@Patrick Large That roasted butternut squash looks delicious!!! Thanks for the updates. Has 3 weeks been enough for you to feel like this is your new "way of life", or is it still exciting and/or forced? Are your other "fat boy" cravings gone, or is it still a challenge?
@John Withrow First things first... The butternut squash is just tossed in olive oil and cinnamon. It's the bomb.
Your questions are valid and I'll try to answer them all here.
"Has 3 weeks been enough for you to feel like this is your new "way of life"... Take a look at my before and after photo. That has a HUGE "way of life" change. The "after" was maybe 5 years ago. I am not sure that I ever really lost the way, I just got a little sloppy. I'm an emotional eater and have (still do sometimes) suffer from depression and anxiety. When those "flare up" so to speak it gets challenging. I'm in a good place right now, so the "old/new way of life" is easy.
"Are your other "fat boy" cravings gone"... not even close, but as the big picture comes together the cravings are manageable. Also, I am NOT super strict or mental about all this. If I want a little chocolate after dinner, I have it. If I want a plate of fries, I have it... but now it fits better into the big picture. For Example: this weekend was my sons 12th birthday, and all he wanted to do was pig out on some b-day cake with me. NO problem I was all in, but it balanced with the rest of the day.
Week 4/5 Recap (27-Jan to 9-Feb): What a fucking disaster!!!
As you can see starting BF% is 17.5% and ending at 17.3% So 2 whole weeks and a shitty .2% with a huge couple of WTF happened here days.
From the beginning is still trending down, but what a god awful line. Lowest BF of 17% was achieved for one day, so who know how real that is.
Smoothed out weekly from the beginning: Still trending down with a little hiccup week, but I should be a lot further along.
GOALS FOR WEEK 6: 16.8% My first couple of weeks I had a .5% drop so it isn't out of the realm. I have added commute rides to the week, so that should help immensely.
How do get there:
Cut back on the coffee. I've been drinking a lot and it's been getting me super jittery. I've had a hard time deciphering what the body sensations mean and it turns into aimlessly eating.
I need to stop grazing and eat with purpose. Stop and enjoy the meals.
I need to prep my food and take with with me like I was keep 1-4.
The chocolate and beer and weak sauce and they just need to stop.
I've added some bike commutes to my week so overall activity is on the rise. They should help cut the BF. Other than that I just need to be more disciplined overall and not slide backwards. I also have to keep logging food as it happens!
I am on a similar journey but won't hijack your thread.
My scales at home tell me that my body fat percentage is 18.5%, but an hour later on an Evolt 360 professional scanner, I was 20.1%.
To make matters worst, I am 1.5 kg (3.3 pounds) below my usual race weight. This tells me my powers of self delusion are very strong. I am 67 inches tall. Yikes, I need to loose 7 kgs.
@Peter Greagg I am also a bit skeptical that my home scale BF% is accurate, but as long as it trends down on a weekly basis, then I am dong what I need to do.
On a bright note I have very little self delusion. I could pretty much guess my BF%/weight every day and be pretty damn close, based on the previous day.
@Patrick Large Been following along and really enjoy your food pics. Don't be so hard on yourself , if done correctly its a slow process, month's not weeks.
Thanks @tim cronk so I started this in January and hoping I achieve this goal by mid June for my first 100k of the year. Yes I know Rome wasn't built over night, so I am patient, but it's always the stupid mistakes that set you back.
i finally have to start watching what i eat. visiting mother over xmas, gained 10 lbs pigging out on south jersey food. stopped eating most outright sweets. other than during workouts. back to bit below baseline.
To piggy back on @tim cronk, I've always thought management of body composition is about re-oreinting your attitude towards food for the rest of your life, not about make sudden changes and then dropping them...
thanks for the words above. I forget sometimes that the real goal is not 13%, but rather having a healthy positive relationship with food and to live a meaningful life where I can enjoy all the earth has to offer.
BTW, I love your FB skiing videos. I am a CU Buff Alum and skied those mountains for 4-5 days a week for 4 years. You are living the life at your young age. Everyone is envious (even those who say they are not 😀 )
A lot has been mentioned about your "attitude towards food" or your "relationship with food" and it got me thinking. Mine has changed over the years and I thought I'd dig into it just a bit. Time to do a little psychoanalysis on myself.
· I was born a big baby, just shy of 13 lbs. My mother tells me that as a toddler (or even infant) the doctors suggested skim milk as I looked like one of those super wrinkly dogs.
· As a child I was not a picky eater and basically ate everything in site. We didn't have junk food or garbage cereal in the house and we got our fair share (probably more) of fruits and vegetables.
· Besides my very young years I was actually always a tall, skinny / scrawny kid. My ribs were always showing and I was a bit self-conscience about it.
· As an adolescent, for as long as I can remember, I was 6 ft. tall and 165 lbs soaking wet. Still not caring or worrying about what I put into my mouth. I was super active and always in sport, riding my bike, swimming, etc. I was not a video game kid. And to this day still suck at video games
· I remember the first time I thought about food where my earlier college days. I got into weight lifting and protein was king. Besides all the college bullshit food, it was protein shakes for me. At my best form I was roughly 225 lbs and jack'd.
