Well, another week came and went and I’m no closer to my goal weight of 185lbs. Weighed in at 204.4 because I still eat too much. My pants do fit looser, so I feel like at least the shape of my weight is changing from fat belly to leaner muscle mass. That’s the theory anyway.

Good news about my foray into longer cardio sessions though. My wife, a physical trainer, suggested that fewer sets while lifting weights while probably not adversely effect my strength building. It turns out a study has shown that people who do 1 set of 12 reps for each exercise are getting the same results as people doing 3 sets of eight per exercise. I do not believe that this means only one set per exercise is going to turn me into a professional body builder, but I do believe this means I can achieve my weight loss goals while building some strength. So that will free up the extra 15 minutes I need to devote to cardio at each trip to the gym. Excellent news.

Last night was my first experience with the 20/20/20 (described here) cardio routine. And it kicked my ass. The first 20 minutes on the elliptical machine was fine, didn’t feel much different than 15 minutes. Then came the tread mill. 20 minutes running on that thing, for me, is enough time for my mood to change 4 or 5 times. I went from feeling really good to feeling like I might pass out, to feeling numb (mentally), to being angry for being so out of shape. I had to force myself to keep moving, every step was a challenge for the last 4-6 minutes or so. Then came the 20 minutes on the bike. I was just in a zone, my body was just moving. I didn’t think, didn’t notice the time I spent on it, just pushed the pedals around and around. But I made it, and I was very proud of that.

Today is an off day for the gym, my oldest son turns 4. Spending q.t. with the family tonight!

Two things have become painfully clear since I began working out at the gym regularly:

1. An mp3 player is essential.
2. My mp3 player sucks.

I’m not going to hate on my mp3 player, I think it was $80 2 years ago (my main beef - it plays songs a half a beat slower than the CD they came from, super aggravating.) My wife’s was $100 3 years ago, she’s even worse off. So we’re joining the iPod party. It’s worth noting that I abhor the “Check me out, I’m so cool” Mac culture, and all the commercials, stigmata, and hipster vanity that go with it. But we talked last night and decided that for our upcoming 5 year wedding anniversary (November 16) we’re buying each other iPods to improve our workouts. We will not be buying them commercially, thank God for eBay. We’ll probably be going with the nano version, and I don’t care what color I get or if it’s used, as long as it works it’ll be better than the current situation.

Since my wife and I are in the midst of a move, I thought this site was cool. Check out ZIPSkinny.com. When I first Stumbled it I thought it would be health related, but it turns out it’s a demographic site. Check out your ZIP code and get the skinny!

Well, the goal for Sunday was 202. And I didn’t make it. Came in at 204. Why? Well, it’s a diet, not rocket science. The problem is that I eat too much junk food. And I eat portions that are too large. I eat until I feel full, and too often that means eating more than I should. Am I pissed? Yep, especially since I’ve been working my ass off at the gym. I’ve increased my cardio form 30 minutes 3 times a week to 45 minutes 3-4 times a week. I go to the gym on a very regular basis. And I do make some effort to eat less.

I have decided that after this week’s exercise routine, I am going to try to push myself to do 60 minutes of cardio with each visit to the gym starting next week. It’s a marathon not a sprint, right? I should be physically capable of doing it, I’ll just have to slow down a little bit, pace myself. My main concern is that I’m working on a limited “time budget”. With two kids, it’s not all about me doing whatever I want until whatever time I finish; I need to get the kids home at a decent time to get them fed, bathed, and put to sleep. So here’s the compromise- I’ll have to do less weight lifting at the gym to get the extra 15 minutes I need for more cardio. My goal is to lose weight until the end of 2007, then start working on gaining strength. The weight lifting shouldn’t be my primary focus at this stage in the game, but it should remain part of the whole process.

So the ‘old’ regiment was like this: 3 exercises per muscle group. Each exercise came in 3 sets of 8 reps, and I would work two main muscle groups per visit. To squeeze in my extra cardio, I’m going to have to cut something out. I was doing back and chest one day, biceps and triceps one day,and legs one day. Here’s the new plan: chest one day, back one day, and legs one day. For legs I was doing 4-5 exercises, I’ll cut that back to just three. Indeed, this program removes specific arm exercises altogether, but the thought here is that working my back and chest works major muscles in my arms at the same time. Hopefully this new plan will give me the time I need to focus on my weight loss.

And, Gabe, do you think you could stop eating so much? Yes. I am drinking much more water now, so the full feeling comes faster. I am going to limit my sugar intake to 2-3 treats a week rather than 1 to 2 a day. No more carbs at lunch (I had been eating carbs at lunch but not dinner.) That’s the plan. Now instead of needing to lose 6 pounds in October to be on pace for 185 by January, I have to lose 8. That’s two pounds a week. I can do it. I’m not scurred.