March 29th, 2010 §
It’s been almost three weeks into Phase II of the 20/20 Lifestyles program and weight loss is still happening but it’s at a much lower rate which wasn’t unexpected. During the first few months the lbs were melting off like butter, now I’m doing almost double the activities I was doing during Phase I and the weight isn’t coming off as easy.
Shock the Body
In the last few weeks, I haven’t been as strict with my diet as I was with Phase I. I’m not sure if it’s because I only see my dietitian every two weeks or because I only meet my trainer twice a week. Although, as I mentioned before – I’m doing twice the activities I was doing before. I need to shock my body so I really need to put more Protein Shakes into my system and change up my diet a little bit.
Tracking my Good Habits
I met with my counselor last week and she mentioned that it would be a good idea to jot down what I’m doing right now so I can refer to it later on if I happen to fall off the wagon. So basically I need to put together a list I should look at if I start to gain weight.
- DIET
- Continue to keep track of what you eat during the day (i.e. LoseIt App on the iPhone). In the past I’ve followed the same exact method to lose weight. LoseIt really helps me keep track of when I go over my budgeted amount of calories for the day.
- Follow the same meal rhythm on a daily basis. (Breakfast/Snack/Lunck/Snack/Dinner/Snack)
- Keep snacks simple (Yogurt and Cheese Stick / Fruit and Cheese Stick) – Need to expand on this
- Pair your meals with an equal ratio of Protein to Carbs
- WORKOUTS
- Need to keep up the cardio 3-4 times a week (i.e. Stairmaster/Treadmill/Basketball)
- Think about the other activities that I’ll improve in if I continue to workout (i.e. Flag Football – especially beating the Coasters/Hot Yoga/Dodgeball)
- I don’t have my six-pack yet but when I do I don’t want to lose it
- SLEEP
- Keep using the Sleep Cycle App on the iPhone to track my sleep pattern.
- Keep trying to sleep earlier
- You don’t need coffee or pop. Once you have it in your system, it’ll take a while to leave.
- On average, it takes less than 30 minutes to fall asleep. Before working out/dieting it took an average of 3-4 hours lying in bed
If I continue to follow the above list, there is no way I will fail. My only fear is that I haven’t gone on an extended vacation during the program. I’m a little worried how I’ll be able to handle my diet in a non-familiar environment.
Next post will cover my upcoming vacations and how I plan to “plan” my meals…
March 21st, 2010 §
St. Patrick’s Day 2010 marked my 100th day in the 20/20 Lifestyles Program. It was also Myra’s birthday as well! Here’s the latest update on my progress.
On my current weight…
I’m currently hovering at between 194-197 lbs which is awesome. My last milestone was to beat 200 and since then I’ve dropped another 5-6 lbs. My new goal is to get my weight down to 180-185 before I start to bulk up on my workouts.
On my workouts…
I’m currently on the 2nd half of the 20/20 program which is called “Maintenance Mode.” The premise is that I continue to either lose weight or maintain my current weight. I only see my trainer twice a week now so I’ve upped the ante and added a few more activities to keep my body buring those calories.
Dodgeball: Our season just ended but this was an excellent sport that keeps that heart-rate pumping. On average; I’d burn about 750-1,000 calories per game. It sucks that it’s over but I’ll be watching out for the next season.
Hot Yoga: Myra and Rhonda started me on this Hot Yoga kick. We’ve been lucky enough to get on the 2 week trial periods that most Hot Yoga places have been having. We recently scooped up a deal on LivingSocial for 20 sessions of Bikram Yoga in Bellevue. I just “recruited” DP; he went last Saturday and is digging it. We’ll probably hit up Yoga 2x a week for the next 2 months.
Flag Football: The Microsoft Flag Football season is in full swing and my recent weight loss has really helped with me on the field. I feel faster, have more stamina, and my knees don’t feel like they’re going to buckle after ever play. I started out in the Linebacker/Tight End position – still getting used to watching the QB. Hopefully the team I played with in Kirkland needs another player because everyone’s a wide receiver on offense which really kicked my cardio up another level
Runs: In the last month we’ve done 2 5K races and have decided that we’re not going to do any more 5K races. We need to move up a level so we’re planning on doing the Beat the Bridge (8K) and another few 8 or 10K races during the year.