· I was more than a slightly awkward college student and my social life was pretty dismal. I was integrated into multiple diverse social groups but often felt myself in between all of them and never really "in" them. My senior year of college I fell into a depression (only realized years later) and food became my friend. I just ate and ate and ate. Pizza was my drug of choice. I remember vividly going to see a good friend and having his mother look at me and flat out say "wow, what happened??" as she looked at this previously super fit young kid looking like the stay puff marshmallow man.
· Weirdly enough I got a job at a high-end fitness club in Connecticut and shortly after became a personal trainer. I was back to lifting weights. Besides a ridiculous number of protein shakes my meal of choice became chicken breast, rice, and broccoli. At this point in my life I also discovered alcohol (yup a late bloomer). For the next roughly 4 years I had a dangerous relationship with alcohol. Not during the week as I was still hitting the weighs pretty hard, but on the weekends, I was out of control. I remember vividly sleeping in the driver’s seat of my car just about every Friday and Saturday night. Not because I wanted to but because I couldn't see straight enough to drive home. When my vision got so bad that I was seeing stars I 'd just stop the car, turn it off, and fall asleep. Sometimes that was in an abandoned parking lot, sometimes in the parking lot of the health club, and a few times on the lawn in front of the church.
· Some years later I moved to NYC and worked in the restaurant industry. This started my love affair with food. I had stopped working out and now food was king. I was still drinking my face off, but luckily no cars were involved. And although most of the restaurant industry in NYC was snorting an insane amount of coke, I never got into drugs. Grey Goose on the rock with a slice of orange.
· I met my wife while working in a restaurant as she was a transplant from Arizona via London. We both left the restaurant industry: she a teacher and I a wall street headhunter. Probably 3 out of 5 nights I was dinning at steak houses and drinking insane bottles of wine. At this point of my life, I was a fat and fluffy and 235 lbs. A stark contrast to my jack'd 225 lbs.
· My wife read a New York Times article (or book don’t remember), by Mark Bittman about eating locally because it was better for the environment. He went on a journey to eat only locally grown foods as to reduce the carbon footprint of that food. His dinner plates were mostly vegetables and just a small portion if any of meat. As a byproduct he lost a massive amount of weight, stopped snoring, and a handful of medical conditions got better. This what we adopted. Mostly vegetarian dishes and when we had a meat dish, the meat was such a small portion of the plate. I got back into the gym, but this time I wasn’t lifting weights, but boxing. This shift in eating was the catalyst for a major lifestyle change. I went from 235 to 200 lbs.
· We moved from NYC to Scottsdale Arizona and I discovered triathlon. I became more conscience of the food that was going into my body. Our plates at home were still mostly vegetarian. My weight dropped gain from 200 lbs to 183 at my leanest. My weight hovered around 190. At this point food was for performance but also for celebration. I wasn’t a daily drinker at this point, but I had two speeds, not drinking tonight and I’m going to pass out on the lawn.
· A few years later we moved to the Netherlands, I didn’t have a triathlon or endurance community to jump into and I started to backslide a bit. Depression and anxiety set in and besides my bike commutes to work, I was inactive. Heineken and fries took over as a staple in my diet. I started to eat as a reaction to bodily sensations that were hunger. I started to gain a bit of weight and now hovered around 200 maxing out at 207 lbs
· At some point I found Endurance Nation and the Ultra group / crazies. I started to run again on the trails and off the roads. I began a form of therapy, strengthened my meditation practice, studied Buddhism, religion and philosophy. Became an almost Vegan (only the occasional butter and cheese) and have found a new respect for nature, earth, and myself. Food at this point is much more about sports performance as well as celebration. I have not completely lost my emotional eating habits, but I am highly aware and in tune with them when I do. I still drink, but not really… maybe once every 2 weeks with my wife. I have discovered Heineken 0.0 as I still love the taste of a cold beer after a long hot run or ride.
The biggest difference with my relationship with food now vs. any other time in my life is my self-awareness. Now I know exactly why I am eating… fuel, recovery, celebration, filling a void, etc. And being able to define the “why” for me is super healthy. I am still almost vegan and don’t see that changing. I choose that path mainly as a stance against animal cruelty. I have deeper connection now with my food and the soil it was grown in. There are often still daily struggles, but I’m in a much better head space now, which should foster lifelong changes with minimal backslides.
When I post in my “Road to 13%” thread and I’m a bit pissed because the progress has slowed or gone backwards it’s because I know better. And I know that there have been times of weakness that have fucked all the good days.
Special Thanks to @tim cronk and @Al Truscott for bringing attention to the “relationship” as it was the catalyst for this exercise.
BF% started at 17.6 and ended at 16.9 As you can see there were a LOT of bumps in the road, but net is -.7%
From the beginning (6-Jan to 23-Feb): 18.6% to 16.9, again not without some major bumps in the road
But finally the only real graph that matters: The smoothed out trending-
Goals: if I can get to 16.8 in a week I will be happy. If that trend continues with 1% every 4 weeks I will race Mozart 100K in Late June @ 13%.
