It occurred to me this morning that we are now in the “teens” of February, and I have yet to post anything on Almost Fit this month – not exactly in alignment with one of my year’s goals of regular posting, but so it goes. Time to get back on track.

Illness finally finished – I hope

As I mentioned in my last post, I fell ill to the flu at the end of January – illness of the swine variety apparently. It knocked me down much more  than I expected, considering nobody else in our family had symptoms as severe (we each got sick to some degree, but it really hit me the hardest especially in the lungs). I felt like I was recovering a week later, but even walking up a flight of stairs made me have to stop and sit down, sweating and out of breath. As it has turned out, it has only been this week that I feel that I’ve completely returned to normal. And hopefully that means a short run – my first in February – is on my itinerary today.

I decided to go easy on the diet and exercise while I recovered, which as you might imagine was pretty darn easy, right? Actually that is not strictly true – while doing “nothing” is certainly easier than working out regularly, for me it was frustrating to be making such progress in the “feeling good about exercise” department only to be held back by my own health. It’s a good lesson though – I can’t afford to take my health for granted. I plan to use that as a key motivator.

Ahem – did I just say “go easy on the diet”?

Really what that means is I didn’t focus on weight loss while I was ill. I focused on eating well, avoiding refined sugar and so forth, but I also had a couple of “planned” indulgences.

When I took my wife on a weekend getaway with our closest friends, I knew it would be several days full of enjoying the company, eating great food and not just a few drinks. Secondly, although I’m not really much of a Superbowl person, we were invited to a small Superbowl party that included 3 versions of award-winning chili – far be it from me to resist a bowl or two of that kind of goodness. There may also have been a beer or two.

Bottom line on weight loss however? I have gained back all of 1 lb from my January weight loss, which I consider negligible since I haven’t been able to exercise at all, and have been eating “normally” (meaning whole foods with a few indulgences, no fasting, and so forth).

I’ll take it. And here’s why.

January results

For the record, January was a great month on the weight loss and exercise front.

• Total weight loss for January: 19.6 lbs (+9.6 OVER my January goal of 10 lbs)
• Total Almost Fit posts: 4 (of 5)
• Total 3-mile runs completed: 7 (of 9), with one recovery walk and one 5-mile run

Of those stats, the only one that I’m disappointed with is the number of posts for the month. But I’ll get that one nailed. The others – the weight loss and the running – I am thrilled with. As I’ve mentioned before, I am well aware that the first lbs of weight loss are the easiest, but what a way to build some momentum.

February goals

While I’m really only left with the last half of this month to resume some of my weight loss and fitness goals, I’m going for it anyway. No time like the present.

• Weight loss: lose at least 6 lbs this month (5 lbs plus the 1 I gained back)
• Exercise: 5 3-mile runs (A longer run will be a bonus this month, but will resume in March)
• Exercise goal 2: Add in resistance training just once a week (baby steps)
• Writing goal: 4 total posts by the end of the month

Of these goals, adding in the resistance training is the one that is most challenging, but will also reap great rewards. I’m a firm believer in exercise that is not only fun, but that does not require excessively expensive and complicated equipment. I’ll be writing a post in the near future on resistance training using body weight as the primary means of weight training, which is what I plan to do.

With resistance training I’m shooting for just once a week to start. While that may seem like barely a goal at all to many readers, for me the real purpose of this goal is to start to form a habit rather than reaping rewards in fitness. I need to start making moderate resistance training part of my life – and for me, starting with small, reachable goals and then building on that success is the way to do it.

Finishing up

Lastly, a note on fasting: I was really curious to see if I would lose ground on weight lost when I wasn’t fasting regularly. In fact, my sister echoed the thought in a conversation last month.

“But won’t you just gain it back when you stop doing that?”

A great question. Well I think I have the answer now: First of all, after having been sick for weeks, I have only gained back one pound even with a complete lack of exercise while eating without regard for weight. Second, I actually miss fasting, and plan to resume as a regular part of my dietary habits – not just for weight loss, but for general health. Compound that with returning to regular exercise, and I feel like I have a path for success that I can actually follow.

Now I just need to get back to work.

Thanks for reading.

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• Year goal: Complete at least one major running event this year.

Sub-goal: Beat my aversion to running in the Oregon rain.

Milestone for January: Return to running 3 miles 3 times per week, with one 5 mile run by the end of January.

• Year goal: Lose 75 lbs this year – and if I lose it early, keep it off.

Milestone for January: Lose 10 lbs this month.

• Year goal: Start writing at least one meaningful post per week for Almost Fit.

Milestone for January: you guessed it – 5 Almost Fit posts.

So how am I doing so far?

Return to running

Grade so far: A-, but satisfied

What I’ve done so far: Running has been going really well for the most part. As you may know if you’ve been reading Almost Fit for a while, I am a big fan of interval training particularly for those of us who are overweight. It’s a great way to safely increase your workouts without as much risk of injury.

This month so far I’ve completed:

• Five 3-mile runs
• One 3-mile speed walk (recovering from a mild heel injury after my last run of 2009 on New Year’s Eve)
• One 5-mile run

By my count I should be at a total of 9 runs so far this month (including the one recovery walk), but I’m only at 7. And yet I’m satisfied. Why? In a word, illness.

Down for the count

I’ve been sick this week with what started as minor chest congestion and sore throat, but concluded the week with a major asthma and fever attack. Without exaggeration, Friday night was nearly a visit to the emergency room. In fact I’m writing this post from bed, where I’ve stayed by direct order from my amazing and wise wife for the last two days. So the fact that I’m a little behind on the number of runs doesn’t bother me at all. It’s the smart thing to do not to push it too hard. I’m starting to feel much better today, but I’m going to lay low for a couple of days to be sure.

Oh and my sub-goal of beating my aversion to running in the rain? Check. Most of those runs were in rain and wind, and believe it or not I actually enjoyed the stormy Pacific Northwest winter weather on my 5-mile run. There is something thrilling about jamming out with your ipod while the world rages wind and rain around you – I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Weight loss progress

Grade so far: A+

My goal this month was to lose the first 10 lbs, which for me have always been the easiest. So how am I doing?

As Gary Vaynerchuk says, I am CRUSHING it.

Weight loss so far this month: 16.2 lbs, and counting

How am I getting there? Two things:

• First of all, I have a specific objective for the end of the month. I am surprising my wife with trip (she knows we’re going somewhere, but I’ve kept the destination a secret), and I’m using that to fuel my motivation. When we head out in whatever transportation fashion we are taking (sorry love, no clues here ) I want to feel as good as I can feel. Losing weight is the principal way for me to achieve that.