On my diet…
The diet’s been going pretty well. I’ve been able to accomodate my day if I ended up eating a surprise meal. If I feel that what I’ve eaten for the day isn’t up to par – I get my butt in the gym and get my cardio on. I’ve heard from multiple people that this is not a good method and isn’t sustainable in the long run; however, I’ve been making sure it’s not becoming a habit.
My food isn’t as strict as it was in Phase 1; but I’m continuing to lose weight due to the amount of exercises I’ve been adding to my schedule. I’m planning on giving my body a shock this week and next by adding more protein shakes into the mix. I’ve been replacing my shakes with yogurt and a cheese stick so my protein powder tubs have been piling up.
On the picture above…
Yep, that’s me at my heaviest weighing in at 250lbs with a Shamrock over my face. My body looks a little better now 
, I chose not to do a Before/After picture because my journey isn’t done yet. I still have another 9-10 weeks in my program and another 15 or so lbs to lose, but on the last day of my program I’ll make sure to have a shot up on the website.
February 22nd, 2010 §
Long Overdue Update!
It’s been almost three months since I began this program, and have now reached the halfway point in the program. For those of you that don’t know – I’m in the 20/20 program @ the ProClub and I signed up for the 12 week intense and 12 week maintenance program to lose 50+ lbs.
On the diet…
Overall the diet has been working. My dietitian has been slowly introducing new foods every week or so. Currently I’m adding grains into my diet this week. I’ve been able to follow my diet for the most part, but there are the obvious times when it isn’t possible. When I get off track for a meal or two my sodium spikes and my weight loss stalls.
In order to keep my sodium intake low, my dietitian suggested that I cook more often. So I’ve been shooting to cook about 2-3 times a week. My last blood pressure check was 120/60 which is awesome considering my first reading was 151/90.
Cooking, for the most part, is actually pretty relaxing. That is if things are going well. I have had some sad looking dishes come out and have had to throw away full meals because they tasted like crap. But Myra’s A+ Oven Baked Fried Chicken and my Creamy Chive Chicken Breasts are so good but so healthy for you too.
On the workouts…
My workouts have been the same since I’ve started, 35 minutes of cardio and the rest of the time I end up doing some lifting and at the very end I do a 15-20 minute training video. Some of the videos are lame and outdated, but there are a few that I’d actually watch again in the future. There’s a few on Calorie Comparisons and the go through some fast food menus and compare those meals with healthy meals. They also go over portion sizes which is always a problem with me.
Recently I started doing the Stairmaster instead of my usual Elliptical/Treadmill cardio. I noticed my heart rate only increased to 150 towards the end of my cardio workout; with the Stairmaster I get up to 150 within 10 minutes.
On the changes…
You’re probably wondering why I put up my pant size at the top of this post. I can’t remember the last time I actually wore a pant size smaller than 36 x 30 – when I started the program I was at at 38 waist. I’m guessing it’s been more than 10 years since I’ve been close to this weight. I’ve lost a total of 36lbs since December 7th, 2009.
I’m able to do way more things now without getting winded. Over the last four weeks I’ve played a few games/practices of flag football, and I recently started playing Dodgeball with some co-workers. I’ve also been parking at the top of our 9 story parking garage with a co-worker to bring my total step count up.
Looking forward…
I’m slowing getting new types of food every week with my dietitian. Now that Phase 1 is complete – I’m entering Phase 2 which is called the maintenance mode. During the next 12 weeks I have less support and have more individual accountability. Basically seeing if I can “maintain” my weight loss without supervision.
- Lose 1 trainer session a week – total 2 sessions a week
- Dietitian appointment is every other week
- No more group sessions
I plan on continuing with my flag football leagues. Yes I said leagues. One is for Microsoft and has some physical contact, and the other is for Underdog Sports with no contact. Myra’s been going to Hot Yoga recently and I figured I’ll be giving it a try either this week or next.