Life is getting a bit crazy in NL and there will be a lot of temptations to pull me off track. I need to focus on getting my workouts in. Even if I add an extra rest day, it's OK, I need readjust and move on. As per usually getting to sleep early will be key. Speed workouts need to be done on the road rain or shine. Stomach feels good or shitty, doesn't matter, it's a great time to train on shit stomach. Planning will be key. The week, few days, day, and workout. Keeping the goal of the workout in mind is also key. I don't want to aimlessly run, It needs to be purposeful. Even if it is for a mental break, that is purpose.
Food: needs to continue to be clean and planned. Unless I am doing a speed workout in the AM, I can hold off for a while and try and keep that 16hr IF window. I don't mind still a 0.0 beer as long as I've got the bandwidth for it. Skipping dinner once or twice is also key if the calories have been eaten throughout the day. Or just a very small dinner or salad to be part of the social family time. I also need to continue to log immediately so I don't forget that random apple or banana I ate.
My workouts are getting super consistent now as well so that should help. 5-6 times a week are getting steady. I find it challenging if I don't get it done during the morning hours, so a big push to keep that going. The weather and wind has been pretty bad these days so no commute riding to work. Once the weather is better I will get back to that.
My Protien cereal and Almond Milk, but moving more to oat milk. Apparently it's better for the environment.
3 bean chili, we had leftovers for days... so good
I eat some version of this all the time. Sweet potato, black beans, avocado and hot sauce. This I rolled into a burrito.
When I mention beer 0.0 it's usually this. Sometimes a beer just feels right, but I don't need or want the alcohol. I can hear the groans through the computer 😂
My go to snack on my way home if am starving at the train station. Vegan sushi: basically rice and avocado / cucumber wrapped in seaweed, but I think it's really the soy sauce I crave
Personally a lot of "being successful" in the challenge is being hype away. Not getting to the end of any one day and saying to myself "fuck I have no clue... 2000 calories or 4000 calories today".
I am OK with eating the occasional shitty food to satisfy my pallet or craving as long as it is a conscience. I never want to be surprised on a daily basis what weigh in will look like. If my day prior was shit, I should expect the metrics to show it and vice versa.
Super happy about Week 8, even thought it is the only week where I ended up. Usually there is a little spike in the middle of the week, but by the end it is fleshed out and I end low. It's not a surprise though which is why I am not beating myself up. Monday is usually a rest day, but this week I did a pretty hard run late in the evening and then just a mall recovery drink after and then bed. Whether or not the numbers are super accurate or not that dropped from 16.7 to 16.2% The next three days corrected itself with 16.6 and 16.4 % which I think is true. If I had to judge this week it would be 16.4%. Saturday was a good run with great food choices during the day. BUT at night we had a party and I ate all the shitty dutch fried food and had a TON of beer. Not sure how many, but I probably matched my 2019 consumption on that night alone. Sunday, I was more than a bit hung over and all I wanted was Coke and greasy food. The entire day was just that! and it was awesome!!
Goals for the week: 16.2% and that should be well within my reach, with 16% as the stretch goal. I am starting my ultra training plan this week so that will help. I need to hit all my workouts to start off right. Crazy binge eating/drinking will be a non issue, so everything points to an accomplished mission.
Link to my food journal. There is nothing on Saturday or Sunday as this is where the "approved wheels coming off" happened. Let's just keep it at that :)
17.4 % to 16.3% (the 17.4% is due to my once a year, let's go out and party, eat, and drink. And then the next day eat Coke, nachos, and pizza)
And since the beginning:
Man that shit ain't pretty, but it's the honest journey of a weekend warrior who is a father and husband first, and athlete second. BUT, it's a huge net victory of 2.3%. So fucking gangster of me.
So week 9: I needed to get my shit together after the party weekend. I thought it was going to be relatively easy as the spike was a joke. 16.2% was the goal with a stretch of 16%. I ended at 16.3%. Why did I miss my goal? Injury!!!!
Friday, mid day, going to the office, I missed a step walking down the stairs, rolled the ankle, and that was that. I knew immediately what had happened and knew it was bad. It swelled immediately, got really warm, and started to pulsate. Apt with the fysio on Saturday confirmed I tore the tendons in my foot, 4-6 weeks rehab. FUUUUCK!
I need to keep this going strong so I need to re define "my box" and stay in it. As we all know the box is what we have control over.
I can control:
keeping the calories down
keeping the calories super clean
core work, i.e. abs and lower back
upper body work, i.e. chest and back, big muscle groups to burn calories
staying the fuck off the foot
100% compliance to rehab program
Other than that, I need to just keep level headed and under control.
No goals for week 10 other than staying in my box and and only worry about what I can control.
And just like that everything went up in a puff of smoke.
Let me catch you up:
Friday 6th March: as I am going to the office I stop to get a Falafel Brodje and some fries. I eat the pita there and take the bag of fries to go. I am walking and eating with not a care in the world. I walk down two steps then, BAMB!! I miss a step, roll the foot, and it's a fucking yard sale: my shit is flying everyone. It's the kid of fall that people across the platform were like "Ohhhh Fuck, that guy in in trouble!!" The good news is that I stumbles maybe 2 of 40 stairs. The BAD news is that my foot blew up like a pigs foot within seconds. It was hot and was and was pulsing. ***few clarifying points: yes, falafel and fries. It was about 12:30 and I was fasted (+/- 18 hours). My nutrition had been spot on for the week, and I was jonesing.
