I keep striving to improve my fitness level. After just completing another 8 week walking challenge at my work, I began a push-up challenge at the beginning of December.
Push-ups are an essential part of a workout routine. It builds strength for your arms, chest and core. Nearly every muscle group can be involved in this exercise. You also don't need to use any equipment, they can be performed just as easily from home as the gym!
I know so many people get stressed this time of year about overeating. There are so many opportunities to overeat during the holidays, that it's easy to binge on the wrong foods. I thought I would offer some tips on what has worked for me when I'm in a setting with lots of junk food.
If it were four years ago, I would think nothing of downing a plate of Christmas cookies in one sitting. I have a big appetite and I had difficulty stopping at just one cookie. So what's changed for me that I'm able to have better control? Healthy eating.
I haven't had my body fat checked since the beginning of October. My trainer suggested I wait two months before I have it tested again. The last time it was checked, it was at 13.24 percent. I'm hoping it will be lower when I have it checked again in the first week of December.
I've been continuing my strength training, working out five times a week. My weight was expected to drop a few pounds, in order to get to a lower percentage. My waist size has gone down to around 32, which means I've achieved the same weight as high school. I tried on a few pairs of 32 pants, one fit but the other one didn't. I still fit into size 34 so I don't have to buy new clothes. I can't believe that I could fit into size 44, it just amazes me when I look at those pants! I keep them as a reminder of how far I've come.
When I was asked to share my weight loss journey for this blog, I thought it would be a fairly simple task. I started seriously tracking my weight in April when I was 270 lbs and 6 months later am at 220 lbs. This weight loss was achieved largely through diet changes using a nutrition system. My wife had lost a lot of weight by eating clean but was coming up short on energy and we decided to get on a protein shake based nutritional system which helped her with her energy, and me with my weight.
On the surface, that is what has happened. If you are a facebook friend, that is what you could see from the various pictures and status updates shared over the last few months.
If you have a lot of weight to lose, you were probably like me at one time. I would always try one diet after another and never get anywhere. If I lost weight, it wouldn't last and I would have to find another diet that worked.
So how did I finally lose over 150 pounds and keep it off for almost three years now? Well, believe it or not, I didn't focus on losing weight when I finally succeeded.
