Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Tag: fitness

While Still Drinking Pop

By

On March 10, 2014

In General Cogitation

scale-edMy total weight loss goal was 60 pounds. The closest I came was 55 pounds before I plateaued again. Granted I haven’t been working out as much as I was a couple of months ago. I attribute most of that to the busy Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday and the obnoxious, freezing weather we have had this winter. I’ve been pondering if perhaps I may not actually lose those last five pounds.

As many of my friends have pointed out, when I talked about my weight loss, as you lose weight you also gain muscle. As the old adage goes, muscle weighs more than fat. I am still fitting very comfortably in my smaller shirts and pants; therefore I can only surmise that while the scale doesn’t reflect having achieved my weight loss goal, I think I actually have reached that point and now its only a matter of maintenance and toning.

I have been asked, quite often, what I did to lose the weight. After all, there are a plethora of weight loss fads and diets out there. I have posted a blog (or two) about this before. I talked about how I bought a FitBit and, using a couple of other phone apps, I managed my calories and increased how much I exercised each week. It’s all about portion control and exercising regularly.

In fact, I didn’t even have to change how much pop I drink (3-5 cans a day), which is a big win in my book! There were so many “studies” and white papers posted about how cutting out the pop would help you lose weight. Well, perhaps I was the exception; or perhaps I would have lost weight quicker had I stopped drinking it. I wasn’t in any kind of hurry so I didn’t care if it took twice as long, but everybody’s body chemistry is different. Besides, pop is my vice. It is my spice. My crack. My … precious!

Be that as it may, the good thing is that I lost the weight and, so far, I’m keeping it off. My clothes fit better and I have a lot more energy, which is important since I have the kid on the way.

/cheers!

I Think I’m Addicted

By

On June 4, 2013

In General Cogitation

bibs1Hello. My name is Biggs, and I’m addicted to exercising.

A year ago, if you would have told me that I would have participated in two 5K walks within three weeks of each other, I would have laughed in your face. Now, what I find equally as strange, is that I’m researching additional 5K activities.During our recent 5K walk, the Redlegs Run, my wife and I discussed the idea of trying to participate in one walk a month. I think I am becoming addicted to this.

I know they say that when you get into a routine of exercising that it can become addicting, and that is true. On days when I don’t exercise, or if I go a couple days in a row where I don’t exercise, I definitely feel like I haven’t completed my day. I pay even closer attention to what I’m eating and how much I eat because I don’t want to start to reverse what I have already worked so hard to lose. An important lesson to keep in mind when this happens is to not overdue it when you do get a chance to work out again. Sometimes our minds tell us that we need to push ourselves harder to compensate for missed opportunities. The problem with that is its one of the easiest ways to injure yourself; and injury will only make you miss more exercise opportunities.

When your body gets use to a routine, your metabolism increases and thus you begin to burn more even when your body is at rest. As long as you don’t gorge yourself on pizza and ice cream, you are not likely to gain too much weight if you miss a few days. This is clearly one of the healthiest addictions I’ve ever had.

So, Bring On The 5Ks!

How I Used FitBit To Lose Weight

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On May 9, 2013

In General Cogitation

chartAs you can see from the graph I pulled from the FitBit phone app, I have been losing weight steadily since I purchased my FitBit back in January. During that time many have asked me what I have done and the FitBit has been one of the main components.

There are several options to choose from if you are thinking about buying a FitBit and it all depends on what you want to track and how much you are willing to spend. The cheaper option ($59) is the FitBit Zip which will just track your steps and sync it with the phone app and website. If you want to track your sleep and stairs then you might want to look at the FitBit One (this is the one I have, its $99). The One comes with additional features such as a silent alarm and a wrist band to use at night. The newest model is the FitBit Flex, which has all the same features (and price) of the FitBit One but it can be worn in the shower and, allegedly, can be worn while swimming up to 10 meters below the water (I don’t know, water and my FitBit still makes me skeptical).

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No Gimmick Needed to Lose Weight

By

On January 18, 2013

In General Cogitation

rocky_lSo I woke up to a pleasant surprise, I have lost enough weight that I am now the lowest I have been probably since I was in college!

The best part about my weight loss so far is that I didn’t use any of the latest weight loss gimmicks and fads you see on television and the Internet. I used good old fashioned perseverance, exercise and portion control. I still eat a lot of the same foods that I’ve always enjoyed, I’ve just learned to eat smaller portions. I still drink pop and coffee but I have thrown in 24-48 oz of water. I also feel that the techniques in self-discipline and pushing myself I learned in martial arts also played a role (Thanks Tom).

I’ve been exercising 3-4 days a week for 25-30 minutes working upper and lower body. I mean, basically I’m ensuring that I’m burning more calories then I consume. Granted I may have had to give up a couple of foods that I like, but those have mostly been foods that I don’t have very often anyway. For example, I will probably never order a Baconater from Wendy’s again but I did eat at LaRosa’s for dinner the other night and I still dropped a pound the next day.

Everybody’s body chemistry is different so this method may not work for others so I’m not suggesting that those other programs are bogus, just not for me. It’s easier for me to follow a regimen that I’ve designed instead of a regimen dictated by someone else. I think my advice for anyone that is trying to lose weight, if programs like Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig doesn’t work (or its too pricey) then just try a more rational approach. Count your calories, try to walk more (I bought a Fitbit) and find exercises that you enjoy doing. Finally, don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results right away. Your body needs time to adjust to the new way its burning  fat and building muscle.

Cheers!

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