I immediately called my fysio and was like WTF! He told me get off it, elevate it, and no ice. I got an appointment for the next morning for him to take a look at it. He confirmed it was proper fucked, but common. He taped in with the prescription of "Netflix and Chill" with a 4-6 week recovery period. Fucking drag because my "100K Ultra plan had JUST started" and usually my nutrition goes hand in hand with my activity level. As mentioned in previous posts, I am an emotional eater as well, so this doesn't bode well for me.
Week 10 was more solid in terms of eating then week 11. The first week I was pretty good, I had a 24 hr fast which wasn't planned it just happened. That whole week, although I didn't really log much, I felt good and still pretty lean. Just finishing week 11... not so much. There were days when I woke up feeling bloated and like shit. I've given back a bit, but it isn't a complete shit show. I've also been drinking a bit of wine with the wife... I'll blame coronavirus on that :) As of now there are days that are good-ish and others that I eaten enough for the entire family. I am trying to log all my food, but since life is off a bit, so is the log.
For me the foot is effecting more than the coronavirus. If the foot was OK, I'd still go early on the trails and bang out some long runs. I'd see nobody but be in the fresh air and getting it done.
My foot is getting better, but still on crutches most of the time. I am taking frequent walks, riding the city bike and working on core / hips / glutes. It's about all I can do. I will continue to do what I can but wont beat myself up too much if it all goes to shit. Once I am back running (at least slowly) It will all fall back into place again.
So everyone be well, and I'll see you all again on the back side of my #FootFail.
So the fact that I am even updating is a bit of a joke, since there is really nothing that can be said except that "I am still doing it". And by "it", I mean the "Road to 13%" Just like everything else in the world there will be an asterisks here.
The good news is that I should be able to jog this week. I am guessing it will be something like 1:00 jog with 2-3:00 recovery. It's really nothing, but at least I get moving. That coupled with my PT / strength exercises and getting on the bike... I 'll be moving in the right direction. I wont take BF measurements again until I get the tape off, but I'll know. Also eating for me tend to be emotional and routine based. So if routine is off in the rest of my life this will follow suit.
I have been really shitty logging my food, so that is not worth mentioning. I've been eating half quality food and half nachos. As always no animal products other than cheese and some butter. Also I've been drinking a bit at night with the wife. Nothing to be concerned about, but I think it goes with the times. And I've taken down more sleeves of Oreo cookies than I am used to.
So with else more to say, here are some food pics. At least its something fun.
Lentil, Sweet potato, Coconut milk soup
Old faithful: Black beans, sweet potato, avocado, sriracha sauce. So damn good.
Lentils, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, topped with cilantro (or coriander as we call it in Holland), in a harissa sauce.
I decided to write in this thread this morning in lieu of journaling, so hang in there with me. Covid has been a bit of a disaster for me physically. Usually I am OK with some weight gain, but when the only cloths you own start to not fin that is a problem! And to be honest, right now i just don feel great in my skin... I feel like like shit. The guy is hanging slightly over the belt and the muffing top has... well exploded. I've said a few times in the recent past that "this is the day I start over again" just to find by days end the plan went tits up and I'm on my second plate of fries. I am not sure why mentally I cannot stick with it. This is the time also that it needs to be done. I have my ride at the beginning of August with my son and the weight is just making me feel like shit. It is such a shame as well because just before my foot injury / covid, I was really in a good place and the weight was fast tracking off. Also, besides the weight coming off and feeling / performing better, I need to be a better example for my kids. To see a Dad active but fat is not good. Health needs to be the number one priority and I don't feel like I am setting the best example. It's funny because mentally I am in such a good place and usually that goes hand in hand with my physical self, but right now we are looking at ying & yang. Maybe this time also I I will use my "food journal" as a "daily activity journal". So yes food, but also activity i.e. movement and meditation. Maybe I go back to my checklist as well and see how the days add up. Maybe I will take some time today and see if I can get a system that works a little better for right now. Anyway thanks all for listening. It wasn't for you, but for me.
Haven't you heard? If you stop weighing yourself, you will stop gaining weight!
Seriously , thanks for the update.
"It's funny because mentally I am in such a good place and usually that goes hand in hand with my physical self, but right now we are looking at ying & yang. "
I think the most important part is the beginning of the statement above. The remainder is a challenge but is easier with the beginning in good shape. I have two suggestions. 1st is to review your own pictures of food in this thread to provide your own motivation. 2nd is to come up with an FT goal to take place of cancelled races.
Comments
@Patrick Large That roasted butternut squash looks delicious!!! Thanks for the updates. Has 3 weeks been enough for you to feel like this is your new "way of life", or is it still exciting and/or forced? Are your other "fat boy" cravings gone, or is it still a challenge?
And nice work bro!
@John Withrow First things first... The butternut squash is just tossed in olive oil and cinnamon. It's the bomb.
Your questions are valid and I'll try to answer them all here.