• Second, I am controlling what I eat, but in a slightly unusual (I think) way: I’m trying out what I’m calling the “keep my body guessing” technique. I’m using a combination of eating methods: I’ll practice intermittent fasting (IF) one day, then eat primal foods the next, then eat all things moderately the next, then have an IF day with an evening of indulgence – in good, real food, including on one night, (good heavens) beer.

With eating however, there are three significant undercurrents:

• I am only eating real food, meaning well-sourced proteins and fats, moderate whole grains (with the occasional whole wheat English muffin), lots of vegetables, and some fruit, though I keep that to a minimum. Also no more half and half in my morning coffee (but that is more for digestive reasons). I’m also very water conscious, and have eliminated juices.
• I’ve all but eliminated refined sugar from my diet. Here’s an article at one of my favorite sites, Mark’s Daily Apple on why this is crucial to good health: The Definitive Guide to Insulin, Blood Sugar & Type 2 Diabetes (and you’ll understand it)
• I’ve limited indulgence in alcohol to one evening out this month (so far), and occasionally a small glass of wine with dinner (particularly on IF days).

For me, sugar is one of my worst addictions. Even fruit sugars (meaning the sugars in a piece of real fruit) activate strong cravings for more and more sugar, so I am keeping fruit consumption to a minimum. Literally an apple a day, if that.

I love this approach so far, partly because I’m rapidly growing fond of intermittent fasting-but don’t want to overdo it. By eating moderately across the board (sans sugar) on non-fasting days, I ensure that I’m getting the nutrition I need, I’m getting food satisfaction, and the pounds are dropping. And as I mentioned in the previous article, fasting brings a whole different set of benefits that I am increasingly enjoying.

Third goal: Writing regularly to stay motivated

Grade so far: B+

By my count, this is article number four of five for this month. Whether this particular piece is meaningful or not (part of my goal) depends on your perspective of course; but for me, it’s personally important, so I’ll take it.

Preview of coming attractions

I’ve been having some interesting conversations about calories, fats, and so forth (thanks Jen for the inspiration) via Facebook that have challenged me to dig deeper into the science of calories, so look for a post soon on that. I’ve also been studying more on the science and lore of primal and paleo eating, which I find interesting as well.

I also have an upcoming guest post from a friend who is on his way to losing 80 lbs by his birthday in just a few days, which is incredible considering he is a gourmet chef. Definitely stay tuned for that.

One more post this month and I’ve reached my goal for five in January. That said, I have room for improvement as I feel that its gone a bit too long between this post and my last. I’ll get there.

Wrapping it up

So far, January of 2010 has been a great, great start to reaching some major life goals. I hope you are finding success as well. Have you had success with fitness goals this year so far? What has worked? What hasn’t?

Thanks for reading.

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Equally as important, with the new decade upon us it’s time to set a few goals, and start knocking those pins down, one at a time if I have to.

The Good

On the positive side, I’ve done one thing really well: I’ve maintained steady income for a year – though the impact on my diet hasn’t been so great. For some this idea of having a consistent income is an assumed fact of life, but for many of us it is far from assured. Along the lines of work I’ve also greatly downsized the number of side projects that I was pursuing at the beginning of the year (in January of last year I had 9 personal, full-time projects/business beginnings – and was coming up short on all of them). Taking a quick mental inventory I’m down to 3 enjoyable part-time projects, including Almost Fit.

This is progress.

Another positive includes dramatically improving my cooking and prep skills (in my opinion at least); my wife and best friend is an excellent cook, and I’ve been under her culinary wing for a few years now. I feel that in the last 6 months I’ve really started to develop stronger culinary instincts – meaning I pair food together better, I cook more efficiently, I burn or overcook food much less often, and have good ideas on how to improve a dish I’m cooking by taste. I’m getting to know the flavor profiles of foods and seasonings much better, and I have a clearer understanding of herbs and spices that balance flavors.

These advances in cooking have made cooking at home that much more enjoyable. Of course, it also makes overindulgence a bit too easy at times, but I’ll get to that in a minute.

Other positives (that are no less important) include keeping up with my ever-changing children – solving problems and setting them up for success (no small feat); remodeling my wife’s painting studio from bare bones to finished product (finishing this weekend); several small family vacations; and I’ve greatly improving my photography skills and knowledge – as well as starting a new project on the subject.

The Bad

On the negative side (and again, I’ll keep this brief), I have lost a lot of ground in both eating habits and general fitness. Cardiovascular training has been a rare, rare thing over the past 6 months, and resistance training of any sort, be it basic calisthenics or light weight training has been nearly non-existent. Food-wise it’s not much better – although we still eat the best quality we can afford, the expense is increasing because I’m eating too much of that food. Moderation has been lost at sea for a while now, drifting along aimlessly in a leaky life raft with regular exercise, both waiting to be rescued by a passing motivation freighter.

I’ve got an encyclopedia set full of excuses ranging from a sprained ankle in October to excessive work hours and stress, but in the end it comes down to the choices I’m making. The old “taking personal responsibility” saw was never more appropriate. (For you kids who don’t remember what an encyclopedia is – think of printing out all of Wikipedia and putting it in a set of leather-bound books. Yeah, weird – I know.)

The Determined

For 2010, I’m renewing my efforts to take charge of my health. I don’t really like “New Year’s Resolutions” – for me they are just associated with failure to keep those resolutions a month later. Rather, I like the idea of taking the opportunity to set and evaluate long range goals for the year (with a tip of the hat to J.D. at GetRichSlowly on the subject of goals vs. resolutions), or as I like to think of them, goals for a new decade.

However, I also believe that while long range goals are key, you’re only going to get there with short term, reachable objectives. At my day job we actually account for every 24 hour period (we use SCRUM methodology, for my fellow time management geeks out there). I find the daily meetings a bit tedious/unnecessary, but it does keep the ball rolling. For me, I’m going to use a bit of a hybrid approach. I am not inclined to manage my personal time by the hour; but I know that having a big goal will do me no good if I don’t map out the route to get there.

I’ll talk more about the specifics of the approach I’m adopting in a post in the near future, but for now here are a couple of my “big” health and fitness goals for the year.

