Jumping Jacks, Jump Lunges, 180-degree jumps and Tabata

Week six of the meltdown is underway. I am down at least 7-8 pounds since I started. My pants are looser and I have to tighten my belt another hole.  My workouts haven't changed too much except that I exercise 6-7 days a week. I think I might start taking a day a week off so I don't hurt my knees and joints.  I have also been drinking a lot of coffee and I need to back off of caffeine a little.

I have less than 3 weeks to go until the weigh out and I hope I really have lost some solid body fat. My partner won $25 last week for having a perfect week workout and food log wise. If we win the whole thing we get $200 each. I feel no matter the outcome we win because of the weight we lost.

My daughter has a school fair tonight and I might skip gladiator for it. I love my kids and I need to stay fit for them. It's hard to choose workouts to stay healthy vs activities with your children.

Wednesday

I did go to gladiator because I couldn't get off work in time to see my daughters presentation. Luckily my wife videoed it and I was able to watch it. Gladiator was super hard. We did a Tabata twice as the warm up, this was jumping jacks, Jump lunges, seal jumping jacks and 180-degree jumps for 20-second intervals as fast as possible.  10 second breaks and then again for 8 rounds twice.

I hope your workouts are going well.

Keep up the good work!

-Gabe

268.3 Snowquester and some basal metabolic calorie counting

As I write this post we are getting a snowstorm in Minnesota. I shoveled last night and used the snow blower this morning. I fell on some ice at the bottom of my driveway while shoveling and landed on my knee and elbow. I think I was lucky and escaped with a slightly sore knee today. I am entering week 5 of the 2013 meltdown and I started using a new belt hole today! I am losing weight and I aim to keep it off.

Keeping a food log everyday has helped me realize that I eat most of my calories at night. I don't know if its good or bad but it's what I do. It seems like theories on how you eat and when are always changing. I feel that calorie intake is the biggest deal. You need to watch them and not take in more than you burn.  A simple basal metabolic rate test can give you a basis for how many calories you burn daily.

Tonight I have gladiator and can't wait for the hard workout. I eat a few more carbs on Tuesdays because I know I will need it for class. I had a bagel and cream cheese today.

4 hours later - gladiator was very hard tonight and I took the kids sledding for a half hour when I got home. If you want a heck of a workout try walking up a hill with a foot of new snow while pulling a sled. By the time 930 rolled around I was exhausted.  Dinner consisted of a pile of fresh green beans topped with quinoa, spaghetti sauce, and turkey burger. I stayed up a little later to digest and think about my day. I don't always enjoy being the last one up in the house but sometimes it's the only time I get where it's quiet and I can reflect.

Wednesday Morning -

I work up today and the scale read 268.3!

I want to say that's the lowest I have been in 5 years. I am celebrating and vowing to keep losing and working towards 260 for the summer.

I know I can do it and so can you.

Have a great rest of the week.

-Gabe

My Birthday Thank you for your support

2 Years 4 Kids 50 Pounds ago Parents In Shape for Life

Today starts week 3 of the YWCA meltdown 2013. I have many things going on that could help me pack on weight but I am going to do all I can to stay healthy.  I recently started a new job as a personal banker and I found out that we are having our fourth child.  Little did I know when I started this blog with 2 kids that the number would double in 2 years. We broke our traditional mold of waiting 5 years between children. Not that we were ever expecting to have a fourth. Really the only one of our kids that we planned to have was our second.  We will see how the weight changes with number four. I will have to watch what I eat because I know there will be a couple of months where long periods of exercise won't be an option.

I want to thank all of you for following along with me. This blogging journey started when I was over 320 pounds and I knew I needed to do something to last as long as I could for my kids. Over the years it has changed into me talking and sharing tips on how to keep weight off, eat healthy and generally stay in shape as a parent.

I hope the next two years will be as successful as the last two.  When I look at all the changes I made to my life and diet I think sugar has been one of the most important.

