Shutting Down

This will be the last post that I make on this blog. I have 4 blogs in total and they have been a wonderful experiment for me, but it takes too much time to have 4 quality blogs. I have neglected this one enough so I will be shutting it down.

I will be shutting down one of the other ones as well; leaving only Rookie Mormon Apologist and Rookie Political Commentator up and running. These two I expect to keep going for years to come.

Thanks for visiting.

Is this True?

Swimming For Dummies

I decided that to start my training for next May's Half-Triathlon I would begin with swimming. My reasoning has to do with my being overweight combined with poor knees. Swimming is so soft on the joints that it is nearly impossible to do any damage to my joints when swimming the short distances that I will be swimming.

I started the swimming portion of my training by taking 3 Aqua Aerobics classes last week at 24 Hour Fitness centers in St. Louis and in my hometown. I was pleasantly surprised by the results. My knees did feel better, almost as if the exercise increased the joint's lubrication. And all of this was done without any joint pain! What a relief!

I called my son who is a swim coach in Arizona and asked him for his recommendation on a training regimen. Although I swam competitively in high school I have forgotten what we did in the form of workouts. He recommended that I start out by swimming 100 yards six times, starting a new 100 yards every three minutes. He was extremely optimistic I discovered.

Last night I decided to try his approach since the 24 Hour Fitness Centers here on Oahu do not offer the Aqua Aerobics class. I only found one center that had a lap pool so last night I started off for the interior of the island to find this one center. After my first 50 yards I realized that my son's plan was not going to work for me and I immediately changed it to six 50 yard swims on the same three minutes. Sadly, I couldn't even do that.

My first 50 yards I swam freestyle. When it was time to start my second 50 yard swim I was still so tired from the first one that I switched to breaststroke. I then repeated that freestyle/breaststroke pattern for my third and fourth 50 yard swims. At this point I noticed that there was a clock in the pool area that was large enough for me to see the second hand so I timed my fifth 50 yard swim, using freestyle. I was very disappointed to learn that it took me nearly a minute to swim 50 yards. In high school I used to do that same distance multiple times in about 40 seconds. We would swim 10 - 50 yard swims on the minute (meaning we would start out at the top of every minute, the faster we swam, the more rest we got).

My last (6th) 50 yard swim was done using backstroke and it took a minute 10 seconds. I was tired and slow. Its a good thing I have 8 months to get in shape. I looks like I'm going to need most of it just to survive the swimming.

8 Pounds, 8 Days!!

In the first 8 days of my Isagenix nutritional cleansing weight loss regimen I have lost 8 pounds in the first 8 days. This is surprising to me since I was already trying to lose weight and the easy pounds that occur at the beginning of any weight loss program tend to be water. This wasn't water. My wife took my measurements before we started this and I've lost about an inch in all of the places that one measures weight loss in those same 8 days. I think I've found something!

24 Hour Fitness Sport

My wife, son, and I joined 24 Hour Fitness on Saturday. It was more expensive than I expected but our membership includes a lap pool which is going to be essential if I am to survive the first of the three events in the half-triathlon in May - swimming. I was a swimmer in high school so going 880 yards in open water doesn't sound too intimidating - we used to warm up with 10 100-yard swims, but that was over 30 years ago!

Last night I found a 24 Hour Fitness Sport in the St. Louis area and went there for water aerobics and swimming. Since I had tickets to the St. Louis Blues pre-season opener I only stayed long enough for the class and 100 yards. I'm not sure I could have done much more than 100 yards even if I had more time. As it was I barely made it to the arena before the end of the second period.

This is the first serious exercise I've undergone in this process. Sure I ran a few times and I regularly do a few stretches and exercises in my hotel room; but this is the first time that the exercise lasted more than 10 minutes. As readers of this blog know I have been waiting until I lost more wait. Since the water is so gentle on one's joints, I can get started in the exercise part of my program earlier than what I originally planned.

The nutritional cleansing regimen continues, now supplemented by a little exercise. This should be fun!

3 Pounds in 2 Days!

This nutritional cleansing weight loss program I am on really works! And I am not hungry! That last part is the best of all. I have a shake in the morning; eat a regular lunch, which for me is a 6-inch Subway sandwich, and a shake in the evening. I make the shakes with milk and crushed ice in a blender and it is very satisfying! Then I take a cleansing drink before bed. In between meals I make sure that I stay full drinking plenty of water. I tried drinking flavored water, and zero calorie sports drinks, but those drinks do not cleanse. And the goal here is nutritional cleansing, not simply weight loss. All diets work, that is why this isn't a diet - it's a change of lifestyle. Isagenix might be what I've spent the last 25 years looking for. It is starting to look that way.