Hopefully I’ll be updating the blog more often given that I have a little more time on my hands during maintenance mode and not spending it at all those appointments during the week
January 7th, 2010 §
January 2nd, 2010 §
So here we are, 2010 and it’s been almost 1 month since I started the 20/20 Program. I’m signed up for a total 3 months of the intense program and an additional 3 months of maintenence.
Starting Weight: 240.5
Current Weight: 226.0
Current Goal Weight: 190
Total Weight Loss: 14.5 lbs
Other bonuses:
- Dropped 20 points from my Systolic BP
- Dropped 10 points from my Diastolic BP
- Knee pain is slightly better
- Went down 1 belt loop
- Able to fit into more of my older clothes [Not so much Love Handle Show-age]
December Recap
The month went by really quick – especially with the diet and workout program going on. However, there was one thing I dreaded the most during the program that ended up happening – I got sick. There’s actually a good side to this, I noticed that I was able to bounce back from being sick within a week – this might have been a little skewed given that I was on vacation for the second half of December and I was able to sleep/rest/eat all day with no stress or other work related issues messing up my sleep.
Diet vs. Holiday Parties
X-mas wasn’t too bad diet wise, I did have some of the non-program food a couple times during the day but overall I think I kept within my allowed calories for the day. New Year’s on the other hand was a different story and it really opened my eyes to how Alcohol affects my “satiety level”. After much peer pressure from my brother, I gave in and had a total of 2 shots of my good ol’ friend Hennesy. For those of you that know, I did give up on my favorite drink right before I started the program, read about the break up here. Anyways after these two drinks, my hungry level was uncontrollable around the food. I ended up eating things left and right and nothing was filling me up. I never was really buzzed or out of it, but my “Pleasure Center” was – I couldn’t stop eating the food that was on the table. I did manage to avoid the Carb Killers like the dinner rolls but I wasn’t able to resist the dessert section.
Weight Loss
I’m really grateful to have lost approximately 15 lbs, but I don’t think I’ll really be happy until I start creeping closer to 200 lbs. My brother is in town and usually when here’s here, we go all out and eat as much bad food as possible because it was the holidays. This year’s a little different given that I’m in the program and he too wants to keep his weight down. He was able to lose 20 lbs on his own which was awesome!
We ended up Skype’ing with my relatives over in Chi-town and they were able to see a difference. Tite!
Signing off on 2009
Last year was pretty bad, there were massive layoffs at M$, the economy was in the shitter, and I failed to lose the weight I wanted to lose before my both my Vegas trip’s. 2010 is a New Year and I hope God continues to watch over us and keep us safe throughout the year.
We’ve got a big year coming up so watch out 2010, b-side is going to kick your ass!
December 15th, 2009 §
On the Program’s Diet…
I started the “real” diet on Dec. 8th given that’s when I got the plan from my Dietitian. Basically the week consisted of 4x 20/20 Protein Shakes with 1/2 cup of Berries, and Protein for Lunch and Dinner. For the first 2 days I wanted to keep it simple and did just 6 oz. of Chicken and 2 tbsp of Low Fat Asian dressing – that got old really fast.
Myra and I went over the “allowed” list and saw most of the foods were from PCC, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s which happen to be pretty close by to where we live. After talking with my Dietitian she mentioned that all the foods on the list are allowed but to watch the sodium. Unfortunately, many of the foods that are ready-made have a huge amount of sodium in them. My blood pressure is a little high so she mentioned that cooking at home may help lower my numbers faster along with losing the weight.
It does get a little confusing when you try to match Protein vs. Serving size and I’ll get to more on that later.
I didn’t cheat at all last week, but my cravings have increased dramatically. I’m wishing for burgers, steak, and fries anything other than chicken or fish.
On the Cravings…
Unfortunately the cravings haven’t stopped. I constantly want to bite into a Double Whopper, chow on some Chicken Tenders, or get down with some Cheesy Nachos from Taco Bell. The roommate isn’t down with the weight loss diet and is grabbing all the delicious food and eating it right in front of me. It’s all good, at least I get to smell it….mmmm.
