Success! Well, it is, sort of.

Last night Trainer weighed me in, and for the very first time, my body fat percentage was under 20%!!!  This is a big milestone for me, because I've been working so hard for so long to see this!

Okay, it is technically just a psychological victory, because it was 19.9%, but still. 

Getting Noticed

When I go to the gym, I make minimal eye-contact with anyone, and unless someone strikes up a brief conversation, the only talking I really do is to Trainer or to ask someone if they're done with something.  I usually don't really watch anyone else work out either, unless I see them doing something really outstanding (some of the things I've seen some guys do on the pull-up bars is pretty cool) or annoying.  I like to focus on my own work-out to get through it as quickly as possible without injuring myself or losing my breath completely. 

I suppose, though, that it would be naive of me to assume that other people operate the same way.  I would never think that they'd be looking at me of all people there, but I was pleasantly corrected the other night.

I was in the middle of a circuit of Bosu-Ball burpees and step-jumps (11 risers!) and catching my breath when a girl who had come to the nearby water fountain for a drink asked me, "So, how much weight have you lost?" in a way like she knew me or we had already been talking for a while.  I answered her, still wondering to myself where she came from, and she proceeds to tell me that she's seen me around for the last couple of months, that I've leaned out even in that short time, and that I work pretty hard.  We had a little chat about why we started our regimes (she's getting married soon...isn't that a big motivator!) and she went on her way, but I thought it was nice that someone had noticed.

A little later on in the evening I was waiting to get on the leg extension machine, and the guy that was going to use it saw that I was waiting for it allowed me to get on instead.  He said that he'd let me use it because "you work hard, and you're busy".  That was really nice of him, and another example of someone noticing what I'm doing.

I have had other people tell me that I was dedicated before too, so I suppose I shouldn't have been too surprised, but this all comes from people who, I am sorry to say, I didn't recognize or haven't noticed before.  I guess I should notice other people more!

Raisins. Oh Rly? Ya, Rly.

As a kid I was never a huge fan of raisins.  Still, my mom would throw those little red Sun Maid boxes into my lunch once in a while, and I would begrudgingly eat them.

Gladly, they're one of the foods that I've grown to love over time.  I think my immature tastebuds just didn't like the certain sweetness that only a dried fruit has, but really, raisins can almost be tastier than some candies, and they're much better for you too!  Being fruit, they do have to be eaten in moderation, and probably not alone, but the nutritionist I saw at the gym told me I could use them instead of glucose tabs (the horror!) to raise my blood sugar level if it drops too low.  They'll keep it more stable whereas the tabs' effect may wear off and I'll get a sugar crash again. 

Part of the problem I had with raisins could have been the fact that they were too dried-out, if that's possible for a raisin.  When you buy those little snack-sized boxes, the raisins inside are exposed to the air, and that just dries out whatever moisture is left.  What I've taken to doing now is going to Costco, where they sell a big Sun Maid box with two resealable bags inside, and the raisins inside are so much softer and tastier.

The seed mix that I add to my salad at lunch has a few raisins included, but I've bought a similar mix that doesn't have the dried fruit added, so I may use the Costco ones for the extra kick once I start using that.

Update

Well, there isn't much to update you on, really.  I'm still plugging away, doing my thing.  The last couple of times I had a weigh-in, however, my body fat went up a few percent, and I'm not really sure why.  I didn't do anything differently.  Trainer says he's going to bring in his caliper set, and that's a more accurate way to check body fat percentage rather than a scale.

They have a few new toys at the gym, like a giant truck tire that Trainer already had me playing with.  I had to flip it over up and down the studio, and let me tell you, it's really good for the legs.  It's pretty similar to a squat, actually, but you're also using biceps and triceps to haul the thing off the floor.  Trainer also gave me a metal bar and I had to whack the tire with it repeatedly.  I thought I'd get more satisfaction out of that exercise after seeing other people doing it, but the bar was pretty heavy and I was concentrating more on not dropping it rather than getting my frustrations out!  There were also a few new kettle balls around, but I haven't used them yet.

A little (kinda) sad news to pass along: the cute trainer I like to keep my eye on when I see him around has quit the gym.  Oh well, everyone has to move on sometime, right?  But it's always the cute ones.

Still haven't heard back about that contest.  I asked Trainer a couple of weeks ago like I said I would and he said he hadn't heard back yet.  I'm sure by now they've picked a winner, but Trainer hasn't mentioned anything, and I feel bad to ask again.  Still, I think he would say something either way.  I'll ask again.

I went to the optometrist last Tuesday to get my eyes checked again, and finally picked up a new pair of glasses this time.  I also got the lenses in my sunglasses changed, since that prescription was even older than the glasses.  I got the sunglasses back, but the glasses still aren't ready.  Some places can make them in an hour; mine can't even do it in a week! 

I ALSO picked up a nice little cold from someone that night, and up to now I still can't shake it completely, even though I've been loading up on Vitamin C and have made a pleasant discovery in Echinacea tea.  My problem is I didn't rest enough to give myself strength to fight it off.  I never take sick days, and being a Tuesday night when I got it, I had 3 more days of getting up early for work before I could really sleep it off.  I threw in a few workouts in there too, and that probably didn't help, even if I didn't feel guilty later.

So that's it for now.  I guess I had more to say than I thought, but I didn't feel like anything has stood out the past little while.  I'll be back in a while. 

  

Another Yummy Tea Alert

I really like Stash brand teas because they're so flavourful, and many of them are herbal, meaning no caffeine! 

It's hard to pick a favourite, but I must say that their Vanilla Nut Creme edges in front of the others.  With a little almond milk and some stevia (which, if you don't know, is a sweetener that's made from an extract of the stevia plant, and better for you than some of the other ones), it's fantastic.

A Little Contest

Last week, before one of my training sessions, Trainer approached me and asked if I wanted to participate in something.  He's been a little quiet on the "you should run a 5K" front lately, so I thought he had one to suggest, and I would have even said yes to it because my biggest obstacle is picking one out of the many going on this year.

However, it turns out it was a contest for the trainers to pick one (or more?  I didn't get all the rules) client that they train, submit before and after pictures of them, and one of them would win some money based on whether the client lost the most weight or looks the best or still managed to not quit the gym after all the torture (the criteria was never explained to me).  The client would win some training sessions and/or membership time, and could end up on a flyer advertising the gym that gets mailed out to the public.  They'd have to write a little blurb about how the gym and their trainer has changed or helped them.  I agreed and he had his manager take a picture of me, and she asked me to email her a before picture. 

This was Thursday, and that was the deadline (nothing like waiting until the last minute, typical male!) so I am still waiting to hear who won.  I would think  Trainer will message me when he knows something, but I train with him again tomorrow night and will ask him if he's heard anything.

In a way I don't really want to win because I'd rather not have my fat-ass before picture spread out around the Greater Toronto Area and I hate writing things about myself, but I think it would be a nice reward.

I'll keep you posted!

Getting Somewhere!

I usually have a weigh-in with Trainer weekly or every couple of weeks.  My last one was a couple of days ago, and I was 2 lbs and 2 % body fat away from my goals, give or take.  That's pretty darn close!

I attribute it to my current abstinence from almond over-indulgence.  It's been hard, I know, but the only way is to turn a blind eye to them completely.  I know that if I don't, I can't control myself.

Hey, if it's working, I can keep it up.  I almost bought some last night, rationalizing in my head that if I've done this well, I can afford to have them, but I always have them after my work-out, pretty much negating all the work I've done.

Until I can figure out a way to stop at a handful or two, I need to avoid them.

Now if I can get to full-body pull-ups without help or crying, I'll be getting somewhere!