"Has 3 weeks been enough for you to feel like this is your new "way of life"... Take a look at my before and after photo. That has a HUGE "way of life" change. The "after" was maybe 5 years ago. I am not sure that I ever really lost the way, I just got a little sloppy. I'm an emotional eater and have (still do sometimes) suffer from depression and anxiety. When those "flare up" so to speak it gets challenging. I'm in a good place right now, so the "old/new way of life" is easy.
"Are your other "fat boy" cravings gone"... not even close, but as the big picture comes together the cravings are manageable. Also, I am NOT super strict or mental about all this. If I want a little chocolate after dinner, I have it. If I want a plate of fries, I have it... but now it fits better into the big picture. For Example: this weekend was my sons 12th birthday, and all he wanted to do was pig out on some b-day cake with me. NO problem I was all in, but it balanced with the rest of the day.
Thanks for the positive vibes-
Week 4/5 Recap (27-Jan to 9-Feb): What a fucking disaster!!!
As you can see starting BF% is 17.5% and ending at 17.3% So 2 whole weeks and a shitty .2% with a huge couple of WTF happened here days.
From the beginning is still trending down, but what a god awful line. Lowest BF of 17% was achieved for one day, so who know how real that is.
Smoothed out weekly from the beginning: Still trending down with a little hiccup week, but I should be a lot further along.
GOALS FOR WEEK 6: 16.8% My first couple of weeks I had a .5% drop so it isn't out of the realm. I have added commute rides to the week, so that should help immensely.
How do get there:
I've added some bike commutes to my week so overall activity is on the rise. They should help cut the BF. Other than that I just need to be more disciplined overall and not slide backwards. I also have to keep logging food as it happens!
Here's the link to my food journal:
And finally some new food pics:
Roasted root vegetables.
Kale, black beans, sweet potato, avocado, hot sauce, maybe more??
Black beans, avocado, sweet potato. Broccoli with hummus and smoked paprika
Kudos for sticking with reporting your journey!
I am on a similar journey but won't hijack your thread.
My scales at home tell me that my body fat percentage is 18.5%, but an hour later on an Evolt 360 professional scanner, I was 20.1%.
To make matters worst, I am 1.5 kg (3.3 pounds) below my usual race weight. This tells me my powers of self delusion are very strong. I am 67 inches tall. Yikes, I need to loose 7 kgs.
@Peter Greagg I am also a bit skeptical that my home scale BF% is accurate, but as long as it trends down on a weekly basis, then I am dong what I need to do.
On a bright note I have very little self delusion. I could pretty much guess my BF%/weight every day and be pretty damn close, based on the previous day.
Good Luck on your journey-
@Patrick Large Been following along and really enjoy your food pics. Don't be so hard on yourself , if done correctly its a slow process, month's not weeks.
Thanks @tim cronk so I started this in January and hoping I achieve this goal by mid June for my first 100k of the year. Yes I know Rome wasn't built over night, so I am patient, but it's always the stupid mistakes that set you back.
And the Food pics make it not as boring 😀
i finally have to start watching what i eat. visiting mother over xmas, gained 10 lbs pigging out on south jersey food. stopped eating most outright sweets. other than during workouts. back to bit below baseline.
To piggy back on @tim cronk, I've always thought management of body composition is about re-oreinting your attitude towards food for the rest of your life, not about make sudden changes and then dropping them...
@Al Truscott
thanks for the words above. I forget sometimes that the real goal is not 13%, but rather having a healthy positive relationship with food and to live a meaningful life where I can enjoy all the earth has to offer.
BTW, I love your FB skiing videos. I am a CU Buff Alum and skied those mountains for 4-5 days a week for 4 years. You are living the life at your young age. Everyone is envious (even those who say they are not 😀 )
A lot has been mentioned about your "attitude towards food" or your "relationship with food" and it got me thinking. Mine has changed over the years and I thought I'd dig into it just a bit. Time to do a little psychoanalysis on myself.
· I was born a big baby, just shy of 13 lbs. My mother tells me that as a toddler (or even infant) the doctors suggested skim milk as I looked like one of those super wrinkly dogs.
· As a child I was not a picky eater and basically ate everything in site. We didn't have junk food or garbage cereal in the house and we got our fair share (probably more) of fruits and vegetables.
· Besides my very young years I was actually always a tall, skinny / scrawny kid. My ribs were always showing and I was a bit self-conscience about it.
· As an adolescent, for as long as I can remember, I was 6 ft. tall and 165 lbs soaking wet. Still not caring or worrying about what I put into my mouth. I was super active and always in sport, riding my bike, swimming, etc. I was not a video game kid. And to this day still suck at video games
· I remember the first time I thought about food where my earlier college days. I got into weight lifting and protein was king. Besides all the college bullshit food, it was protein shakes for me. At my best form I was roughly 225 lbs and jack'd.
· I was more than a slightly awkward college student and my social life was pretty dismal. I was integrated into multiple diverse social groups but often felt myself in between all of them and never really "in" them. My senior year of college I fell into a depression (only realized years later) and food became my friend. I just ate and ate and ate. Pizza was my drug of choice. I remember vividly going to see a good friend and having his mother look at me and flat out say "wow, what happened??" as she looked at this previously super fit young kid looking like the stay puff marshmallow man.