New Plan Starts Today

Yesterday I received my supplies from my new plan - Isagenix. Isagenix is lifestyle change for me, not a diet! It has a great history of helping people lose weight (practically every diet can say that) but once the diet is over, the weight comes back on. As successful as Jenny Craig and other diet plans are, they aren't a lifestyle change. You aren't going to buy food from Jenny Craig for the rest of your life. I read somewhere that 99% of diets fail if you check back in five years. Sure weight is lost temporarily but everyone who starts a diet doesn't intend to be back where they were in five years! They think they are going to lose the weight and stay there for five years. Since that doesn't happen, the diet is ultimately unsuccessful.

My intention is to be part of the 1% who succeed so I am not starting a diet. I am starting a lifestyle change. This morning I weighed 305 pounds. My plan is to get below 290 by the end of September and then add in exercise starting in October as explained in previous posts. With Isagenix I am convinced I can beat my weight problem of the past 25 years once and for all.

If you want to check it out further click on this link. There are dozens of videos on the website sharing the science behind this lifestyle change. The videos are very well done with some people sharing their personal stories, others sharing the science behind the solution. After watching a few of them you may want to talk to a live human being. At that point please contact me by leaving a comment along with your best email address. Without the email address I won't be able to correspond with you. I hate spam as much as anyone so you have my promise that I will never sell your email address to anyone!!! (If you aren't comfortable leaving your email adddress then I will give you mine - jrauma@gmail.com).

I will then get back to you by email and get you the information you seek. I'll be glad to share with you what I know or put you in touch with someone who knows more than me. But please do not sign up without communicating with me first! This solution is a personal one - the science is cutting edge, but the solution is personal. Your success is dependent on both.

SubWay

After getting my weigh down to the low 290s using the Atkins induction method 3 times I attempted it a fourth time and hopefully lose another 15-20 pounds. After all this strategy seemed to be my key to success. My weight had climbed 10 pounds or so and I waited 18 months as I had done previously so I thought I would give it a try. This time however, my body seemed to know what I was doing and refused to cooperate. I didn't lose a pound and my fourth attempt was excruciatingly difficult. Not surprisingly I was disheartened but decided to try again in a short while.

That effort also failed. I know this sounds crazy but it was as if my body understood what I was doing and turned on me, protected itself against my efforts to clean it up. Needless to say my 5th, and last attempt at the Atkins diet was fruitless.

In the meantime my weight had climbed back up to 350 pounds. I was looking for a solution when a friend came to my rescue.

Then I did an IT project for my friend Fred Wilbur. He looked great! He told me about a mutual acquaintance who was doing the same thing he was and had lost 35 pounds easily. Naturally I asked him what it was and it was the Subway diet. So I started on the Subway diet and quickly lost 30 pounds. It was great! Best of all it was a diet I could take with me on the road or while at home.

The Beginning of My Journey

In the last post I told you how I gained the weight. I never was guilty of overeating although I am guilty of physical underactivity. When I have free time my inclination is to study or write something. It isn't to go for a jog or play a sport.

When I was so disgusted with myself 10 years ago for being so overweight I immediately started a program to lose weight - Atkins! It was great! I lost 17 pounds in the 14-day induction period and I felt much better. Unfortunately I was sick of protein despite the success so I stopped and held that weight for 18 months. Then I did it again, had similar results and held the weight loss for 18 months. I did it a third time and got my weight down to around 290-295. I thought this method was the way for me to go. I could diet for two weeks, lose 15-20 pounds and then hold the weight loss. I was certain that I had a plan for success.

Wrong answer! I'll save the next part of this story until next time. Have a great day!

How I Got in Trouble

I got in trouble with both my weight and my conditioning upon marrying. This is not the fault of my wife for all she did was what most wives do - feed their husbands. But I went too far and as each year went by my weight went up a little bit each year. Actually my weight gain wasn't that consistent. I actually gained quite a bit that first year because for the first time in my adult life I was eating regularly and healthily. But after that initial 20 pounds or so, weight gain was very gradual until I was over 350 pounds!

I hit that particularly ugly benchmark 10 years ago. I remember distinctly when it happened. My family and I were staying in a hotel in the San Diego area and I went to the hotel gym with my then 14 year-old son who was on the high school football team. They had scales in that gym and I weighed myself for the first time in years and I was dumbfounded. Furthermore I was disgusted by myself. I had avoided looking in mirrors for years but this time I stopped and stared in the mirror to get an eyeful of what 350+ pounds looks like.

