408.5 lbs

Still swimming and doing pullups and chinups.  I'm the least I've weighed in five years now.

17 lengths x 25 meters = .26 miles

700 calories and a sense of accomplishment. There was no way in hell or heaven that I could've done that in January.

I'm still at it

I gained 10 lbs in 6 days while I was out of town. I don't know how. But, I'm still at it and doing well, feeling better and stronger.

Stomach Flu

So, I didn't go Wed-Sat. of last week because I had a hellacious stomach flu. I got on the scale this morning at the YMCA, and I weighed 408.7 lbs. I weighed 445 lbs. on Jan. 5, 2012.

37 lbs. in 53 days, but I expect some of that to come back as I recover from the stomach flu's purging.

I also swam 6 lengths of the pool today instead of the normal four. I'm feeling good. I can get an arm into each side of my church suit pants, with the belt on.

The recent article in Harpers about prolonged fasting has me intrigued.

Starving your way to vigor:

The benefits of an empty stomach

By Steve Hendricks

http://www.harpers.org/archive/2012/03/0083829

Feeling Good

So, my BP last week was 90/42. The nurse didn't believe the first reading, and took it again, and it was identical.

I feel good. My arms are getting noticeably big, and I feel like there is less fat on them. I also finally broke through my plateau. I stayed at exactly 422 lbs for weeks, and I weighed 418 the other day. It looks like the muscle gain is finally getting outpaced by the weight loss.

I'm keeping at it.

Well, I had to take all of last week off. I was too sick to even work, let alone exercise. I don't know how I got through the week only canceling one class.

I've gone the last two days, and I'm dragging. I'm also stuck at 422 lbs. But, my arm muscles are getting huge. I know that my father always put on muscle really quickly. It would appear that I have that same capacity. My biceps are getting hard and raising up.

BP!

So, I took the day off again today because I'm super sick and coughing all the time. I went to the doctor, and my blood pressure after a month of exercise was 112/78.

Taking a Break today

So, I went every day last week, and I took the kids on Wednesday and Saturday. I have a hellacious cold today, and I just can't do it, so I'm taking the day off. I feel like I might pass out if I tried to do it today.

Biceps!

So, while getting ready for church on Sunday, I was pleasantly surprised to notice that my biceps are growing. I have noticeable muscles like I did in high school. Also, my church pants, definitely, no doubt about it, fit better. I weighed 422 this morning. It's getting easier to do. I haven't cramped in over a week and this morning I didn't feel like I was going to have one.

Also, I added doing a lap walking around the pool before I start and 10 chinups while in the water (grabbing a bar on the diving platform and raising as much of myself as I can out of the water) to my routine.

Halfway there

I've lost 21 lbs since January 4, 2012. I started at 441, now I'm at 420 lbs. I didn't want to go this morning, but I did it, and now I actually feel better than I did when I woke up. But, my muscles are tired--I can feel it.

Also, I keep cramping all over when I get ready for bed. It's not fun.

Day Off

I have an intestinal disturbance today, so I took the day off because I was feeling well, and I don't think you're supposed to use a public pool in my condition. It will also allow me to rest my knee, which doesn't seem to have any pain today.

Hopefully this will clear up and I'll be back tomorrow. I don't plan on trying to "make up" a missed day.

Ouch

So, we took the kids to the pool again last night. I tried to get the baby comfortable after a face-in-the-water mishap by bouncing around the pool. My left knee did not like that. It hurts when I swim now, and if I put my hand on it and flex it, it feels like crackling inside. >:(

Full Week

I went every day this week. Hamstring cramps really slow me down. I didn't have one today, so I'm going to start just plain walking the first half. I did 1.25 miles in the pool this week. I might take the family tonight; the kids have a great time. I actually did an extra half lap today at the end with just a breast stroke. I was spent at the end.

I do feel like it's a little bit easier on my heart since I got started last week. My average beats per 5 seconds have fallen from 14 to 13 after I swim the length of the pool.

Strategy

So, last night we took the kids to the pool and I walk/swam 1/4 mile again, plus more while helping them play and learn. Marley loved it.

This morning I did it again, and I was able to swim the entire length of the pool twice. Normally I do a little each time and then once the entire way. In spite of a nasty cramp in my left hamstring, I was able to freestyle once and backstroke once the entire way.

When I water walk, I do try and keep most of my body submerged, but that gets difficult when it gets down to three feet.

So, my total now is 1 miles walked/swam. My weight has dropped 10 lbs--probably all water.

Correction

The pool is 25 meters. So, I only did 1/4 of a mile yesterday, which I repeated today.

I have to drink more because I got a hellacious hamstring cramp in my left leg this morning.

The Pool

So, I joined the Hartsville YMCA this morning. I walked/swam up and down the pool 8 times. It's 50 meters (164 ft). 16 x 164 = 2624 ft. A half mile in the water.