I started by quitting pre-workout supplements, moved on to eliminate high fructose corn syrup from our diet and finally  to keep sugar out of my diet and out of my home. I find that I not only crave things less but that I have much more energy that is more even through the day. I don't watch my carbs or take in as much protein as I once did. But I find that I can more easy keep my weight even and drop unwanted pounds when I really put my mind to it. I think quitting sugar is going to be the main war that the world is going to have to fight against in the battle of health. 



I am still doing Gladiator every week, playing dodgeball on Fridays and swimming when I can. I have been adding in more weight exercise and adding some pounds on my bench. I think when summer hits I am going to try adding P90X to my bike workouts and I am going to train harder for the 5 mile trail run in Grand Marais so I can do it faster. What are your goals for this year as far as exercise and weight loss? I like to set specific goals so I know what I have to look forward to. Please ask if there are any questions I can help with. 

Thanks for being party of the journey, keep up the good work!

-Gabe

2 Hour Spin Super Bowl and influenza b Minnesota Style

It is Super Bowl Sunday and I am in the middle of 35 sweaty people. We are spinning for 2 hours in training for the 11th Minnesota Red Ribbon Ride. In 6 short months the 300 mile ride will be here and so will the heat. I don't think there is much better off season training for Multi day rides than group team training spins. Today I will spin about 40 miles and burn 1500 calories.

I did weigh in for the 2013 meltdown this week. I have about 70 pounds of fat and a 24% body fat ratio with 125 pounds of skeletal muscle mass. This equates to me burning 2500 calories simply being alive on the days I don't work out.

I am really looking forward to the meltdown this year and my goal losing 10 pounds. Tomorrow I start tracking my exact food intake for the next 8 weeks. My diet this weekend is a little off because my middle child has influenza b. 

I have been drinking a lot of orange and green juice. I purchased 6 pounds of cuties at Lunds they were buy one get one free and I have been eating 5 a day. I hope I can fight off getting the flu.

This week I did a 5 hour spin, a 2 hour spin, Gladiator class, burnt 850 calories on the elliptical, played dodge ball, and walked for 2 hours on a treadmill at 10% incline at 3.6 MPH while watching Premium Rush. I hope I can keep this pace up. My friend Tony said I should do more calorie cutting than massive exercise and I think I am going to start that route tomorrow. I think my knees will be able to take it a little more.

I hope you had a super weekend. More to come soon. Keep up the good work fighting fat!

Peace,

Gabe

YWCA Meltdown 2013 Weigh In and Calorie count time Team Gladiator Bigges...

YWCA Meltdown 2013 Weigh In and Calorie count time Team Gladiator Bigges...

5 Hour Spin Red Ribbon Ride Old Chicago Pizza YWCA

I write this blog post while in the fist hour of a 5 hour spin class. I find many uses for my iPod touch. I am spinning today in training for my 7th Minnesota Red Ribbon Ride to fight AIDS / HIV. I have been eating a little more than usual the last two days to fuel up for the ride today. On average I burn 3000 calories during a 5 hour spin or outdoor 100 mile century ride. During the spin I will take a NUUN every hour with lots of water and gue as I need them. I get a treat of pizza after the class. Old Chicago is one of our sponsors and provides the 5 hour riders with free pizza at the end.

The bikes we use for class are Keiser and I love the Nike Livestrong bike shorts. In my mind bike shorts and shoes are a must when doing a long spin class or a Multi day bike ride. When I ride outside I also wear a 100 ounce hydration pack.

I have been fairly stable the last couple of months in my weight. This Thursday I weigh in for the 2013 YWCA meltdown. We compete on teams of two and can win prize money based on the muscle we gain, weight we lose, daily food logs and hours worked out over 8 weeks.

I have done the meltdown since it started and my team has won twice. This year I am about the same weight as I weighed out at the end of last years meltdown. I have always  competed with team Bear Mooners Army, this year my team name is changing to the Gladiators. In honor of the gladiator class my teammate and I take at the uptown YWCA.