Year goal: Complete at least one major running event this year. I’m still defining this goal by researching upcoming events in my area, but I will make a choice this month. I may shoot for the Portland marathon, or possibly Seattle, or who knows – Maui? And I should add it may not even be a full marathon – it may be a 1/2, or even a handful of 10k races. I want to push myself, but with a few recent injuries I don’t want enthusiasm to take me out of the running (pun intended). Stay tuned.

Sub-goal: Beat my aversion to running in the Oregon rain. Although we do have a treadmill, I really enjoy getting outside for exercise. I find it much more rewarding on multiple levels. However, when it comes to running in the rain I’m a bit of a baby. In an upcoming post I’ll outline my strategy for this, but in the meantime suggestions are welcome. I’ve already had a handful of suggestions from folks on Twitter, so keep them coming.

Milestone for January: Return to running 3 miles 3 times per week, with one 5 mile run by the end of January. Very do-able, and besides, our new 1-yr-old pup needs the exercise .

Year goal: Lose 75 lbs this year – and if I lose it early, keep it off. I am risking a lot by adding this goal, but I think that this is the year to make it happen. How will I get there? You guessed it – a future post will describe the path. Hint: Real food in moderation will be an integral part of it, but I’m expanding my horizons this year to combine moderation principles with a few dietary ideas that intrigue me, from whole food-based carb reduction to moderate, intermittent fasting. More to come.

Milestone for January: Lose 10 lbs this month through portion reduction and regular exercise. The first 10 are the easiest for me, so I’m shooting for a reasonable goal.

Year goal: Start writing at least one meaningful post per week for Almost Fit. By the end of 2010 I should have at least 52 new entries, and hopefully more. I may “cheat” a little by allowing a few guest posts, but I’ve accepted that as within the boundaries of the goal. Writing regularly for Almost Fit is important for me because of one word: Accountability. That has helped me to stay on track in the past, and I expect no less this time.

Milestone for January: you guessed it – 5 Almost Fit posts. One down. Victory starts today.

I’m in

Those are the three core goals I’m shooting for this year. I may add one or two as I complete my personal annual review, but for now I know these are the ones that are at the top of my list. A few other goals (some more loosely defined than others) include getting outside with my kids more, continuing my daily posting of iPhone photos at LintLife.com (my new site and one of my part-time side projects), improving my programming skills to make me more efficient at work, starting to produce artwork again, and finishing some music that has been on the back burner for way too long.

In other words, I’ve got a lot to do this year, but all good things.

I have a feeling that 2010 is going to be a very good year.

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For writers, and particularly blog writers, there are a million theories on the rights and wrongs of keeping readers engaged. Some insist that you should post very short pieces several times a day; others insist that it’s maybe 3 times a week is plenty, and possibly better, if the quality reflects the time that’s been taken.

Regardless, there is one thing that is nearly universally agreed upon among successful blog writers: Posting regularly is the key to keeping readers engaged. In particular, if you post several times a week on average, you should never, ever, just disappear from your site for a couple of months with little or no explanation.

Guess which cardinal sin I’ve committed.

However, the flip side is the break that I’ve taken from Almost Fit will hopefully stimulate a flurry of new articles, and has led to a few moments of fitness clarity (I hope). Time will tell.

State of the Almost Fit Nation

First and foremost, my weight for the most part has remained stable for the last few months, which is relatively positive, though hardly what I would consider great news. And to the point, my general level of fitness has definitely declined. This is especially true in the cardio department, where I find myself these days having to catch my breath at the top of a long flight of stairs. Not bent over gasping, but winded to be sure.

Since starting my current employment contract back in the fall, overall I gained an average of 2 lbs each month over the first 4 months, but I’ve not really gained much more in the last 3 months. Honestly this doesn’t come as much of a surprise for the following reasons:

- Old habits are still my worst enemy. I work in the software industry by day. As many folks know, one of the “perks” of working in software is in exchange for long hours they often provide things like free drinks ranging from flavored water and soda to fresh brewed coffee. While I work at home for the most part, I have spent a few weeks over time in the office, drinking my share and then some of free coffee, juice (though I try to cut it with sparkling water – usually), and the occasional really awful food choice from the vending machine, particularly late at night. I hate to admit this, but there has been more than one or two sodas mixed into the vat of things I know I need to avoid in the provided kitchen.

What is my obsession with “Free” all about? For whatever reason, when I see “free” anything my brain wants it. Whether it is a pile of junky freebies at a game conference or a soda at no charge, my brain automatically says, “why yes I will take one, thank you! (heh, heh, heh, SUCKER!)”, as if getting garbage for free makes it valuable. This old habit must end.

- Old habits, part 2 - Coffee. While I think that coffee in moderation is generally OK (though I am increasingly skeptical of even that – but I’ll save that for another post), I have let coffee get the better of me which costs me in a multitude of ways.

First, the sheer caloric intake of multiple mugs of coffee with cream is clearly not in my best interest on any level. I do not use chemical substitutes or low fat milk for a variety of reasons that are sprinkled all over this site. Instead I use the real stuff – the idea being that it needs to be in moderation. One cup of coffee with a little cream is fine. But when you cross over into multiple cups throughout the day, the benefits are completely reversed.

Second, I have gotten into the habit of once a week going to a local coffee house here to clear my head, get my week organized in my mind, and more often than not indulge in a froofy caffeinated sugary coffee drink. This is an old habit that I thought I had beaten cleanly, but it slithered it’s way back in when I let my guard down.

Third, I have reached a familiar point in my history with caffeine: I have built up a huge tolerance through overindulgence, which means I have to take in a lot more to get any energy effect – which translates to pretty much drinking as much coffee as I can get throughout the day. This for me leads to things like significant insomnia, irritability, depression/mood swings, late night eating, overall lack of energy, limited focus, and the list goes on. The sad thing is I know all of this, but I’ve allowed it back into my habits over time. I’ve got to fix this, and have begun  do so. More on that in a coming post on coffee.

[UPDATE: only one cup today and going strong. Hi headache. Hi sleepytime afternoon.]

- Burning the candle at both ends: My friends and family will tell you that in general I am a pretty busy guy. Between my first priority of family, second priority of a job that keeps the lights on, and a million other projects after that, I am chronically overestimating what I can do in any given day. When I started my business last year, I felt overwhelmed, and there was a reason: I sat down and created folders for the concurrent projects that I was pursuing, and to my amazement, I had 12 full time projects all in the air, slowly moving forward. This didn’t include things like art and music, which I also pursue. And none of which were paying much. Sounds like a great business plan, eh?

