I've got some big goals and ambitions. Physically, I have had a rough year or two. I've been pretty sick a few times, had two surgeries, and hit my all time fattest as well. The worst of it was probably the back surgery. That one really slowed me down for a bit. Not only did it hinder my motivation to go to the gym before the surgery, it also removed my ability to go for awhile thereafter. Weight aside, I went through a period earlier this summer where I felt more out of shape than ever before in my life. I had never been that soft before. Flabby. I didn't like it.
After I got back from my trip to Ireland in June, I started to slowly make my way back into the gym. It has been a pretty slow process, because I have to be very careful since the surgery on my back. I had basically blown out my L2 disk in my lower back, and the little disk material that was left was effectively dead. The Dr. had wanted to do a Spinal Fusion, but decided against it because I am still relatively young. He said that eventually I will have to get that done, but they would rather not do it right now. Because of this higher risk, I need to be especially careful with my back and avoid herniating that disk again.
At the peak of my flabbiness, I weighted about 220 lbs. I could barely bench 125 lbs, and had gone up to a 38" waist. If I tried to do any cardio, I would break into a dripping sweat after about 10-15 minutes. Gross.
Thanks to a severely hardened sense of determination, things have changed. I also owe a lot to a couple of my amazing friends who have helped to motivate me and joined me in the gym. Randy and Ikaika, you guys are my boys! Thank you! I wouldn't go as far as to say that I am content with where I am at now, as I still have a ways to go before I reach my goals. However, it is important to look back at the progress we make sometimes and recognize how far we've come.
Currently, I weigh about 205 lbs. My last bench was 225 lbs. I'm back down to a 34" waist. I now include at least 30-45 minutes of cardio with each workout, and am hardly breaking a sweat anymore. The weight isn't really important to me, because I understand that muscle weighs more than fat, so I am likely to put on a little more weight as I increase my muscle tone. I feel good. That is the most important part.
My cardio health is finally doing a lot better. My next big goal is to really strengthen my core. This is going to be pretty tough for me. Not only do I hate doing core work, it is also probably the hardest for me to work, because of my back. A couple of months ago, I bought this really good Core Workout book. Now I just need to use it. I'd like to get my core back in shape, and finally have that 6 pack again. My last goal is to get my bench up a little bit more. Before I started going to school, my max bench was 310 lbs. That seems so far off now. I'm not sure that I'll ever quite get back to there, but I do want to get my max bench back up to at least 275 lbs. Why? Just because.
So next step, how do I get there? For the most part, I've been pretty consistent with making it to the gym 2 times a week. I need to dial that up to 3 times a week now. I am going to break my routines down as follows:
Day 1: Chest & Back & Cardio
Day 2: Cardio & Arms & Core
Day 3: Shoulders & Legs & Core
Nutritionally, I have just a few basic goals for improvement. First off, I need to drink less. I have mostly cut hard liquor out completely for now. I'm trying to drink more water every day. I also have way too much salt in my diet, so I'm trying to cut back on that as well. I have a daily vitamin I'm taking now, along with getting more protein in.
I would like to reach these goals by next summer. I know it's going to be a lot of hard work, but I am determined. With the early onset of the snow this weekend, I've been reminded that I'll be indoors a lot for the next 4-5 months. I've never been a big skier, and still have never been snowboarding either. Outside of work, you will likely find me one of 2 places. Out and about with Preslie when I have her, or at the gym. Tomorrow is week 1 of my new resolve and new routines. Time to get fit.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Simple Truths
People do get lonely. Especially when they are deprived of being with the ones they love.
For me, this was a simple truth that took a long time to understand. I didn't really understand this, until my Grandma passed away. I remember so much about how she used to be. When I was little, we would go to visit Grandma Taylor's house, and she was just so full of love. She had an amazing way of making you feel like you were wrapped in it the moment you stepped into the room with her. She loved all children, and was just a great Mother in every sense of the word.
Years before she died, she had a stroke. The stroke changed things pretty drastically. She lost the use of one side of her body, had trouble with speech, and also getting around after that. She had to be shuttled around in a wheelchair, and it was not easy for her to get around after that. Over time as she got older, her physical health seemed to deteriorate bit by bit. The hardest part for me was seeing her this way. You could look at her, and she would make eye contact and you could tell she was still the same Grandma, but she was frustrated. Frustrated with her body that no longer worked the way it used to, or even cooperated to perform basic tasks anymore. Through it all, my Grandpa was there taking care of her. He was completed devoted to her and took care of her every need. Quite a few years passed, and then about 2 years ago she finally passed away. I got a phone call from my Mom, who had been there taking care of her since my little Sister Angela had died in 2006, and she let me know that Grandma had just passed. I didn't live that far away at the time, so I rushed right over there. For some reason, I guess I didn't expect that she would still be there, and that the funeral home would have already been there. That was my first time being around a body after someone had passed right away. To be honest, it kinda weirded me out a bit. Why? I have no idea. I sat down by her in her room and held her hand for a bit, then went out and joined my Aunt Lenore in the living room once the funeral people arrived to take her away.
Now let me just say that even though this was an incredibly emotional and sad time for me, I am just not a cryer. I very rarely cry for any reason. Another one of my many oddities I suppose.