This year I hope to lose 10 pounds and keep it off after the meltdown. 

I am now at hour 2.5 of the 5 hour spin. Your head starts to get a little foggy as your body sweats out more electrolytes than you take in, time for another NUUN and to think about how good being done is going to feel. Oh the miles of hills and sprints here we come!

2013 Time to Lose more weight and remember good friends and All We Have

Christmas, New Years and all the food in-between

Well it has been a long holiday season and it isn't over yet. I can't count on both hands how many times I have had to pass by a plate of cookies without taking one. This season is traditionally one where I put on 10 pounds or more. So far I have not put on a pound. I have not been passing up on all sweets I have just been making sure I fill up on good food first. I have also been throwing in a lot of exercising and sleep.

I talked earlier in my blog about how I make sure to eat before I go out around the holidays. Well this year I doubled that, I made sure I ate a big salad and some protein before I went anywhere. I also made sure to drink lots of water. When I was going to eat sweets I ate them at the end of the event. If you wait until the end of an event to eat a couple of sweets and then head home you don't have the option of eating more. I think not grazing on sweets for long periods of time has been really good for me.

I also don't drink much. I drink coffee and tea and made sure I stuck to those over the holidays. When you drink coffee with a little milk or tea and do not add sugar you have almost no added calories. When you drink hard drinks you are more likely to forget and eat bad food. Depending on what you mix them with you can also be adding lots of calories to your diet in liquid form.

Another of my saviors is my treadmill. I have a treadmill in front of my television and make sure I do  an hour of cardio at least 5 times a week. I will walk at a 3.5-4 mile per hour pace at full incline while watching tv. This burns a lot of calories and when I do it in the morning it helps me wake up.

I make a point to make it to the gym for my Gladiator class and Dodge Ball because it is the easiest way to run around and not have it feel like a workout. I think I have actually been losing weight this season.  My new years resolution may not have a specific weight goal this year but an overall fitness and eating goal. We are going sugar free in my whole house and my wife is on board. This does not mean stopping people from bringing sweets over. We just will not buy things with added sugar and we will not cook with sugar. We are moving over to honey and maple syrup. You may think these are similar to sugar  but they are not. Sugar is an inflammatory  and there is noting the same as it. Honey is  a natural antibiotic that is well recognized in Europe. 

I have one last holiday party this weekend and I am confident I will make it. Tonight I worked out and  tomorrow I am going to do the same. I am going to eat a being healthy lunch before I head out and I am bringing a vegetable tray.  I hope to convey my need to stay healthy with the people at the party. It feels strange bringing your own food places but we need to do what we need to do to keep healthy.

I hope your holidays have been super. If you have fallen off the food wagon get back on and keep up the good fight. You are doing it for You.

Peace,

Gabe

My Heart and Prayers go out to those 28 lives lost in Newtown Connecticu...

Mimamas Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association Holiday Party 2012

Boot Camp Holiday Weight Gain and the Kids with a Tri thrown in

I didn't post much in November because I was doing the NanoWrimo, where you write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. I got to 25,000 words, there was just to much going on in my life to write when I wanted. I realized that my youngest son had been more of a game changer than I thought both in time to myself and complexity of life. I am also looking for a new career since my last one ended in July and I have been training for a Triathlon (more about that to come). I started this blog when I had 2 children and talked about how hard staying in shape was, well it's harder the more you add. That is unless you are my wife who can eat 10 meals a day and not gain weight. 

I have been doing well, keeping my weight around 278. I think it's time to kick it back into high gear and start losing again with my goal being 260 for spring.

When we come to the holiday season to many of us make it is about the gifts and the food. I have a friend who will leave events early because he does not have anything to talk about and knows he will over eat. While I give him props for knowing himself this is also a warning. Most of us will overeat if we make the Holidays about the food. As a parent we need to make it about our kids and family. We need to remember that in order to live into adulthood for our children we need to keep control and watch what we eat.