So where does all the time come from? As I said, my family is my priority, with my day job closely behind. That leaves all of those “wasted” hours sleeping of course, which could be used for so many other things. So late nights and early mornings have led to significant sleep deprivation, which caught up with me in a big way over the last month. Not to mention, lack of sleep has been pegged as a contributor to all kinds of health problems from obesity to premature death (!). I’m fixing this too.

- Lack of regular exercise. Big surprise here. However, this may be changing fairly soon (gotta’ try, once again. That’s the best I can do.). Weather is better; but more importantly, I’m considering either joining a gym or possibly finding a personal trainer. I’m still in the decision phase, but I’ve never been closer to making that leap.

What I have learned this year more than ever is seasonal depression really hits me hard in the “I don’t want to exercise/I don’t care how I look or feel” department. With summer on its way, that should be less of a factor, but I’m hoping to start building good habits now while the weather is good, to head off the seasonal darkness that will hit later this year. In other words, learn from my mistakes, and try not to repeat them.

- Lack of regular consumption of vegetables. This was really my first winter experience eating seasonally, and I have to admit that I really did underestimate how hard it would be.

Since very little grows in our garden in the Pacific Northwest winter months, I’ve reverted to eating more carbs, nuts, and so forth – things that are particularly dangerous for someone of my body chemistry. I failed to return to the habit of cruising the grocery store more regularly looking for in-season organic produce, and this really has hurt me this year so far.

- Unexpected family challenges: This particular item is more about my extended family, but had a direct impact on my recent fitness progress. In order to circumvent the rain and cold of early spring, we purchased a treadmill last month, and have set up a very simple workout area here at home. However, after using the space twice, we had an extended family member come to stay with us as a result of a family crisis. And you guessed it – they occupied the workout room. Thus, I let that obstacle get in my way and fell out of the habit before it even took hold.

That has resolved itself as of last week, so I think I should be able to get back on track.

Getting the help you need

Through the last six months of new challenges, I think it’s clear that making these changes on my own is a little bit more than I can manage. I need help.

Fortunately, I feel as though I have a good foundation of knowledge that will prevent me from being sucked into crazy diet programs or extreme fitness regimes that are not sustainable over the long haul – plans for which I would have been much more susceptible in the past.

On the food front, I am continuing of course with eating real food in moderation, however I have decided that I want to adjust my dietary balance a bit further away from carbohydrates for a while. And I think I’ve found the assistance I need through a fellow blogger who is a proponent of a program based on whole foods, that I think I can get into. I’ll also be writing more about this over the coming weeks.

While I don’t endorse “low carb” diets per se as a sustainable means of permanent weight loss, I do know that for many of us, reducing carbs in favor of vegetables and healthy proteins is something that really works in the weight loss battle – it always has. My biggest objection to “low carb” diets was always the suggestion that eating chemical substitutes and industrial meat products was the way to go – I believe that is a deadly mistake, and one I won’t make again.

So, in my mind the two areas I need help with are:

- Exercise, via a trainer, gym, or running group (or combination of those three)

- Dietary ideas on healthful, whole food alternatives that lean toward fresh vegetables and healthful proteins/fats.

Sounds simple enough, right? I hope so. I am ready to feel better. Are you?

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Welcome to Almost Fit. Almost Fit is about losing weight and improving your health by eating real food in moderation. If you enjoy this entry, please consider sharing it with StumbleUpon. Thanks. [Photo courtesy of blog.modernmechanix.com.]

I’m about to break a deal. And I hate breaking deals.

In preparation for the coming months of gloom in the Pacific Northwest, I have been seriously considering whether or not to start looking for some kind of home exercise equipment. My problem is I have made a deal with myself that basically goes like this:

I won’t buy exercise equipment until I can demonstrate that I can exercise regularly without it. If I can’t get myself to work out without equipment, buying equipment is just throwing money at a problem.

But, I’ve recently considered this deal from another angle: What if it is easier to exercise because the equipment makes it more enjoyable? I think it is a valid possibility, particularly in a place like the Pacific Northwest, where inclement weather can be a convenient excuse to skip a workout.

Believe me, it is convenient. Easy, even.

I read on some of my favorite blogs, like Andrew is Getting Fit, and John Is Fit, that a lot of folks are able to beat the weather on a treadmill. I also had a friend in High School who successfully lost weight (and kept it off) using a home treadmill and meal replacement shakes. While I’m definitely avoiding the shakes myself, I will say that the idea of a treadmill or similar cardio device is enticing. But is it just the multi-million dollar marketing campaigns making inroads into my mental inner sanctum? Has the Olympics spun my brain? Am I now simply revolving in a Phelpsian inspirational dreamland (thanks Chris for pointing me to my word of the day)?

Or really, am I just trying to justify buying a Nintendo Wii???

Time to make the donuts

I’ve been in a bit of a funk for much of August, which has meant that exercise over the last few weeks has been sporadic at best. With several road trips and the rigors of stepping out into the world of business on my own, I’ve found that it is all too easy to find excuses for not going out for a run. What’s worse is I’ve also lost focus on the importance of exercise as part of my daily routine from a work perspective. I need to get the focus back.

On a functional level, I think that this month the biggest challenges for me have been lack of sleep and a loose daily schedule. If I can get my sleep habits under control, and tighten down the bolts on how I’m spending my time throughout the week, I think I can get the ship sailing again.

I was doing pretty well on the 100 pushup challenge, but with all of the summer activities, trips, and so forth, I let it slip. In fact, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve started and stopped the challenge; I’m still going to restart from where I left off, yet again, this week.

I’ve also discovered that having two children out of school has really made the prospect of regular exercise tricky. In the past, when we only had one child, it was much easier to find a way to get out for a run. For example, when our oldest was only a year old, we could escape for an hour or two and get in some exercise by leaving him with his grandparents. We ran 6 miles around Greenlake in Seattle (twice around the lake), for example, and loved it. But with two, it’s much more of a challenge. We are hopeful that once preschool resumes next week that we’ll be able to start running together again (one child is much easier to manage on a run than two), but with the impending fall and winter weather of Portland, I am trying to look ahead with a little wisdom on how I seem to operate.

I am also considering checking out local gyms, but as I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m not really into the whole “gym social” thing. I don’t want to meet people during and between exercise; I really just want to get fit, and doing so at home seems more my speed. But I could be wrong about that too.

Is that a Bowflex in your closet?