· Weirdly enough I got a job at a high-end fitness club in Connecticut and shortly after became a personal trainer. I was back to lifting weights. Besides a ridiculous number of protein shakes my meal of choice became chicken breast, rice, and broccoli. At this point in my life I also discovered alcohol (yup a late bloomer). For the next roughly 4 years I had a dangerous relationship with alcohol. Not during the week as I was still hitting the weighs pretty hard, but on the weekends, I was out of control. I remember vividly sleeping in the driver’s seat of my car just about every Friday and Saturday night. Not because I wanted to but because I couldn't see straight enough to drive home. When my vision got so bad that I was seeing stars I 'd just stop the car, turn it off, and fall asleep. Sometimes that was in an abandoned parking lot, sometimes in the parking lot of the health club, and a few times on the lawn in front of the church.
· Some years later I moved to NYC and worked in the restaurant industry. This started my love affair with food. I had stopped working out and now food was king. I was still drinking my face off, but luckily no cars were involved. And although most of the restaurant industry in NYC was snorting an insane amount of coke, I never got into drugs. Grey Goose on the rock with a slice of orange.
· I met my wife while working in a restaurant as she was a transplant from Arizona via London. We both left the restaurant industry: she a teacher and I a wall street headhunter. Probably 3 out of 5 nights I was dinning at steak houses and drinking insane bottles of wine. At this point of my life, I was a fat and fluffy and 235 lbs. A stark contrast to my jack'd 225 lbs.
· My wife read a New York Times article (or book don’t remember), by Mark Bittman about eating locally because it was better for the environment. He went on a journey to eat only locally grown foods as to reduce the carbon footprint of that food. His dinner plates were mostly vegetables and just a small portion if any of meat. As a byproduct he lost a massive amount of weight, stopped snoring, and a handful of medical conditions got better. This what we adopted. Mostly vegetarian dishes and when we had a meat dish, the meat was such a small portion of the plate. I got back into the gym, but this time I wasn’t lifting weights, but boxing. This shift in eating was the catalyst for a major lifestyle change. I went from 235 to 200 lbs.
· We moved from NYC to Scottsdale Arizona and I discovered triathlon. I became more conscience of the food that was going into my body. Our plates at home were still mostly vegetarian. My weight dropped gain from 200 lbs to 183 at my leanest. My weight hovered around 190. At this point food was for performance but also for celebration. I wasn’t a daily drinker at this point, but I had two speeds, not drinking tonight and I’m going to pass out on the lawn.
· A few years later we moved to the Netherlands, I didn’t have a triathlon or endurance community to jump into and I started to backslide a bit. Depression and anxiety set in and besides my bike commutes to work, I was inactive. Heineken and fries took over as a staple in my diet. I started to eat as a reaction to bodily sensations that were hunger. I started to gain a bit of weight and now hovered around 200 maxing out at 207 lbs
· At some point I found Endurance Nation and the Ultra group / crazies. I started to run again on the trails and off the roads. I began a form of therapy, strengthened my meditation practice, studied Buddhism, religion and philosophy. Became an almost Vegan (only the occasional butter and cheese) and have found a new respect for nature, earth, and myself. Food at this point is much more about sports performance as well as celebration. I have not completely lost my emotional eating habits, but I am highly aware and in tune with them when I do. I still drink, but not really… maybe once every 2 weeks with my wife. I have discovered Heineken 0.0 as I still love the taste of a cold beer after a long hot run or ride.
The biggest difference with my relationship with food now vs. any other time in my life is my self-awareness. Now I know exactly why I am eating… fuel, recovery, celebration, filling a void, etc. And being able to define the “why” for me is super healthy. I am still almost vegan and don’t see that changing. I choose that path mainly as a stance against animal cruelty. I have deeper connection now with my food and the soil it was grown in. There are often still daily struggles, but I’m in a much better head space now, which should foster lifelong changes with minimal backslides.
When I post in my “Road to 13%” thread and I’m a bit pissed because the progress has slowed or gone backwards it’s because I know better. And I know that there have been times of weakness that have fucked all the good days.
Special Thanks to @tim cronk and @Al Truscott for bringing attention to the “relationship” as it was the catalyst for this exercise.
Week 6 / 7 Recap: 10-Feb to 23-Feb
BF% started at 17.6 and ended at 16.9 As you can see there were a LOT of bumps in the road, but net is -.7%
From the beginning (6-Jan to 23-Feb): 18.6% to 16.9, again not without some major bumps in the road
But finally the only real graph that matters: The smoothed out trending-
Goals: if I can get to 16.8 in a week I will be happy. If that trend continues with 1% every 4 weeks I will race Mozart 100K in Late June @ 13%.
Life is getting a bit crazy in NL and there will be a lot of temptations to pull me off track. I need to focus on getting my workouts in. Even if I add an extra rest day, it's OK, I need readjust and move on. As per usually getting to sleep early will be key. Speed workouts need to be done on the road rain or shine. Stomach feels good or shitty, doesn't matter, it's a great time to train on shit stomach. Planning will be key. The week, few days, day, and workout. Keeping the goal of the workout in mind is also key. I don't want to aimlessly run, It needs to be purposeful. Even if it is for a mental break, that is purpose.
