The Stress Effect

I’ve learned this week what stress can do to one’s weight loss plan. To quote the Scottish poet Robert Burns:

The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley (go often awry),
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain (and leave us nothing but grief and pain),
For promis'd joy!

In modern-day English that means, despite one’s best intentions, one is screwed.

Although my diet has stayed the same — about 2,000 calories per day — and my treadmill activity has increased in duration, my weight shot up from approximately 198 pounds to 201 pounds this week (down a mere six lbs. from when I started my diet nearly a month ago).

(Click on image to enlarge)

But here’s the insult to the injury: A few weeks ago I learned that a longtime client was shutting down the financial newsletter that I helped him compile due to the economy, meaning that I need to find additional work — fast. Yet, despite sending out a slew of resumes and cover letters, I’ve received exactly one response to date — from a person who thought I would make an excellent insurance agent.

The sad thing is I actually thought about it for a minute or two, reasoning that it might open the door to a career in snowboarding (hey, if my writing can lead to an insurance gig…).

Anyway, on the exercise front, I decided I needed to mix things up a bit. I got advice from numerous people (I’m a big believer in the more information, the better) and decided that, perhaps, my body had simply adjusted to my current training regimen. Hence, I would throw it a loop and train differently.

Starting yesterday, I decided to focus on reps instead of weight, quickness and explosiveness instead of form. Now, when I say this, I don’t mean that I’m going to abandon good form altogether and start lifting Gangnam Style — although that might be interesting — but, rather, that I will concentrate on doing more (in less time).

I also decided to quit stressing about the Bodybuilding.com Transformation Challenge and start focusing on my health and wellbeing. Make no mistake: I’d love to win or even place in the Challenge, but I didn’t enter solely for that reason. I entered to put pressure on myself to make a positive change in my life and maybe inspire others to do the same.

That is a best-laid plan that cannot be allowed to go awry.

Frustration Building

Although it’s only been a couple of days, this has already been a tough week. I learned a while back that I was losing a long-term client to the tough economy (the financial newsletter I’ve compiled since 2007 will be no longer as of the end of this month). Well, as of this week, I haven’t had a single response to the dozens of resumes and cover letters I’ve sent out.

It’s frustrating because, when the newspaper I once worked for also folded — do you think there might be a trend here? — I had all sorts of responses. In fact, I had a job with the ill-fated financial newsletter before the ink had dried on my final newspaper column. 

Add to that continuing impatience with my fat loss in general and the “sleep number zero” consistency of my stomach and you have an idea why it’s been a bad week. Yeah, I see potential — there’s muscle under the flab — but I just wish I could speed up the weight loss/fitness process. As it is, I’m now spending 2-3 hours at the gym every day.

I understand that one can’t really target fat loss, but I wish I could just get blasted in the midsection by a laser... preferably one mounted on the head of a shark.

I'm Not Crazy, Just Obsessive Compulsive

Ronnie Coleman

Sometimes — well, a lot of times, really — I wish I wasn’t so impatient. Maybe it’s borne out of my career disappointments, maybe it’s just age (although I thought people got more patient as they got older), but when I want something, I want it yesterday.

So it’s little surprise that this Challenge has been testing what little patience I do have. Even though it’s unrealistic — and I know it’s unrealistic — I can’t help but want to see my weight and body fat going down every single day. Even though I’m on track and I can see the positive changes, I want my waist smaller — today! I want ripped abs — today!

When I’m not neurotically obsessing about these things, I feel good. Luckily, I haven’t lost much muscle mass as I’ve tried to trim down and I continue to tinker with my diet to find that perfect balance of nutrition and exercise.

Today (Sunday, Jan. 27), I’m going to meet with a trainer friend of mine and we’re going to do some bicep exercises. As 8-time Mr. Universe Ronnie Coleman used to say: “Gotta get bigger, baby!” 

Of course, Coleman was full of #$%! It’s true in my case.

Past the Plateau

Well, I’m finally starting to make significant progress with my weight. After losing just three pounds from Jan. 12 to Jan. 21, I’ve lost about four pounds in the past three days. My calorie intake has been a little bit lighter — closer to 2,000 calories/day compared to the 2,100-2,300 before — but I think some of the loss can be attributed to fewer carbs and especially fewer carbs at night.

Today, however, my total calorie intake was 2,036… and I had an apple and banana at 7:30 p.m., so it’ll be interesting to see what effect that will have.

Patience, Patience, Patience

I have to admit: For the first couple of weeks, I was a little disappointed that all my hard work in the gym wasn’t showing more. Specifically, I was annoyed that my 30-40 minutes on the treadmill each day had resulted in about a 3-pound weight loss and virtually no reduction in my waist size.

Yeah, I thought my arms looked a little more defined and I definitely added some muscle to my legs over the course of those 14 days, but, frankly, I wasn’t looking to add muscle. I was — and am — trying to lose fat, while retaining as much muscle as possible.

However, I kept telling myself that exercise and healthy eating doesn’t occur in a vacuum — they simply must have an effect… somehow, somewhere.

Well, now, three weeks in, I’m starting to see that effect. I thought I looked much better today, even though my weight is hovering between 202 and 203 pounds (my goal is 190-195 lbs.).

It just goes to show that, as I tell my wife (who, like a lot of people, is ruled by the scale), exercising and eating right works. One just has to be patient.

And have faith that all the hard work will eventually pay off.