In the past, I’ve owned equipment that got used for a month or two, only to be relegated to the pile-o-thrown away money after I got bored with it. Here is a short list of equipment that I’ve owned:

• Stationary bicycle (the old kind, with the moving handle bars) (sucked, but worked)
• Weight benches (several over the years) (gave me a false sense of progress…”you gotta eat if you want bulk!” — bad move for me)
• Rowing machine (sucked big time)
• Stair stepper (cheaper one, blew chunks)
• Treadmill (Actually my parents owned this – I used it when I lived at home – this one I liked)
• Exercise videos (I list this since it actually worked for a while in a home setting. What made me move on? Sad to say, the follow-up edition of this particular exercise series involved the instructor letting down his ponytail and doing the routines with BIG hair. That, for some reason, made the video unwatchable.)

These days, I’m much more reluctant to throw money at the exercise question.

So what is your opinion? Does home exercise equipment make it easier to stick to an exercise routine? And if so, what equipment is your favorite?

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Welcome to Almost Fit. Almost Fit is my personal record of losing weight by doing one thing: Eating real food in moderation. If you enjoy this entry, please consider sharing it with StumbleUpon. Thanks.

Last night was the first night in a couple of months that I actually got a good night’s sleep, and WOW, what a difference it makes in my perspective.

The last couple of months of transition have been tough for me in many respects. Although I’ve made a lot of really positive changes this year, I’ve struggled lately with unusually pronounced mood swings throughout the day, going from feelings of contentment and happiness to strong feelings of self-doubt and worry. On one day I am ready to conquer the world, and the next I’m feeling as though I’ve been run over by it.

I know for me that this has a lot to do with my sleep patterns. As I’ve been losing weight, one benefit is my snoring is much less pronounced, which usually improves the quality of my sleep. However, lately my mind has been overly full, which means that even when I’m somewhat asleep the wheels are still turning. My sleep is generally of the restless kind, where I’ll spend much of the night tossing and turning until I find an hour here and there where I fall off into a dream state. That is generally just about the time when the kids wake up.

The Growing Pains of Working at Home

To make matters more complicated, I’ve really struggled with finding a work at home schedule that agrees with my family schedule. When I was working for my previous employer, I worked at home, but I respected the expectation of availability during core work hours. So regardless of my personal schedule, I was committed to working each day at a minimum from 9AM to 6PM. But with this new self-driven schedule, I tend to be a little too flexible with my time, and I wind up trying to make up for it by burning the sleep candle at both ends. This usually means working during the hours when the kids are asleep. I work into the wee hours of the morning either at the computer or making lists of things I need to do on notepads that are scattered all over the house, try to sleep for a few hours, and then turn around and try to get up at 6AM to start working again before the kids rise. This works for a few days, but ultimately builds a sleep debt that I can’t pay back.

The worst part of this plan is it makes me less productive during the day, which leads to frustration, which in turn manifests itself outwardly to those around me.

Which is a long way of saying, “I get Grumpy.”

I think one thing I need to do is to build a little more structure into my routine. I have read more blog entries than I can count by successful full time bloggers who say that getting up early and writing before you do almost anything else is the key to keeping the momentum. The problem is, I’m finding that if you are robbing from your sleep to do it, you’ll rapidly burn out.

I also think I’m spending too much time thinking about the long term, and need to focus more on the immediate tasks at hand. One of the challenges of working on your own is you have to balance both views constantly, keeping an eye toward the long range plans while making sure that the daily tasks also get done.

For example, as I write this, I’m thinking (literally) about the conceptual notion of exercise over the long haul. But shouldn’t I be thinking about exercising – TODAY?

Diet+Exercise+Sleep+Diet+Exercise+Sleep ad infinitum

Sad to say, the consequences of a cyclical lack of sleep are nowhere more evident than in my diet and exercise routines. What I realized this morning after having slept solidly is that exercise is really a direct reflection of how I am doing emotionally. When I’m struggling emotionally, I don’t exercise. When I’m doing well emotionally, exercise is not only easy, it is a reward to which I look forward. When I’m down, food becomes the reward, and exercise is out the window. When I’m up, I exercise.

Somehow I don’t think I’m the only one caught in this cycle.

It’s no big secret that food, sleep, and exercise are all interrelated. I know for example that if I exercise more, I will likely sleep better. If I sleep better, I’m better equipped emotionally to make good food choices. If I make better food choices, I sleep better, and am more motivated to exercise because I’m making progress. No matter which way I look at it, these three fundamental elements are completely intertwined.

The trick is getting them to fire together. In my estimation, sleep is the key to all of the other elements being in balance. When I lack sleep, I lack the drive that motivates me to do the other things. I wish I could say that exhausting myself physically is the key to good sleep, but for me, it’s never worked that way. I have to find a sense of balance in my mind, in combination with physical tiredness, to accomplish really solid sleep.

And maybe most importantly, I need to exercise. TODAY.

Having slept well last night, I already feel better. I feel more motivated to write, for example. From a writing perspective I’ve struggled recently with trying to find things that really get me going. Writing has become more work than pleasure lately, which is not my normal feeling.

On the weight loss track, I’m not gaining weight, which is a win in my mind, but I’m not really losing much right now either. I’m closing in on my lowest weight slowly – I’m within 3 lbs of that mark, which is great, but I want more than that. Simply NOT Gaining, is not enough. I want to lose another 25 lbs this year. But in order to do that, I know that I need to adjust my sleep habits. I’m not getting ahead by cheating sleep. I’m only making myself less productive during the day, which exacerbates the head game.

So here is what I need to do today:

• Walk/Run 3 miles, in preparation for my immediate goal this weekend: The Virtual 5K at Iowa Avenue
• 100 crunches
• Restart the push-up challenge at week 3
• Go to bed before 11PM
• Be conscious of portion size at lunch and dinner, in particular

This is not a lot for most folks. And really, it’s not a lot for me either. But if I can get this done today, it confirms to me that sleep is one of fundamental keys to accomplishing my goals. And if I can actually make myself go to bed at 10:30 tonight, and I sleep well, tomorrow should be interesting too.

Do you struggle with sleep? What do you do to quiet your mind?

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“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”
- Picasso

Since the beginning of the year I’ve made some big changes in my life. At the top of the list are the following:

1. I have fundamentally adjusted my dietary habits away from packaged and fast food to eating real food in moderation. Goodbye, old Twinkie friend. Au revoir, Coca Cola and Mountain Dew – we made a great team for a while, but our relationship was clearly becoming destructive. Sayonara, my happy-go-lucky Cheetoh buddy – how I will miss your humor and salty witticisms, but your services are no longer required.
2. I left my corporate job behind a few weeks ago in pursuit of my own projects, including Almost Fit of course, as well as several others that are in the works. I’ve also started picking up freelance writing work already, though I really haven’t started pursuing it much yet. I am trying to launch at least one more site by the end of next week and then yet another in August. More details to come, but I can tell you that the second site is related to Almost Fit, and the third is focused on my technology background. And those are just the projects I’m talking about here…Fascinating, ain’t it?