Food: needs to continue to be clean and planned. Unless I am doing a speed workout in the AM, I can hold off for a while and try and keep that 16hr IF window. I don't mind still a 0.0 beer as long as I've got the bandwidth for it. Skipping dinner once or twice is also key if the calories have been eaten throughout the day. Or just a very small dinner or salad to be part of the social family time. I also need to continue to log immediately so I don't forget that random apple or banana I ate.
My workouts are getting super consistent now as well so that should help. 5-6 times a week are getting steady. I find it challenging if I don't get it done during the morning hours, so a big push to keep that going. The weather and wind has been pretty bad these days so no commute riding to work. Once the weather is better I will get back to that.
Food Journal:
And finally some food pics:
My Protien cereal and Almond Milk, but moving more to oat milk. Apparently it's better for the environment.
3 bean chili, we had leftovers for days... so good
I eat some version of this all the time. Sweet potato, black beans, avocado and hot sauce. This I rolled into a burrito.
When I mention beer 0.0 it's usually this. Sometimes a beer just feels right, but I don't need or want the alcohol. I can hear the groans through the computer 😂
My go to snack on my way home if am starving at the train station. Vegan sushi: basically rice and avocado / cucumber wrapped in seaweed, but I think it's really the soy sauce I crave
Great work here. You are making significant progress.
as you have acknowledged, it is a new way of living.
Thanks @Peter Greagg
Personally a lot of "being successful" in the challenge is being hype away. Not getting to the end of any one day and saying to myself "fuck I have no clue... 2000 calories or 4000 calories today".
I am OK with eating the occasional shitty food to satisfy my pallet or craving as long as it is a conscience. I never want to be surprised on a daily basis what weigh in will look like. If my day prior was shit, I should expect the metrics to show it and vice versa.
Week 8 Recap 24-Feb to 1-Mar
Started at 16.7 ended at 16.8
Since the beginning
Super happy about Week 8, even thought it is the only week where I ended up. Usually there is a little spike in the middle of the week, but by the end it is fleshed out and I end low. It's not a surprise though which is why I am not beating myself up. Monday is usually a rest day, but this week I did a pretty hard run late in the evening and then just a mall recovery drink after and then bed. Whether or not the numbers are super accurate or not that dropped from 16.7 to 16.2% The next three days corrected itself with 16.6 and 16.4 % which I think is true. If I had to judge this week it would be 16.4%. Saturday was a good run with great food choices during the day. BUT at night we had a party and I ate all the shitty dutch fried food and had a TON of beer. Not sure how many, but I probably matched my 2019 consumption on that night alone. Sunday, I was more than a bit hung over and all I wanted was Coke and greasy food. The entire day was just that! and it was awesome!!
Goals for the week: 16.2% and that should be well within my reach, with 16% as the stretch goal. I am starting my ultra training plan this week so that will help. I need to hit all my workouts to start off right. Crazy binge eating/drinking will be a non issue, so everything points to an accomplished mission.
Link to my food journal. There is nothing on Saturday or Sunday as this is where the "approved wheels coming off" happened. Let's just keep it at that :)
And finally to keep it fun, some pics (if I have any, I need to check)
Falafel Salad with couscous
My "Red water bottle" 40 oz capacity.
The beginning of the night where the wheels fell off. 80's themed 40th birthday dance party
Week 9 Recap: 2 March - 8 March
17.4 % to 16.3% (the 17.4% is due to my once a year, let's go out and party, eat, and drink. And then the next day eat Coke, nachos, and pizza)
And since the beginning:
Man that shit ain't pretty, but it's the honest journey of a weekend warrior who is a father and husband first, and athlete second. BUT, it's a huge net victory of 2.3%. So fucking gangster of me.
So week 9: I needed to get my shit together after the party weekend. I thought it was going to be relatively easy as the spike was a joke. 16.2% was the goal with a stretch of 16%. I ended at 16.3%. Why did I miss my goal? Injury!!!!
Friday, mid day, going to the office, I missed a step walking down the stairs, rolled the ankle, and that was that. I knew immediately what had happened and knew it was bad. It swelled immediately, got really warm, and started to pulsate. Apt with the fysio on Saturday confirmed I tore the tendons in my foot, 4-6 weeks rehab. FUUUUCK!
I need to keep this going strong so I need to re define "my box" and stay in it. As we all know the box is what we have control over.
I can control:
Other than that, I need to just keep level headed and under control.
No goals for week 10 other than staying in my box and and only worry about what I can control.
Here's my food journal for Week 9
And some food pics:
Falafel Brodje- yes there is Falafel under all that salad.
Lentil Salad
I don't remember, but probably 60% figs as they usually are.
Oathie Bowl is good AF. Oatmeal (cold) with mango, coconut shavings, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds.
Week 10 & 11 Recap: March 9-22
And just like that everything went up in a puff of smoke.