I do; however, have a couple of wins regarding the cravings. Initially I had massive headaches because I quit my usual coffee fix in the morning cold turkey. The headaches lasted for the entire week but have since subsided. At this point I’ve ceased to have any craving for my coffee fix in the morning.
Another win is regarding my soa pop fix. I didn’t drink pop often, usually on the weekends at my Parent’s house, but when I did it was a disaster. I’d always drink at least 2-3 in one sitting. Horrible. Ever since I’ve started the diet I no longer have a craving for Coke/Diet Coke/Pepsi/Mountain Dew.
Let hope that lasts
On the Workouts….
I had a total of 3 workouts last week (Tues, Thurs, Fri) and I didn’t feel too sore. The initial soreness was there but was due to my 3 week absence from the gym and nothing that I really did exercise wise.
The first 30-35 minutes of my workout is on a treadmill with a 10% incline at a very slow pace (2.7-3.0) nothing drastic. But do not underestimate this low impact exercise – this easily got my heart rate bumping up to 160 bpm in 5 minutes and held steady until my 35 minutes was over. Obviously we’re training my heart right now to get used to exercise, in a couple weeks my heart rate will need more to get it pumping faster.
My trainer noticed that I am “athletically” inclined and wanted to know if I wanted to do more strength training. “Sure”. So he suggested I get in 15 minutes earlier and start my cardio workout without him. That way when I’m done we get an extra 15 minutes to do some strength training.
On the Weight Loss…
Exactly one week from when I started I lost approximately 7.5 lbs bringing me down from 240.5 to 233. So you may ask why am I not celebrating? It’s because after I came back from Vegas I weighed in at 233lbs. So the weight I lost was actually gained from my Last Supper episodes prior to joining the 20/20 Program.
I’ll actually be more elated when I hit below this weight which I hope will happen by the end of this week.
December 9th, 2009 §
Dietian
I met with my Dietitian this past Monday and it was pretty quick and easy. She laid out the foods I’m able to eat this week, mainly Protein and the Protein Shakes. Myra has been gracious enough to cook/steam the chicken for me for my Lunch/Dinner.
I’m allowed a certain range of foods every week, and every week a new ingredient/food group gets introduced back into my system. The goal of this exercise is to determine how the foods react to your body [i.e. does this food make me hungry or keep me full]
I’m on Day 2 of my diet and I’m surviving so far. Ask me again 4-5 weeks from now.
I meet with her every week for the next 12 weeks, going over any challenges I had during the week and to talk about how my diet will change for the upcoming week. After the initial 12 I’ll meet with her for another 6 sessions – basically every other week for the remaining weeks. Luckily I meet with her every Monday so it’ll be a good start for the week.
Personal Trainer
I met with my Trainer on Tuesday and he’s a really cool guy. I was totally against getting a Trainer for my workouts, I had the mentality that putting together a workout isn’t so hard – back/bi’s | chest – tri’s | legs but I think the real kicker to success is accountability. That’s the biggest factor missing when I was working out on my own. If I don’t show up to an appointment, he’s going to call me and “nicely” bitch me out. If I don’t show up to workout on my own – who cared, right? That’s where I think I’ll succeed in the program because I’ll have someone watching my every move, doing measurements, and tracking my progress. Problem I may face is after my training is done, what do I need to do to keep up that accountability.
So during the workout we did 2 sets of a prescribed set of exercises – he wanted to gauge where my strengths were and use it to tailor my program going forward. Luckily my Trainer understands that I sorta know what I’m doing and isn’t pushing me on those girly machines and put me straight to the free weights. I also made sure that he understands my goals for the program [i.e. kick ass in flag football, do more than one pathetic pull-up, and run more 5K's] The only thing I might have a problem with is coming up with stuff to talk about while I’m on the Treadmill since he’s right there watching me.
For the first few weeks of the program we’re going to do massive amounts of cardio and some strength training to assist with the weight loss. Then later on in the program he’s going to target some of the exercises to the sports that I want to play which is pretty cool. I’ll be ending the “intense” portion of the program right around when Spring Flag Football season begins.
I meet with him three times a week for the next 12 weeks then it goes to two times a week for the remaining 12 weeks.