Lots of other random things as well, things that are too boring to mention, but all of these changes have meant one thing:

My weight loss goals have been slithering quietly into the backseat – and that has to change.

To be clear, my eating habits with regard to quality are still intact for the most part (camping not included), which I am proud of. I still eat well, avoid fast food, and haven’t had a soda of any kind in months – but it’s the moderation and balance parts that have slipped into the shadows. My real food habits have been leaning much more toward the carb side of life (albeit good carbs) rather than the vegetables, and that has really ground my weight loss to a halt. I’ve been holding steady around 25 lbs lost for the year, give or take.

But standing still is not what I want out of life.

Regular exercise plus healthy diet equals…..?

One other note to my credit: Regular exercise has definitely taken root. I ran another 3.5 miles this morning, which makes another 3 sessions this week, including 1 running substitution of shoveling dirt for 3 hours (I know shoveling is not “training”, but it is definitely a workout). Another small goal accomplished. I am reaching the point where I am starting to crave running again, and I hope to fit in a longer run this weekend.

My year’s goal is to lose 50 lbs total by December which is very attainable if I just get back on the wagon.

Well friends, the wagon has returned. Now if I can just keep the wheels on.

My interim goal for this month is to lose 4 lbs by the end of July, and another 6 by the end of August. 10 lbs in a month and a half should be more than doable with exercise and moderation.

Are ya with me?

If you enjoyed this article, please consider subscribing (RSS, or delivered to your inbox) to Almost Fit. Thanks.

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When it comes to losing weight, managing stress over the last several months has been my biggest challenge. While I’m still ahead of the game at 26 lbs for the year, my recent progress has really slowed. (You can read more about my progress in my most recent status report, “Forget Lassie – Simple Carbs are Man’s Best Friend“.)

While it is certainly true that daily stress might be more manageable if I were exercising regularly (without question), here’s the problem: So far I haven’t been able to find the motivation that gets me out in the cold and rain of a wet Oregon spring. I am eating well, and I think those habits that I’ve been working on have really paid off in the sense that I’m still losing weight slowly. However, until I get a better handle on the pressures of my current situation and make room for regular exercise, I don’t expect that my weight loss will be accelerated further than it’s current rate. I am certainly not giving up on finding a way out of my front door to go for a run; however, some bigger changes might be in order.

In doing some reading about the effects of stress, it’s clear that beyond inhibiting weight loss, prolonged stress can have real physical consequences. In Dr. Will Clower’s recent book, The French Don’t Diet Plan: 10 Simple Steps to Stay Thin for Life, he addresses some of the characteristics of a body under stress, particularly as they relate to the overproduction of cortisol.

Here’s a summary of some of the common effects:

• Muscles: Blood sugar levels stay at higher than normal levels, which ultimately leads the body to break down muscle tissue in a search for more energy.
• Immune system: Antibody levels decrease, T-cell response to infection is reduced, and white blood cell count is negatively impacted. Common sense says that if you are stressed for longer periods of time, you are more susceptible to illness. Science agrees.
• Bones: Calcium levels in bones drop over prolonged periods, and the ability for the body to absorb additional calcium is reduced.
• Heart: Basic heart performance appears to be reduced by the overproduction of cortisol as a result of prolonged stress; arteries are also negatively impacted in their ability to perform properly. The ratio of sodium to potassium begins to weigh in favor of sodium, which is thought to lead to high blood pressure.
• Central nervous system: Neurological hampering begins, with side effects that often include insomnia and depression. Migraine sufferers can move from an occasional migraine to chronic. Prolonged stress also increases muscle tension (this again is common sense), which increases fatigue, which in turn requires your body to seek out more resources for energy. Of great interest is recent research that links excessive stress to creating eating disorders.
• Weight: Hormones responsible for cravings to eat more are produced (presumably in its search for more energy), but the focus of the expenditure of that energy is typically in your extremities. Your digestive tract is the victim in this case, which may partially explain why ulcers were thought to be stress related. Essentially, you eat more but get less nourishment. What’s more, in recent studies it has been shown that stress hormones contribute to storing fat in your midsection, which is linked to higher risks for certain cancers and heart disease.
• Habits: Eating faster, eating more, making poor food choices, and eating out of necessity rather than pleasure become commonplace. We wind up treating food like gasoline – cheap and convenient, with the stopover to acquire it reduced to a mild inconvenience. Eating should be more than just a mild inconvenience.

Need I say more?

In our culture, we have been trained to look for solutions in the form of a product or a packaged plan. We are told that if we just wait long enough, we’ll soon have a miracle pill that will cure all that ails us. It could happen; certainly we are farther along that road than we were when Sir Arthur C. Clark wrote the words in the opening quote for this article. Sometimes, however, the answer is right in front of us, without a shipping and handling surcharge, or a computer trying to lock us out of the vehicle.

I am taking this week off work, hoping to recharge, catch up on rest, spend time with my wife and children, and reconnect with friends and compadres in the blogosphere. By the end of the week I expect to know what the next week will look like, but beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess, and I’m OK with that.

Stay tuned.

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Life, these last couple of months, has been a gel-filled stress-ball’s squeeze-frenzied nightmare.

Here’s a little something about me: As I’ve said before, when the pressure is on, simple carbohydrates are my lifelong addiction buddies – the ones I hung out with when I was younger and more metabolically advantaged, and in whose company I dove head first into the shallow end of the dietary trouble pool. Simple carbs are the overly accepting old friends that I have to avoid if I want to “stay on the wagon” with real food.

Some people take a walk with Lassie to regain their center of gravity; I on the other hand, tend to take a drive to Taco Bell, hoping that they’ve finally figured out the Holy Grail of fast food: the lascivious matrimonial union of sugar, preservatives, hormones, antibiotics, and dirt-cheap meat.