That started my 10 year odyssey to getting back in shape. My first attempt involved the Atkins diet which I will share with you in another post.

Long Ago

I was an athlete in high school and early in my college career. I competed at around 225 pounds as a shot-putter, discus-thrower, offensive tackle, defensive end, place-kicker, and swimmer. Actually I ranged from 205-225 by the end of my career.

I then went to Europe as a missionary and got all the way down to 188 pounds where I was movie-star thin! Since then it's been mostly an upward trend.

When I was finishing college and participating in Army ROTC I received a body/fat analysis that informed me that if I weighed 240 pounds I would be declared within regulations at the age of 25. Since that day I have used 240 pounds as my goal. If it was fit enough for the Army at 25, it should be pretty good for someone twice that age. So in recent years I have always had my eye on the 240 pound mark. That still is my goal weight for May's half-triathlon.

302

Two days ago I weighed in at 312. The next day I was 309. Now I'm 302? What is going on?

Not Good

I'm not doing too hot. Yesterday I weighed in at 312 pounds. Today it was 309. I don't think I'm going to reach my goal of being under 300 pounds by midnight.

Fortunately I have a fallback plan. I am getting ready to start a diet using a revolutionary new product that both cleanses and promotes weight loss. I can't wait to start! Once I prove that it works, I'll let you in on the secret so that you can succeed too. But as of now I have no idea if it is all hype or if it really works. I should know in 30 days.

Oops

I have been bad. Despite my committment yesterday to drop sodas from my regimen, I have had 3 of them over the last 24 hours. One yesterday morning to wake up, the same for today, and another yesterday for lunch because I knew I would have a long drive after work. I use caffeine when I need it and it seemed like I needed it those three times. But I'm committed to doing better.

For example I just had a snack of all fruit and fruit juices. I am hoping this will cleanse me.

On another note, I am preparing a number of posts telling the story of how I got to this point, hoping that it can help someone else who has fought the seemingly endless battles against gaining weight, and staying in shape. I hope you will find it enjoyable.

Addition to the Plan

While I wait for my secret weigh-loss product to arrive I am preparing for it by cleansing my body a little. Soda is out. I will continue to do calisthentics in my room and watch what I eat but soda is gone.

The weight-loss program which shall remain nameless until I find out if it works is designed to cleanse the body. For years I have felt like my body needed a tune-up and even losing weight and working out never rid me of that feeling. I've concluded that this feeling comes from all of the processed foods and chemicals that exist in foods today. Most of what I eat never occurred in nature. Bread and meat are natural, so are fruits and vegetables, but what about the rest of our diets. That is where I believe the "never truly clean" feeling is sourced.

I found something good

I think I found the solution to my weight loss and lethargy. This has been weighing on my mind because of my weak knees. To start to do too much on historically weak knees could destroy my hopes of competing in the St. George half-triathlon to be held next May. So weight loss has to top the agenda.

While trying to lose weight I have also been trying to develop an additional income stream to help me get out of debt. What I have discovered will also help me in this arena! I'll share more with you in an upcoming conference call probably around the first of October. Until then, mums the word.

Changes

I've been pondering what to do differently. The Subway, five meals a day, approach has been highly successful for me. It has took me from 350 pounds to 290 last year. Although I slacked off in recent months and gained 20 of those pounds back, it has again gotten me down to around 300 pounds so it is a good thing and still working.

But I always seem to hit a wall at 290 pounds so I am looking for what to do at that point. Should I shift gears at that point in order to trick my body? It almost seems like my body is resisting the weight loss once I hit that particular number. Of course it might all be in my head as well.

In any case I'm continuing to get back down to 290 pounds before I try any more running. There is an exercise room in my hotel this week which I will use tonight and Thursday night. In the mornings I still do squats and a few pushups to get the blood going.

But what will I do when I plateau again? I'm already checking out an option. I'll keep you posted!

Course Correction

After falling backwards a couple of pounds on Thursday I redeemed myself on Friday. Those extra pounds are gone and I'm back to 304!

I thinking about supplementing my diet with one of those companies that specialize in weight loss. Although I am still undecided, I'll keep you posted. Have a great weekend!