Here are some of my tips for doing just this:

Spend a minute every day and say out loud what you are thankful for in your life.

Think about all you have and don't compare yourself to others.

When you go to a party listen to or read the news before you go and get talking ideas so you have things to talk about.

Anytime you are going some where for a party eat a healthy meal before you go.

Don't drink to much and try to stick to water, I am not a big drinker except for coffee and I stick to that at most events.

Remember you are keeping the weight off for you and your family!


I hope I can do all of these and not gain weight like I usually do during this time of year!

So I said I have been training for a Tri, I did it last weekend  and it was a blast. The day before the Tri I did a Boot Camp to raise money for Hurricane Sandy Relief with  Tony at the Uptown YWCA, it was very hard and fun. Then I did the Tri Sunday morning and after I did a 2 Hour Spin Class for World AIDS Day as a kick off to the 2013 Red Ribbon Ride.

I started out the Tri strong with my swim for the first 3 laps. I think I was the fastest in the pool for about the first 2 laps. Then I went to take a breath and a wave from the person in the next lane swept water into my mouth and I choked. I almost had to stop but I kept going, trying to overcome the choking and drowning feeling. After that my swim was much slower as I had to keep my head above water. I finished my swim in 14 minutes. Then I transitioned to the bike, I used my Sidi clip in's for the first time in a Tri and it worked well. It didn't really slow me down and I think it helped my bike time. I did the bike in 22 minutes for 10 miles. the YWCA had free Hammer Gel samples and I used 2 during the Tri. My transition to my run was a little slow but I got running and averaged 11 minute miles. I did the 2 miles in exactly 22 minutes. Overall including transition I finished in 59:28 not my best time ever but close. Next time I hope to cut a minute or two. If you are interested in doing a Tri with me the next one is in 2 months and it's time to start training. Next up are the 5 hour Spin's and I love to have people do them with me so I have company =)

I hope you have a great start to the Holiday's and what ever you do keep it fun. Remember it's not about the food it's about the family.

Keep up the good work.

-Gabe

5TH World AIDS Day 5 hour spin YWCA Minneapolis 2012

YWCA Indoor Triathlon December 2012

Hurricane Sandy Relief Boot Camp Gladiator YWCA Uptown Minnespolis W Tra...

Body Pump and Weight Dump no Halloween Candy for me

Well here we are it's Halloween  2012. I am making a pledge now to not eat excessive amounts of Halloween candy. We will be going Trick or Treating with our kids. I am sure they will get mounds of candy but it will not be sticking around in our house. We used to put it in the freezer or up in a cupboard but it doesn't work. We will be getting rid of the candy this week before it can be consumed by me.

If you are going to eat candy I suggest eating the mint ones which do not make you feel like eating more. Also think about candy that you suck on such as Jolly Ranchers instead of Starburst. Finally maybe eat some candy with peanuts like peanut M&M's instead of Skittles because candy with a lower glycemic index will make you less apt to eat more and spike blood sugar as high as as fast.

I have been making big changes to keep on track with my weight. I got a little side tracked this fall, I don't like the days when the sun is down when I get off work. I went to Menards and purchased a big bag of full spectrum lights and have been getting up extra early to workout in the mornings before the sun gets up. I have been going to Body Pump at the YWCA and I like it a lot. The older women seem to do better than me most of the time and I am not use to all of the reps, but I think it's good for me. I will be starting Gladiator next week for the rest of the winter.

I have also been playing dodge ball every Friday night. It's a blast an I am always looking for new people to play with . Let me know if you want to come. We play 6:45-8 PM at the Uptown Minneapolis YWCA.