Pulling around the finely crafted drive-thru arc of asphalt and concrete curb that says, enter dear friend, but know that there is but one way out, I think to myself: “What sweet and savory surprise awaits me on the shimmering ordering board this time, my old corn syrupy compadre? Is it a newly-conceived melding of steaming hot “cheese-ish” sauce, oddly and excessively chopped ground beef-like meat, and powdered jelly donuts? All wrapped in a freezer-burnt artificially-colored tortilla? Maybe I’ll be greeted by the hearty handshake of yet another Blast flavor of soda-lovin’-in-a-bucket, calling my name when I roll up to the crusty drive-thru microphone?”

I’ll go out on a limb here: If there is one place in the world that can stick just about anything into a tortilla and turn disgusting into sellable, it’s Taco Bell. Believe me.

So have I given up this whole real food thing? Am I now indulging in mystery beef bathed in succulent cheesy goo? Say it isn’t so!

Do you have something you’d like to share with the class?

First things first: I’m obviously a few weeks overdue for May’s check-in. As I’ve said in the past, part of the power of blogging is the accountability. So here I am, fessing up on that ever familiar childhood question, “where have you been, young man?”

Well, just like that the time when I mysteriously lost my Seventh Grade Pre-Algebra report card, I have a bunch of really good excuses, but this time in the form of a test (my parents didn’t buy the, “Uh, I don’t know…How about you guess?” routine).

Almost Fit Rationalization Pop Quiz for May

There is just one question on today’s test, and it’s multiple choice. See if you can figure out the “real” excuse – points double if you leave a comment.

Question: Why is my progress report is late?

A. Because I’m pretty sure that my scale is broken, so I couldn’t report. Or at least it is really, really stuck. It’s GOTTA be. Although I was not aware that this could happen to a digital.

B. Because I’ve simply been too busy reading all of your blogs to write my own entries. 24 hours a day, that is all I seem to do – read, read, read. I am a machine! That one glorious task has kept me from doing anything else. Other than, uh, baking bread. And working. And planting organic vegetables. And watching the National Geographic channel.

C. Because…See answer J

D. Because it is an election year, and I have been so distracted by television ad campaigns and the ridiculous crop of landfill-destined roadside placards that I have forgotten my blog account information. Or what the Internet is. Which made me want an Apple Fritter.

E. Because of Global Warming

F. Because things are really heating up on Top Chef, and boy is that making me hungry

G. Because according to Cesar Milan (the Dog Whisperer), I am letting my refrigerator be pack leader

H. On account of it’s been really hot here in Oregon, which forces me to eat ice cream. A lot. And not write, because of the dripping problem.

I. Because, well, I am Iron Man

J. Because my weight loss this month has slowed, and I’ve been putting the report off hoping that the hosts of the new show on TLC, I Can Melt Fat Telekinetically, would show up and give me the instant shortcut I’ve been looking for. So far no dice. Uggh.

It’s a tough quiz, but please leave a comment and tell me which one makes the most sense. My vote is option I – I indeed, may very well be, Iron Man.

When in doubt, Pick C (or, Here’s my weightloss check-in for May)

Here is the truth: For the year, I am now down 25.6 lbs – which to be blunt feels, “just ok”. On the surface the good news is this is my lowest weight in a few years. The last time I was in this weight zone was the day after a successful half marathon, where I shed water weight like Jackson Pollock reincarnated as a wet Irish Sheepdog. The time before that where I was in this weight category? My wedding.

The less good? That means since the last check-in I’m only down 3.6 lbs. Spread that out over 6 weeks, and that is not exactly the pace of 1-2 lbs. a week that I’m shooting for.

So in the words of my virtual internal therapist (who, amazingly enough in my head sounds strikingly similar to Sean Connery) I ask myself: “So…How does that make you…feel, Indy?”

(He also at times says random things like, “The sensation you’re feeling is the Quickening”, “One. Ping. Only.”, and often calls me “Indy”. None of which bothers me. Though I rarely talk about it.)

After giving it some thought [OK maybe a better word choice here might be "rationalization", but I'm going with "thought"], I’ve come to the following conclusion:

Despite the slowed pace, I still have to consider this a success.

Why does 3.6 lbs count as a success? I mean, had I been keeping the pace I intend, I’d have been easily 6 lbs or so lighter, if not more. So how can I consider 3.6 lbs a positive report?

A Victory of Omission

To summarize, for this period of time what is most important is what didn’t happen.

In previous attempts that were strictly aimed at losing weight (health being a secondary consideration, if at all), I normally would have been well on my way to erasing the progress I’d made. I would have abandoned real food in favor of a shiny foil package of non-spoiling, comforting delight. But the emphasis this time is on would have. As in, I did not give in to fake food.

As I’ve whined about excessively in other posts, I am emerging from the most overworked that I have been possibly ever with my current employer. 16-hour days for several months on end, 7 days a week. Ah, the glory of software development for a large corporation. Under normal circumstances, that would have put me squarely in the sights of the old, “gaining it all back and then some” routine. That, simply put, DID NOT HAPPEN.

Back on (the) Track

In the end, what am I doing about it?

1. Exercise. Running is on my agenda this week, and with good weather finally here in Oregon, I will have no excuses. Thus, the heading of this section is Back on THE track.

2. Moderation. I need to simply redouble my efforts to focus on eating smaller portions. That focus has slipped a bit, particularly when I’ve been eating meals to facilitate my work schedule, rather than eating for eating’s sake.

3. Get more sleep. I’ve had several people ask how I’m able to keep up with Almost Fit (barely) and still work the hours I’ve been working. The answer is essentially cheating myself out of sleep. On this schedule I have been sleeping about 5 hours a night on average, which is simply not enough. The problem is by 1:30AM I am hungry again, so I eat, again. I think this has more to do with the weight loss slowdown than any other single factor.

4. Cut down on the snacking habits - even the healthy ones. I tend to reach for a quick bite between meals when I’m stressed, bored, or pondering how to fix something (like when I’m trying to solve a work objective). The types of snacks I’m choosing are fine – typically fruit and nuts, which are great, but if you do that all day and into the night off and on, it does catch up to you when you are not mindful of the portion sizes in your “regular” meals. The nuts in particular. It’s a little too easy to grab a handful here and there, and then repeat that multiple times mindlessly.

5. Stop eating at my computer. When work is crazy, I tend to revert back to my old ways of eating while working. I’ve got to stop that. Eating is about health, and health is about living. And for me, living is NOT about work.

6. Refocus on eating slower. I’ve slipped back into speed-eating at times.

7. Remember to eat on a reasonably predictable schedule/quit skipping meals because I’m “too busy”.

8. Avoid juice. Even 100% unsweetened grapefruit juice (my favorite), even mixed with water. Although I think that on a day-to-day basis this is just fine, while I’m trying to lose weight the juice is deadly. It turns on my cravings for sugar, and it really is a whole set of calories that I truly do not need. It’s an easy sacrifice, and barely a sacrifice at all.