Let me catch you up:
Friday 6th March: as I am going to the office I stop to get a Falafel Brodje and some fries. I eat the pita there and take the bag of fries to go. I am walking and eating with not a care in the world. I walk down two steps then, BAMB!! I miss a step, roll the foot, and it's a fucking yard sale: my shit is flying everyone. It's the kid of fall that people across the platform were like "Ohhhh Fuck, that guy in in trouble!!" The good news is that I stumbles maybe 2 of 40 stairs. The BAD news is that my foot blew up like a pigs foot within seconds. It was hot and was and was pulsing. ***few clarifying points: yes, falafel and fries. It was about 12:30 and I was fasted (+/- 18 hours). My nutrition had been spot on for the week, and I was jonesing.
I immediately called my fysio and was like WTF! He told me get off it, elevate it, and no ice. I got an appointment for the next morning for him to take a look at it. He confirmed it was proper fucked, but common. He taped in with the prescription of "Netflix and Chill" with a 4-6 week recovery period. Fucking drag because my "100K Ultra plan had JUST started" and usually my nutrition goes hand in hand with my activity level. As mentioned in previous posts, I am an emotional eater as well, so this doesn't bode well for me.
Week 10 was more solid in terms of eating then week 11. The first week I was pretty good, I had a 24 hr fast which wasn't planned it just happened. That whole week, although I didn't really log much, I felt good and still pretty lean. Just finishing week 11... not so much. There were days when I woke up feeling bloated and like shit. I've given back a bit, but it isn't a complete shit show. I've also been drinking a bit of wine with the wife... I'll blame coronavirus on that :) As of now there are days that are good-ish and others that I eaten enough for the entire family. I am trying to log all my food, but since life is off a bit, so is the log.
For me the foot is effecting more than the coronavirus. If the foot was OK, I'd still go early on the trails and bang out some long runs. I'd see nobody but be in the fresh air and getting it done.
My foot is getting better, but still on crutches most of the time. I am taking frequent walks, riding the city bike and working on core / hips / glutes. It's about all I can do. I will continue to do what I can but wont beat myself up too much if it all goes to shit. Once I am back running (at least slowly) It will all fall back into place again.
So everyone be well, and I'll see you all again on the back side of my #FootFail.
Just minutes before the #FootFail fall
Week 12: March 23-30
So the fact that I am even updating is a bit of a joke, since there is really nothing that can be said except that "I am still doing it". And by "it", I mean the "Road to 13%" Just like everything else in the world there will be an asterisks here.
The good news is that I should be able to jog this week. I am guessing it will be something like 1:00 jog with 2-3:00 recovery. It's really nothing, but at least I get moving. That coupled with my PT / strength exercises and getting on the bike... I 'll be moving in the right direction. I wont take BF measurements again until I get the tape off, but I'll know. Also eating for me tend to be emotional and routine based. So if routine is off in the rest of my life this will follow suit.
I have been really shitty logging my food, so that is not worth mentioning. I've been eating half quality food and half nachos. As always no animal products other than cheese and some butter. Also I've been drinking a bit at night with the wife. Nothing to be concerned about, but I think it goes with the times. And I've taken down more sleeves of Oreo cookies than I am used to.
So with else more to say, here are some food pics. At least its something fun.
Lentil, Sweet potato, Coconut milk soup
Old faithful: Black beans, sweet potato, avocado, sriracha sauce. So damn good.
Lentils, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, topped with cilantro (or coriander as we call it in Holland), in a harissa sauce.
I decided to write in this thread this morning in lieu of journaling, so hang in there with me. Covid has been a bit of a disaster for me physically. Usually I am OK with some weight gain, but when the only cloths you own start to not fin that is a problem! And to be honest, right now i just don feel great in my skin... I feel like like shit. The guy is hanging slightly over the belt and the muffing top has... well exploded. I've said a few times in the recent past that "this is the day I start over again" just to find by days end the plan went tits up and I'm on my second plate of fries. I am not sure why mentally I cannot stick with it. This is the time also that it needs to be done. I have my ride at the beginning of August with my son and the weight is just making me feel like shit. It is such a shame as well because just before my foot injury / covid, I was really in a good place and the weight was fast tracking off. Also, besides the weight coming off and feeling / performing better, I need to be a better example for my kids. To see a Dad active but fat is not good. Health needs to be the number one priority and I don't feel like I am setting the best example. It's funny because mentally I am in such a good place and usually that goes hand in hand with my physical self, but right now we are looking at ying & yang. Maybe this time also I I will use my "food journal" as a "daily activity journal". So yes food, but also activity i.e. movement and meditation. Maybe I go back to my checklist as well and see how the days add up. Maybe I will take some time today and see if I can get a system that works a little better for right now. Anyway thanks all for listening. It wasn't for you, but for me.
Namaste 🙏
@Patrick Large
Haven't you heard? If you stop weighing yourself, you will stop gaining weight!
Seriously , thanks for the update.
"It's funny because mentally I am in such a good place and usually that goes hand in hand with my physical self, but right now we are looking at ying & yang. "
I think the most important part is the beginning of the statement above. The remainder is a challenge but is easier with the beginning in good shape. I have two suggestions. 1st is to review your own pictures of food in this thread to provide your own motivation. 2nd is to come up with an FT goal to take place of cancelled races.