Bump on the Road

Oops. Bad day yesterday. I spent all day driving around LA and got a lot done, but little exercise. Even though I only ate four meals, the last one around noon, I still put on a couple of pounds. Hmm... I'm going to have to do much better. Remember under 300 by the end of August, under 290 by the end of September. Maybe I should turn that into a mantra.

Diet

I'm going back to a diet that has worked for me in the past. The formula is this:

1. Take my total daily calories - i.e. 2500

2. Divide by 5 - i.e. 500 calories

3. Eat that amount (i.e 500 calories) every 2.5-3.0 hours

4. Let one Subway foot-long sandwich be 2 of those meals

This diet works for me extremely well. Focusing on one thing, calories, and ignoring the rest of the stuff everyone talks about (carbs, protein, fat, etc...) allows me to stay focused. Every other approach has failed for me.

New Plan

My weight is holding so that is good news. I've decided that I have to attack this triathlon in phases. So August - October are going to be focused on walking and losing weight. The goal is to lose 10 pounds per month until the race. Then in November and December I will add running to the list - losing weight and running. January and February will focus on losing weight, running, and bike riding, and March thru the race I will finally add in swimming to the mix. By May I should be able to survive the race. We'll see.

Another Pound Lost

I've decided to focus on walking and losing weight until I reach 290 pounds. Then I can start running. When running a few weeks ago my knees felt loose and with my history of knee surgeries (4 in total) I don't want to risk an injury that would cause a delay. May is still going to be a stretch for me to lose 80 pounds and get in shape sufficiently to handle a half-marathon.

305 Pounds

Although I didn't run last week in Ireland, the time was not wasted. I was 305 pounds this AM!!!

Same Old, Same Old

Still eating well, walking a lot and trying to do exercises first thing in the morning. My greatest weakness is my legs relative to my weight. If I am to be successful I will have to lose a lot of weight and gain a lot of strength. Right now that is what I am working on.

Walking and Eating

All I manage to do this week on the road in Ireland is do more walking than usual, and eat well. With any luck I should shed a pound or two.

Walking Is My Exercise

Walking is my exercise here in Ireland. I walk every day after work around the neighborhood. I also take a walk during lunch. That's all I can muster this week. I hope that next week I'll be feeling more spry. I'm also using this time to lose weight so that when I recommence running next week I can do it a few pounds lighter.

Feeling Better

I am in my fourth day in Ireland and beginning to feel human. I did some exercises in my hotel room this morning before going out for the day. No running yet, and no working out with weights. I'm just now feeling capable of doing more than a bare minimum.

Nothing Today

Other than taking a walk during lunch today, I've done nothing. Jet lag is getting the best of me. It took forever to fall asleep last night, and then I didn't want to get up when 7AM came around. Tomorrow should be better.

Exercising on the Road

This week should be challenging. I am in Ireland. Friday I didn't run instead counting on all of the walking at the airport to be my exercise. Yesterday I spent walking in airports and recovering from jet lag. I did walk 10 minutes to a shopping center, and the necessary 10 minutes back covering about a mile. Today being Sunday, I will simply walk as much as circumstances require. I'll have to think of something for tomorrow. I'll have to see if the hotel has an exercise room.

Morning Jog

This AM everything went more smoothly. I weighed myself and discovered that I haven't lost a thing. Nonetheless the half-mile walk/run went much better after only 1 day. I wonder how I'm going to continue this workout once I get to Ireland.

Half Mile Today

This morning I got up around 5:30 and went for a walk/jog around our block. Afterwards I measure it at exactly 1/2 mile, surprisingly longer than I expected. It wasn't too bad although I was concerned about my knees the whole way.

I jogged (very carefully) for about 100 yards and found myself VERY WINDED. So I walked the next 100 yards. Then I jogged again for about 100 yards and it wasn't so bad. Then I walked for probably 200 yards. By this point I wasn't even winded anymore. I did a jog/walk combination twice for the remaining portion of the block, even jogging uphill for a short while. I seemed to get stronger as time went on. My knees aren't as bad as I expected.

All in all I did much better than I expected and am surprised. It should be interesting how tomorrow goes. Exercising one day is relatively simple. Its the ongoing effort that usually culls out the weak from the strong. Which will I be?

311 Pounds

I weighed myself this AM and I'm 311 pounds. I have at least 70 pounds to lose before I will be ready to compete in this half-triathlon.

Commitment

Saturday I made a commitment to compete in a half triathlon next May in St. George Utah. This may have been one of the dumbest things I've ever done. In any case, this blog will document my journey and hopefully record a successful completion of the half triathlon. That is if it doesn't kill me first.