However, as the gentlemen were starting to wheel my Grandma out of the house, I remember hearing my Grandpa say, "Wait! I need to give my Sweetheart a kiss goodbye." For some reason, that did it for me. My Grandpa is one of the best men I have ever known. Never said a single curse word his entire life. Not even Damn. Always treated his kids with love and my Grandma was always his Sweetheart. I totally cried it out for that one. He just seemed so lost after she passed. It made so incredibly sad to see him that way. After that I just didn't know what to do. I started looking for things to do around the house, and ended up going on the roof to clean out his gutters.
Now here is where the simple truth comes in. Even though my Grandma did not pass away until the summer of 2010, in a lot of ways, she had not been his companion for quite some time. Their companionship had not been the same in the later years after her stroke. I can only imagine how hard this must have been for both of them. Even though he took care of her through the end, I can imagine how lonely he must have become. Especially once she passed. This is why it did not surprise me in the least that he "got out there" and started seeing an old girlfriend again. He desired that companionship. He was lonely. I have never for a second felt that he was dishonoring my Grandma's memory in doing so either. The sad thing is, I imagine that it did hurt a few of my other Family members feelings though. All in all, I want my Grandpa to be happy, and understand his desire for companionship. I understand that some people just don't get that. Some people are die hard romantics at heart, and believe that once a loved one passes away, maybe they should live in solitude so as to honor the memory of that loved one. I get that. Is it easier for men to find companionship after a loved one has passed as opposed to a woman? Perhaps. I just know it doesn't diminish their love. What is so strange about my 80 year old Grandpa acting like a teenager again, and wanting to cuddle up on his couch with another Grandma lady?
After all, people do get lonely. Especially when they are deprived of being with the ones they love.
For me, this was a simple truth that took a long time to understand. I didn't really understand this, until my Grandma passed away. I remember so much about how she used to be. When I was little, we would go to visit Grandma Taylor's house, and she was just so full of love. She had an amazing way of making you feel like you were wrapped in it the moment you stepped into the room with her. She loved all children, and was just a great Mother in every sense of the word.
Years before she died, she had a stroke. The stroke changed things pretty drastically. She lost the use of one side of her body, had trouble with speech, and also getting around after that. She had to be shuttled around in a wheelchair, and it was not easy for her to get around after that. Over time as she got older, her physical health seemed to deteriorate bit by bit. The hardest part for me was seeing her this way. You could look at her, and she would make eye contact and you could tell she was still the same Grandma, but she was frustrated. Frustrated with her body that no longer worked the way it used to, or even cooperated to perform basic tasks anymore. Through it all, my Grandpa was there taking care of her. He was completed devoted to her and took care of her every need. Quite a few years passed, and then about 2 years ago she finally passed away. I got a phone call from my Mom, who had been there taking care of her since my little Sister Angela had died in 2006, and she let me know that Grandma had just passed. I didn't live that far away at the time, so I rushed right over there. For some reason, I guess I didn't expect that she would still be there, and that the funeral home would have already been there. That was my first time being around a body after someone had passed right away. To be honest, it kinda weirded me out a bit. Why? I have no idea. I sat down by her in her room and held her hand for a bit, then went out and joined my Aunt Lenore in the living room once the funeral people arrived to take her away.
Now let me just say that even though this was an incredibly emotional and sad time for me, I am just not a cryer. I very rarely cry for any reason. Another one of my many oddities I suppose.
However, as the gentlemen were starting to wheel my Grandma out of the house, I remember hearing my Grandpa say, "Wait! I need to give my Sweetheart a kiss goodbye." For some reason, that did it for me. My Grandpa is one of the best men I have ever known. Never said a single curse word his entire life. Not even Damn. Always treated his kids with love and my Grandma was always his Sweetheart. I totally cried it out for that one. He just seemed so lost after she passed. It made so incredibly sad to see him that way. After that I just didn't know what to do. I started looking for things to do around the house, and ended up going on the roof to clean out his gutters.
Now here is where the simple truth comes in. Even though my Grandma did not pass away until the summer of 2010, in a lot of ways, she had not been his companion for quite some time. Their companionship had not been the same in the later years after her stroke. I can only imagine how hard this must have been for both of them. Even though he took care of her through the end, I can imagine how lonely he must have become. Especially once she passed. This is why it did not surprise me in the least that he "got out there" and started seeing an old girlfriend again. He desired that companionship. He was lonely. I have never for a second felt that he was dishonoring my Grandma's memory in doing so either. The sad thing is, I imagine that it did hurt a few of my other Family members feelings though. All in all, I want my Grandpa to be happy, and understand his desire for companionship. I understand that some people just don't get that. Some people are die hard romantics at heart, and believe that once a loved one passes away, maybe they should live in solitude so as to honor the memory of that loved one. I get that. Is it easier for men to find companionship after a loved one has passed as opposed to a woman? Perhaps. I just know it doesn't diminish their love. What is so strange about my 80 year old Grandpa acting like a teenager again, and wanting to cuddle up on his couch with another Grandma lady?
After all, people do get lonely. Especially when they are deprived of being with the ones they love.
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