickers, so I am trying to divert my feelings of envy and competitiveness to a positive direction.

Now I am stepping up my own game and seeing how fast I can go and using those negative feelings to spur me into action in the gym and with my diet.  When I am working out or trying to stick to what I know I need to eat, I try to imagine how good it will feel to be more like one of those fast losers that I envy.

I imagine how much fun I can have updating my ticker and feeling proud of my accomplishments.  I'm adding the diversion of my negative feelings to some new weight loss tricks I have learned.  Some of these tricks I knew but didn't realize that the clinical results for following these tricks was so significant until I read some research papers recently. So far I've lost a pound a day for 3 days now following these tricks.

It may just be my chunky weight loss time (since I seem to follow a pattern of stall stall stall, lose lose lose) or it may be that the tricks really work. I certainly feel motivated to continue following them since I have seen some results on the scale so far.

I want to write down these tricks here because later if they continue to work I will definitely share them with others in a public post:

1) Working out on an empty stomach - I had heard this before but I didn't realize that the clinical research showed significant differences in speed of weight loss when following this tip.

2) After workout nutrients: Having a combination of cocoa, protein and calcium after a workout leads to faster weight loss (significant results clinically).

3) Green tea shown to double weight loss (36 oz needed per day).

4) Interval training - Brief bursts of intense training

Here is how I have combined the ideas above to fit into my own routine:

1) Workout first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

2) Wait 45 minutes to an hour after working out first thing in the morning, then have a chocolate Isopure which provides cocoa, calcium and protein per above.

3) Drink green tea between meals.  Since I don't care for the taste of green tea much, I mix it with lemon ginger tea and a bit of stevia.

4) I work out on the elliptical for 20 mins in the morning currently.  I find the elliptical works well for me as it does not stress my joints and allows me to read while working out.  I work out for 4 minutes at medium intensity, then I do one minute where I peddle furiously for one minute.  I repeat this pattern four times during my 20 minute elliptical workout.  

My goal is to get to 30 minutes and increase intensity on the elliptical, but not necessarily time. I really can't afford to spend that much time in the gym, so it's important that I increase efficiency and intensity in the time I do spend in the gym.  Interval training helps with this.

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