I also signed up for the first of the YWCA indoor Triathlons. I need something to train for and I love the Tri's. I do a 2 mile run followed by a 10 mile bike ride and 12 full laps in the pool. The only thing I don't like it my dry skin after the pool. The day of the Tri I am also doing a 2 hour spin class with the Red Ribbon Ride group for World AIDS day. I am sure I will be worn out by the end of the day.

I hope you have a super Halloween and keep up the weight loss.

PS - Oh I have also been thinking about P90X have you done it? any thoughts?

Fighting the weight Losing some pounds - Big Gay Race

It seems like forever since I last posted. I have been fighting hard with my weight to keep it close to 270 and I want to hit 260. I was at a friends wedding last weekend and I really ate to much or maybe it was more than that. I was up close to 10 pounds Monday from what I want to be at. Then I was back down to 277 yesterday and I hit the gym hard then a spinach salad for lunch and another hour of cardio tonight. 

     I looked back at where I was in Jan of 2011. My weigh in at the start of the meltdown was 309. It's hard to believe I let myself get that big. I will never let that happen again. During a visit to my doctor for an ear infection he comment on how my weight was down from where I was a year ago. He also told me again that the weight I am at today is the highest I can ever let myself get to. If I gain a pound I need to stop eating and run around the block until I lose it. This is coming from my doctor. I think obesity is so out of control that doctors don't know what to say to people rather than be cold and hard. It worked in the past for me when my grandma said I was too fat and would not let me eat when I was at her house. Maybe we all need a little good spirited kick in the butt from someone who cares.

I know one thing, dodge ball starts this week and I am excited. In 6 weeks I am going to start Gladiator at the YWCA again and I think I am going to start doing body pump as well. This weekend I may run the Big Gay Race with a friend. I hope your weight loss is going well or you are at least keeping your spirits up.

Until next time- stay strong

-Gabe

Ninja Red Kale Spinach Apple Banana Strawberry - Not Vitamix but it works

5 Mile trail run and beyond

This is me after the 5 Mile trail run. I DID IT, I DID IT!!!!!!!

My run took me 59:30 so I was under the hour I wanted to beat. It was very wet and I ran with my hydration pack, some gue and my Garmin Watch. I think all helped me make my goal time. I really needed the water, the gue helped me keep from bonking, and the watch told me how far I had gone and how fast. The first mile was great I ran with my aunt and I was going really fast for me. The down side was my feet got really really soaked. After the first mile my shoes were as wet as they could get. There were pot holes on the trail 8in deep and filled with water. I got blisters but they didn't hurt until after the run was over. It was cool, I don't think it got over 80 which was really good for me. I tend to melt when its over 80 especially when I am running.

As you can see by the print out I was not first but I was also not last. I would have been happy with any place in the race since I finished in the time I wanted. I really think the Red Ribbon Ride helped with the run. The day after the ride I jumped on the trail and ran 5 miles. I think I ran a total of 27 miles the week after the Red Ribbon Ride. It was a heck of a summer, I have been really working on my cardio and it has been paying off. My weight has been staying around 270 and I am happy with that. The next step is to get down to 260, my goal before the new year.  If I was going to the Duro-Last seminar this year I would make it my goal for the seminar as I used as my goal last year. This fall I am going to start back at Gladiator and dodge ball starts up again before to long. I hope my knees can stay strong as I build myself back up to where I really want to be. 

Stay strong in your training goals, we can do it together!

     

Trail Run 5 Mile Results I did It Grand Marais MN Fishermans Picnic

Fisherman's Picnic Trail Run 5 Miles -On the Pincushion Mountain Trails overlooking Grand Marais

Well the big 5 mile trail run is the end of the week. I am really excited, I am going to try and do the run in less than an hour. I think the last time I participated was 4 years ago and I did it in a little over an hour. This course is a cross country ski trail all year except for this race. There can be holes a foot deep and a foot of grass in the same spot. The first 2 miles are downhill and the last 3 are all uphill. I am going to run with my camelbak this year, the last time all the walkers had drank all the water by the time I got to the hydration station. I am also going to carry some gue so I don't bonk.  I am excited to track the run with my garmin watch, I am also in a new age group this year so maybe I'll win it 30-35 age :)
MY next post will let you know how I did. I was also still at 269 today.