December 7th, 2009 §
I mentioned to my Physician at my appointment last Friday that I’ve taken the advice from people that were in the 20/20 program to eat all the foods that I love before I actually start the program. He laughed and said he advised against it; he called it the “Last Supper Syndrome.” But he said, you’re an adult and you can do whatever you want – so I did – after my appointment I went to McDonald’s to get some breakfast What he said made sense tho – it’ll be harder to stick to the diet if I’m used to the “good” foods and go to a strict diet.
The picture above is my “Last Supper” on Saturday, we went over to Burger King to get 2 Whoppers, 8 piece Chicken Tenders, Fries and a Sprite!
The last few weeks while I was going through the preliminary work for the 20/20 program – I didn’t pay attention to my diet and actually gained 8 lbs. I weighed 232lbs before the Vegas Trip and I’m now at a cool 240lbs.
My first dietitian appointment is today at noon so that’s when I’m officially on the program and eating right.
November 25th, 2009 §
Intro
So I’ve decided to finally end my never-ending cycle of losing weight and gaining it back and start the 20/20 LifeStyles program. I attended the mandatory Introductory session given by the founder of the program Dr. Mark Dedomenico last Thursday and while it was long and right after work, it did what it intended to do; get people informed and motivated.
The session focused on what causes our bodies to gain weight especially our Satisfaction Center and how it dictates how we feel about food. For example, he demonstrated how much sugar is in one single can of soda – it literally made my stomach turn over when he poured a full cup of sugar from a can of Coke. He also hit it right on the dot when he said that can of Coke will satisfy my Center and when it runs out in an hour it’ll want another can of Coke. There’s been many times that I’ve downed more than 3 cans of soda in one sitting.
The session also covered the major factors that cause one to gain weight [i.e. lack of sleep, emotional state] After the 1.5 hr session was almost over we were visited by one of Dr. Mark Dedomenico patients, Vance, who lost over 183 lbs during the program. He had a pretty inspirational story, putting his whole family through the program and sacrificing their 401K savings to front the bill.
Lab/Paperwork Complete
One of the few things that need to be done before you can start the program is to get your blood work done, and visit your Primary Care Physician to get the go-ahead for the program. I knocked both of them out yesterday morning and while my PCP was filling out the required paperwork for the program he had a few things to say about the program that were pretty interesting…
…the program works but once you’re off the program the weight comes back…
…they’re Nazi’s….you need to follow the program….
Scheduling
While I was told I’d be contacted by a member from 20/20 to schedule my initial appointments in 3-5 days, someone ended up calling me the same day I finished my paperwork and lab work. My BMI is > 30 so I’m pretty much eligible for the program which probably sped things up on the approval side of things.
The phone call was a little intimidating, I was actually doing this; starting a weight management program. There are three initial appointments with a couselor, a physician, and a dietian before I actually get worked on by a trainer. The 20/20 program really keeps you honest and accountable and they do it by scaring you with money. For these initial appts, if I need to move/reschedule them it’ll be $90 out of pocket, and during the program if I miss any appointments, a monetary penalty will apply. This isn’t too much of a concern to me, I’m actually banking on the fact that these penalties will keep me in check.
The coordinator schedules out all the appointments for the duration of your program. I chose to do the 12 week intense and 12 week maintenace program so I have the next 24 weeks pretty much planned out for the program.
Results
I know a few people that have gone through the program and some have indeed gained some weight back, while others were able to keep the weight off. Once I lose my 50 lbs, my goal is to lose another 5-10 to account for any fluctuations.
I’m excited to be in the program and I can’t wait to see what this blog will be like after I’ve completed the program.
Stay tuned for more updates while I’m in the program, I’m planning on keeping a record of what it’s like to be in the program for all those folks that plan on going through with it.
November 12th, 2009 §
Welcome visitors from ondabside.com. What I’d like to do with this blog is to change the name from “Lose 50″ to “Lost 50″ and I’m going to make that happen.
I’m doing the preliminary work involved to get myself into a workout regiment that will help me lose 50 lbs in 3 months – it’ll consist of extreme dieting, hardcore workouts [approx 6-7 days a week], and counseling.
More to come…