So all that said, you can see why I am happy with the 3.6 lbs, in particular the NOT GAINING IT BACK part. Still no fast food indulgence. Just a little too much of the real food, too often, and a few too many occasional indulgences if weight loss is the goal. My eating habits are allowing me to be stable weight-wise, and health-wise, but for right now, I want to focus on losing weight a little more aggressively.

New Math – Reality check, anyone?

I also have to remember: I am shooting for 6-8 lbs a month. That means from Jan-April (4 months, last I checked), at the low end of the progress scale I would be at 24 lbs lost (avg. 6 lbs a month), which is literally where I was at at the end of April. While the “dieter” in me neurotically wants to see my progress hit the high end, realistically, 6 lbs per month is probably the wiser pace.

That said, I’m getting back on the faster bus.

And one last thing?

The answer? On Taco Bell?

NO. Didn’t do it. Not gonna’ do it. Na, Ga, Da, as Dana Carvey once famously said. Because this is about comedy. And/Or, my health.

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That said, I’ve been stuck on a weight-loss plateau here for a couple of weeks – a sensation that I’m uncomfortably familiar with from years of trying every weight-loss program that would accept a pile of nickels. (South Beach Diet? Check. Diet Center? Check. I could go annoyingly on.) Of course, I am continually reminding myself that I am not dieting, so “plateau” isn’t really a concept that should fit into my mental picture, but if you’re a reformed career dieter like me, its going to enter your headspace from time to time. And it has.

My scale talks to me. I may need help.

When I step on that scale, I expect it to react in the following manner (and for some reason, with a proper British accent):

“Well well well! What a strapping young buck we are becoming! However my good man…I’m afraid that removing a foot from the scale is quite unacceptable…Whot? Both feet are standing firm you say? Good Heavens sir – Simply incredible! has anyone ever informed you of how Dashing you are? Debonair? Cary Grant-like? Why King Leonidus himself wasn’t half the man that I see here, standing before me!”

It is at that point that I turn off the voice thing in my head and resume my day as a newly inaugurated member of Her Majesty’s Secret Fatties Service – Shrinking Division (I’m in the elite ranks of the Triple 0′s, Bond be damned).

Unfortunately, over the past few weeks my glass-topped digital tormentor’s numbers have been leaping all over the place, mocking me – but staying within a couple of pounds of my last monthly weigh-in. This is highly displeasing.

So what’s going on?

Too much, too much, and too little

After some deep recollection, reading extensively, and consulting the services of my personal dietary Raja (me, in the mirror, talking to myself in my best Indian accent (“Yes Apu – you are good enough! Strong enough! And gosh darn it, people like you!”)), I have come to realize that over the last few weeks I’ve unconsciously slipped back into a few old habits – it was so subtle that I didn’t even notice. Here’s what I’ve identified so far:

• I’m eating Too Much Bread. When I was losing faster, I was eating the heel of a baguette during dinner prep, plus a small slice or two with dinner, which I described in this article on baguettes. However, lately, I’ve been having a couple of larger slices of bread here and there because I’ve been letting myself get too hungry. I’ve also been buying my favorite artisan bread, which is much larger than a baguette in diameter, so a “slice” of that bread is like 2-3 slices of baguette. When I’m truly eating too little, the first thing my brain craves is buttered bread, followed closely by Mountain Dew. That part of me I think can be retrained, but I’m not sure that it isn’t one of those little hardwired genetic things that I’ll just have to be mindful of. I really don’t know yet; it’s something I’m resolving as I go. But what I do know is I can easily swallow a loaf of artisan bread if I really get into it, even now.
• I was (past tense) drinking fruit juice – too much. For about a week, I was drinking juice again for no apparent reason other than it was in the house (I may have made myself a grapefruit juice vodka drink or two. It’s all a little fuzzy.). For me, juice is deadly because it turns on my desire for sweets (sweet drinks especially), and diminishes my desire for water. Not to mention juice just plain has a lot of calories, regardless of whether or not sugar has been added. In a normal diet (one in which my weight is where I want it to be), I think a little is fine. But its a weakness of mine, and doesn’t serve me well during this phase.
• I’ve been eating too fast. With the stress from work in full swing, I’ve been eating faster so that I can get back to work. Not good.
• I’ve been eating “non-consciously”. In fact, while my wife and children were away for a few days, I was eating my meals in front of the laptop while watching television. Talk about an old habit! Of course there’s no magic reason why this is a bad choice – but for me it simply leads to eating too much of the wrong things which is one of those lifelong habits that has always gotten me in trouble.
• My portion sizes of the decadent things have crept up a bit. Last night April served ice cream in smaller bowls, the bowls I was using when I started this journey. And it was a fair bit less than what I was eating for the last few weeks. Maybe close to half, in fact. And you know what? Even with sharing some bites with my 1-year old (she loves ice cream of course), the small portion was absolutely satisfying.
• I have been unintentionally skipping breakfast or lunch, leading to sharp hunger later in the day. I’ve been in random meetings for work throughout the day for weeks now, which means time slips by during the day very easily. Of course, skipping meals is proven to reduce things like metabolic rate – not the ideal situation for weight loss. For me, the worst effect is it makes me too hungry later in the day, which means I generally make poor choices. The other factor is a hard reality of this approach: I am purposely avoiding “convenience foods” like low fat snacks and such, other than fruit and vegetables (and small portions of cheese/protein). I prefer to retrain myself into regular meals, and remove the cultural dependence on snacking from my eating habits. The French do it; I can too.
• Lack of sleep. Stress makes my sleep far from restful; but with so much to talk about on this site I’ve been staying up into the wee hours (2AM, often) to write Almost Fit pieces, and getting back up at 7AM to start over again. Sleep is a key factor in weight loss. And it’s good work if you can get it.
• And last but not least, lack of regular exercise. Its pretty clear that this one speaks for itself. HOWEVER, I am working on that – In fact, today marks my second outing in 3 days for a 3-mile run (the goal is 3-4 times a week, at first). Thanks to inspiration from folks like Andrew at Andrew is Getting Fit, I’m really inspired right now regardless of the dismal weather.

Based on that list, I think its no great mystery why I’m stuck staring at my scale in wonder in the mornings, trying not to get discouraged. Time for some changes.

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