Keep up the good work and may your weight loss work pay off.


-Gabe

Below 270 Red Ribbon Ride fight AIDS HIV + Grand Marais trail run

Here we are doing "The Gabe" on the Red Ribbon Ride. It was really a great ride this year. I did 297 miles over 4 days to fight AIDS / HIV. The first day I did a century with my friend Steph to the right in the picture. We stopped at Dairy Queen and got a treat. Just as I was going to pay the cashier she said it was already paid for by a friend of the ride. How sweet this was, this was also my 6th year doing the Ride. It was the 10th anniversary of the Red Ribbon Ride and I decided I will ride for 10 years, at least.


     I had a happy moment when I got on the scale the day before the ride. I hit 269.7, getting below 270 has been my target weight since the ride last year. I look at pictures of what I looked like 2-3 years ago and I can't believe I let myself get so big.


     Well the ride rocked,  I ate a little to much and drank a lot of water, I ride with a 100oz Camel pack and 2 20oz bottles. 


The day I got done I was 12 pounds up from the day we started. It did come off this week as my body got back into my regular habits. 


This week, I started running . I did 5 miles at the YWCA Tuesday, 2 Miles with Angie on the trail Wednesday and 3.9 miles on the trail with the kids last night. I am gearing up for the Fisherman's Picnic trail run in a week. It's a 5 mile trail run on the mountain in Grand Marais MN. My wife is going to walk it, my daughter is going to run a mile and my older son is going to run 1/4 mile. It should really be a blast.


     Last night as I was running I thought to myself. WOW it is nice to be able to run again. I never want to be to fat to run again.  I still need to keep up the diet and exercise but I have come down 50 pounds and that is a long way. I hope you are reaching your goals in this wonderful life. If not, regroup and start at it again. It's not about winning or losing, it's about playing the game.


-Peace


Gabe

Day 4 Minnesota Red Ribbon Ride 2012 heading home Fight AIDS HIV Minnesota

Only Remembered for What We Have Done Red Ribbon Ride 2012 Day 2 Fight A...

Red Ribbon Ride Day 1 - 2012 10th Anniversary before we leave Mall Of Am...

Red Ribbon Ride and Winnipeg Folk Festival 2012

The above picture is of the Hope House ride. The weekend before the 4th of July I did about 140 miles in 90+ heat. I have been gearing up for the Red Ribbon Ride all year and I am almost ready. Today I got on the scale at 273 just 3 pounds from my Ride start goal.  I have not been doing much weight training but a lot of walking and biking.

Last weekend I went to the Winnipeg Folk Festival in Canada with my daughter. I think we must have walked over 10 miles a day. We camped in festival camping and endured 14 hours a day of sun with no shade. It was really a blast and it helped me drop a couple of pounds and condition for the heat. Last year we had a combination of thunder storms that almost closed Rochester on day 2 and 110 heat index on the last day.

After the Red Ribbon Ride I am going to start training for the 5 mile trail run in Grand Marais during Fisherman's Picnic, I hope Angie runs it with me this year. I did invest in a Garmin Forerunner watch. I have yet to load it with my Enewleaf data but I want to get a foot pod and bike attachment before I can really use it. I have been really watching what I eat and making sure I drink plenty of water and sleep enough. Most of us do not sleep enough (8 hours) or drink enough water (8 Glasses or more) either of these things can make you more tired and gain weight but both together can be disastrous to a diet.


I hope to write next week when I am below 270. You know how it goes, as a parent you are doing a million things and some times it seems like you and your weight loss come last. But if we want to be alive as long as we can for ourselves and our kids we owe it to everyone to stay in shape.


keep up the good work.


-Gabe