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Monday, September 15, 2008

Week 85 Weigh-In I AM TRIATHLETE!!!!!!



Last Week's Weight: 231 lbs.
Today's Weight: 231 .4lbs. (+0.4)
Total Lost: 148.6 lbs.

Fat Ratio: 20.6%
Lean Mass: 183.7 lbs.
Fat Mass: 47.7 lbs.
Waist: 45.5 inches

I am not concerned about the weight. After the recent huge losses, I think things are just evening out.

Now for the big news. I completed my first triathlon on Saturday. Now before anyone gets overly impressed, most people think of the Ironman triathlon when they hear triathlon. There are actually four basic levels (distances)of triathlons: Ironman, Half-Ironman, Olympic, and Sprint. I did the Sprint distance which was a 500 meter swim followed by a 20k bike followed by a 5k run. My times were as follows:

Swim: 13:27 min.
T1: 3:38 min.
Bike 43:43 min.
T2: 39 sec.
Run: 29:06 min.
Total: 1:30:27

I am quite happy with my results. I made a few mistakes. Overall, I was about 15 min. faster than what I clocked on my run through on Labor Day. I came in 54th out of 99 racers. I came in 36th out of 54 men. In my age group(35-39), I was 9th out of 15. However, I did not compete in my age group. I competed in the Clydesdale division which is for racers over 200 lbs. In my division, I finished 2nd out of 4. I received a plaque for getting second place.

I am thrilled that I actually did a triathlon. This was inconceivable 6 months ago, let alone 85 weeks ago. Now that I have done it, I want more. I loved it. It was so much fun. Whether or not I received an plaque is irrelevant. The fact that I could go out there and compete in such an event and do well is beyond words. I held my own. I came in right in the middle of all three disciplines. I fit in among this group of athletes and it felt great. I want to compete in more triathlons. I can't wait until the next one...but it probably won't be until next spring. Oh well, just that much more time to train.

For right now, I need to set my eyes on the half-marathon. That will be coming up quickly enough. In reality, it will require more endurance than the triathlon did. Although, I will continue to cross train with swimming and biking. In fact, I hit the pool this morning. I worked on the breat stroke which is new to me. All I have worked on for months is the freestyle. I thought I should try and mix things up a bit.

Now for some more from the book I have been readin, "Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy." Last week I ended with the authors critique of several popular diet schemes. He continue by giving his own suggestions for weight control. He has a threefold approach.

1) Get more physically active.
2) Find an eating program that works for you.
3) Become a defensive eater.

1) He explains that physical activity burns calories that would otherwise be stored as fat. It builds and maintains muscles which are what burns most of our calories throughout the day. Without exercise, fat replaces muscle which means your body burns less calories throughout the day. We should exercise at least 30 minutes a day, do things to make our day more active (take the stairs, park far from the entrance, etc...), and find something fun to do.

2) Whatever food program you follow it should be low in refined carbohydrates and have whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. It should avoid saturated and transfats, but provide mono- and poly- unsaturated fats. He recommends a Mediterranean style diet which is low in red meats. Most of all, it must be something that works for you.

3) Defensive eating:
*Stop before you are stuffed.
*Be selective (Don't just eat something because it was put in front of you.)
*Choose small portions. (restaurant portions are huge, enough for 2 people)
*Beware of desserts (Skip the meal and share 1 dessert 4 ways, eat a healthy meal and skip the dessert is even better)
*Slow down and pay attention to your food when you eat.
*Be creative with low-calories options to show that you really care. (in reference to cooking at home).
*Keep track of the calories in the foods you eat. You don't need to formally keep track just be aware of what you are eating.
*Spoil your appetite. Have a snack before your meal so that you aren't starving when you eat.
*Minimize temptation. Don't keep unhealthy for which is supposedly for the kids in the house.
*Be vigilant. Remember the food industry is doing everything they can to get you to buy more of their food. They are not truly interested in your health.
*Try to keep it simple. The less dishes served, the less we eat.

Next week, I will review the chapter on why fats are actually good for us.

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."--Thomas Jefferson

Living Fit Is My Number One Job!

12 comments:

Sayre said...

Whoo-hoo! That is so amazing - way to go! You look quite trim in your running and swimming outfits. A far cry from the man who started all of this.

Cheering you on all the way!

celtic_girl said...

Who cares what level you did - I AM impressed. If I may also say without offending you, you look pretty hot in your Lycras.

Congratulations!!

Apex Zombie said...

Dude, HUGE congratulations. That's freakin awesome. You kicked some ass!

Well done, mate :)

Twix said...

HOLY COW!!! AWESOME DUDE!!! :D

mrrreeowww, prrrrr....

Way to go on the continued success and great PMA(positive mental attitude!).

cmae said...

WOO HOOOOOO!!! CONGRATULATIONS!

Kim Ayres said...

Superb! Congratulation! A huge achievement!

Anonymous said...

Dude! That is AWESOME!

Congratulations!

It's so awesome how weight loss can be such a simple catalyst for new dreams and opportunities in other areas of our lives.

That's so great.

Are you planning on going up in triathlons levels?

Nona said...

Well done Triathlon Man!!! Very well done!!!

john - from fat to fit said...

Awesome job! And good tips too. And to think I didn't even get my 5k in this year, bleh

Usman Pasha Siddiqui said...

I just found your blog and I am amazed with your progress. Well done my friend.

Usman
http://burnfatnbuildmuscle.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

A Sprint triathlon is still a very hard event. Well done.

Anonymous said...

Well done. You look like Ray Liotta, the Actor.