Back on plan!!
Ok, so after two weeks of not eating so good (like more sandwiches, breads, and fried stuff that I haven’t had in months...I can't remember the last time I had french fries), I'm back on plan.
The weekend was really good for fitness. In Whistler on Friday, we went all along some biking paths and off-road swichbacks for at least 4 hrs. Saturday, Dan and I went hiking up Lynn Peak for just under 3hrs. Sunday, Andy and I hit the gym and worked on heavy weights (arms). The "guns" are totally coming in!!
So today, Les and I went running around False Creek after work. The run wasn't too hard - just started around Yaletown, ran around the seawall to Granville St. Bridge, and looped around again. Total time 25 mins but I found how easy it was for me to do the run. Granted, Les hasn't been working out and he needed and I walked a few times so he could catch his breath but overall - I felt great!!
We got back to the office and hit the gym. Got some back exercises in (I'm getting stronger on the pull-up machine; almost my entire body weight - WOOHOOO!!), and weighed in - 186lbs. Ah, ok....not so bad! If you remember my last BLOG update, I had feared I really lost focus and gained back a tonne of weight that I've kept off for months. I'm back on plan with the diet and have re-implemented my "1 free day" per week plan where I can cheat (hey....how can I say no to a De Dutch breakfast on the weekend...).
I was really happy to find out the results of the weigh-in. It's like the EDGE program I listened to stated - "If you get troubled or disturbed enough about something where you are driven to make a change; you'll make that change and stick with it".
Andy's back from Boston on Friday so we're in the gym. Tomorrow will be weights and Thursday will be cardio.
Harvey
Hike's, Bike's, and post De-Tox diet...
After the De-tox, I was happy to see how much weight I had dropped. As Andy put it, I was on my way to the 170's. In fact, I weighed an amazing 181 lbs!! That was an AWESOME feeling.
One thing about the De-tox though, the diet REALLY PISSED ME OFF!! There's a lot more ruffage that needs to be taken in (that wasn't a problem) but what got to me was all the foods that I was restricted from eating: like breads, peanuts (and peanut butter sandwiches which I love), anything that had wheat or flour in it, anything that had yeast in it (so no soups that I could get from the store as they use flour to thicken the soup), no pastas, portion sizes restricted on meats, no dairy...arrgghhh!!!!
So when I got off the De-tox, my diet went to pot. I haven't weighed myself, I'm going to do that tomorrow, but I'm sure I'm back at the 190's. I know, I know, the climb in lbs is because I did it to myself (so I'm no victim) but I am choked about the weight gain more than the diet. In reality I'm more pissed on my fitness reversal than on the diet restrictions.
This weekend, I'm sitting down to make up a more of a balanced diet plan, come up with ideas on making it easy to live that plan (ie. pre-cook stuff or plan and make sure I can prep things quickly), and just living the old plan of having at least one free day - that worked well for me.
As mentioned on "Harvey's World", I went biking for a few hours in Whistler on Friday; had hit the gym the night before, and today Dan and I went hiking up in Lynn Valley. The previous hiking trips on the Lynn Peak trail have only been excursions to certain elevations. Today, Dan and I tried to find the peak but after 1.25 hrs, we turned around and made the trek back down the mountain. Total time from parking lot and round trip was just under 3hrs....my legs are totally destroyed.
I meet with Andy tomorrow for the gym and it's ON for fitness for the rest of the week (including diet)!
Harvey
A climb up Lynn Peak...
Today was a funny day. Andrew is out in Boston all week so I'm working out on my own at the company gym; getting in some cardio and weights.
For today, I wanted to focus on cardio and had invited Summer to go on a hike with me up in Lynn Valley. Gorgeous day for a hike; sun was out and though a little chilly, the forest would stop any cold breeze from bothering us.
So before we started the climb; we both had to use the facilities. If you've been hiking or running along the Lynn Head waters, you've seen the outside toilet stalls. What they should call them are outside sewage pits. YUCK!! I've been up to the Lynn Head Waters a few times but never needed to use the facilities. It was like something I'd see in a 3rd world country! Even when I went traveling in Thailand, I never saw an open sewage pit...a squatter toilet sure; but I never saw an open pit full of crap. ICK!
I'm glad I had that hand sanitizer....so was Summer.
Anyway, that's the end of the gross story; the rest of this story is about the EDGE and the story wrapped around it.
Ok...so GREAT day for a hike! I like Summer; she's a great person to talk to, super friend, and like any of my friends, I really enjoy her company.
So we're making good time up Lynn Peak trail and in fact, we got to usual point in the trail where Andrew and I turn around. When Andy and I first started hiking, it took me 1 hr to get to the point in the trail where we turn around. Today, Summer and I did it in 40mins; my best time yet - woohoo!!! Ok, granted, there are no markers on the trail to tell me where I am when Andy and I usually turn around so I normally gauge the general area on when I can start seeing sky again through the trees.
So it's awesome!! My time is totally improving.
Ok, so now the funny part (at least, it was funny during the moment...maybe you needed to be there).
Summer is a great athlete; she's fit, never afraid to try stuff (I've seen her do gymnastics with some crazy flips, etc..) but I've never seen her timid. The trail was rocky coming back down and she took her time coming down the hill - which is good; most accidents on trails are generally on the way down, not up. During this time, Summer had her jacket (with a hoodie) tied around her waste and she had accidently gotten her foot caught in the hoodie while climbing down a steep part of the trail.
"Ahhhhhhh nooooooooooo....my jackkkk-eeeet!!!", she exclaimed ever so sweetly. I started howling! I was worried she had hurt herself but she was dissapointed that her super clean and white jacket got a little dirty. Totally reminded me of my sister.
Starting back down the mountain, she exclaimed again a few minutes later "OH MY GOD!!", and quickly hoped from one end of the trail to the other. So this spooked me because I didn't know if she got hurt. "What?! What happened?", I asked. To which she replied "Did you seeeeee that, I almost stepped on that slug! That would have been gross!!". Hahahahaha...normally Andrew and I joke around on the hill, talk about anyting, from the EDGE to cars, talk about women, how to hit on women, how to gawk at women (see a theme here?), normal guy stuff right? What Andy and I don't do is talk about stepping on slugs or worry about jackets....today was a total change from conversations with Andy and all I could do was laugh.
The bathroom story though, that was just plain gross. Sanitary stuff I don't joke around with but the little things Summer brought up on the hike down the trail just had me in sticthes.
She did suggest that if we head up to the trails again, we go trail running instead. That'd be AWESOME!! It'd be a total change from just running on the treadmill and the hills and dips in the trail would totally keep the body guessing and help me build my cardio up.
Harvey
