After a failed attempt to find the road leading to "A" Mountain last week, I set out to take on that hill today. I apologize for not smiling, but I was pretty sure that I was about to vomit.
Sentinel Peak from below:
At the top of the peak, facing the famous "A":
View from the top:
Elevation Chart of the entire ride:
The descent was really scary. Up to 35 mph before I knew it, and I was worried about brake fade. All in all, it was a good and quick workout that I might just try again (but with a better camera).
View the entire route here.
Every great work, every great accomplishment, has been brought into manifestation through holding to the vision, and often just before the big achievement comes apparent failure and discouragement.- Florence Scovel Shinn
It took me more than a month after my 10-lb goal, but I have finally surpassed the 20 pound weight loss mark. It is almost surreal to see this low of a number on the bathroom scale; I had resigned so long ago to a lifetime of pudginess. I am so profoundly grateful to have the support of my friends and family in my efforts.
Not too shabby. Not only have I made up for the disasterous February 9th weigh-in, but I've hit a new low weight, and I must work hard to not fall backwards like last time.
This weigh-in was 159.5 lbs, down 3.5 pounds from last week's reading of 163 lbs. I am now 14.5 pounds above my target weight.
Total weight lost: 20.5 lbs (11.39% of my body weight). At my target weight I will have lost nearly 20% of my body weight. I am currently at 58.57% of my goal.
My new BMI calculation is 25.74, which is a decrease of 0.16 from last reading. My total BMI decrease is 3.31 kg/m2 At my target weight my BMI will be 23.4. At that point, new fitness goals will be set; but for now I am focusing on this goal.
Progress thus far:
01.01.2009 / 180.0 lbs (-0.0) / 29.05 BMI (-0.00) / 0.0 mi biked
01.05.2009 / 176.5 lbs (-3.5) / 28.48 BMI (-0.57) / 9.9 mi biked
01.08.2009 / 174.5 lbs (-2.0) / 28.16 BMI (-0.32) / 23.9 mi biked
01.12.2009 / 173.0 lbs (-1.5) / 27.92 BMI (-0.24) / 42.1 mi biked
01.15.2009 / 172.5 lbs (-0.5) / 27.84 BMI (-0.08) / 47.5 mi biked
01.19.2009 / 170.0 lbs (-2.5) / 27.44 BMI (-0.40) / 37.3 mi biked
01.22.2009 / 169.0 lbs (-1.0) / 27.27 BMI (-0.16) / 39.1 mi biked
01.26.2009 / 166.5 lbs (-2.5) / 26.87 BMI (-0.40) / 34.0 mi biked, 9 mi walked
01.29.2009 / 164.5 lbs (-2.0) / 26.55 BMI (-0.32) / 43.0 mi biked, 8.4 mi walked
02.02.2009 / 166.5 lbs (+2.0) / 26.87 BMI (+0.32) / 43.5 mi biked, 2.5 mi walked
02.05.2009 / 161.5 lbs (-5.0) / 26.06 BMI (-0.81) / 80.2 mi biked, 5.1 mi walked
02.09.2009 / 164.0 lbs (+2.5) / 26.47 BMI (+0.40) / 71.0 mi biked, 7.5 mi walked
02.16.2009 / 163.0 lbs (-1.0) / 26.31 BMI (-0.16) / 65.5 mi biked, 6.1 mi walked
02.23.2009 / 159.5 lbs (-3.5) / 25.74 BMI (-0.56) / 87.7 mi biked
I blame John's mom. She is visiting Tucson from Rome, NY and makes the finest cookies and brownies. Not exactly helpful to the diet. I suppose somebody might blame my insatiable appetite for baked goods or the Pizza Cookie at Oregano's, but I blame John's mom. Personal accountability be damned.
This weigh-in was 163.0 lbs, down 1 pound from last week's reading of 164 lbs. I am now 18.0 pounds above my target weight.
Total weight lost: 17.0 lbs (9.44% of my body weight). At my target weight I will have lost nearly 20% of my body weight. I am currently at 48.57% of my goal.
My new BMI calculation is 26.31, which is a decrease of 0.16 from last reading. My total BMI decrease is 2.74 kg/m2 At my target weight my BMI will be 23.4. At that point, new fitness goals will be set; but for now I am focusing on this goal.
Progress thus far:
01.01.2009 / 180.0 lbs (-0.0) / 29.05 BMI (-0.00) / 0.0 mi biked
01.05.2009 / 176.5 lbs (-3.5) / 28.48 BMI (-0.57) / 9.9 mi biked
01.08.2009 / 174.5 lbs (-2.0) / 28.16 BMI (-0.32) / 23.9 mi biked
01.12.2009 / 173.0 lbs (-1.5) / 27.92 BMI (-0.24) / 42.1 mi biked
01.15.2009 / 172.5 lbs (-0.5) / 27.84 BMI (-0.08) / 47.5 mi biked
01.19.2009 / 170.0 lbs (-2.5) / 27.44 BMI (-0.40) / 37.3 mi biked
01.22.2009 / 169.0 lbs (-1.0) / 27.27 BMI (-0.16) / 39.1 mi biked
01.26.2009 / 166.5 lbs (-2.5) / 26.87 BMI (-0.40) / 34.0 mi biked, 9 mi walked
01.29.2009 / 164.5 lbs (-2.0) / 26.55 BMI (-0.32) / 43.0 mi biked, 8.4 mi walked
02.02.2009 / 166.5 lbs (+2.0) / 26.87 BMI (+0.32) / 43.5 mi biked, 2.5 mi walked
02.05.2009 / 161.5 lbs (-5.0) / 26.06 BMI (-0.81) / 80.2 mi biked, 5.1 mi walked
02.09.2009 / 164.0 lbs (+2.5) / 26.47 BMI (+0.40) / 71.0 mi biked, 7.5 mi walked
02.16.2009 / 163.0 lbs (-1.0) / 26.31 BMI (-0.16) / 65.5 mi biked, 6.1 mi walked
By the numbers:
40 - straight days of cycling.
501.39 - total miles biked for 2009 so far.
12.5 - average miles per day.
40.27 - longest ride thus far.
I knew this one wasn't going to be pretty. I think that I'm at the point in my weight loss efforts where it would be prudent to start cutting back on weigh-ins to a weekly (as opposed to semi-weekly) basis. The weight is going to be more difficult to lose at this juncture so I don't want to get discouraged when I can't pull the numbers I did at the start of this effort.
This weigh-in was 164.0 lbs, up 1.5 lbs from Monday's reading of 161.5 lbs. I am now 19.0 pounds above my target weight.
Total weight lost: 16.0 lbs (8.89% of my body weight). At my target weight I will have lost nearly 20% of my body weight. I am currently at 45.71% of my goal.
My new BMI calculation is 26.47, which is an increase of 0.40 from last reading. My total BMI decrease is 2.58 kg/m2 At my target weight my BMI will be 23.4. At that point, new fitness goals will be set; but for now I am focusing on this goal.
Progress thus far:
01.01.2009 / 180.0 lbs (-0.0) / 29.05 BMI (-0.00) / 0.0 mi biked
01.05.2009 / 176.5 lbs (-3.5) / 28.48 BMI (-0.57) / 9.9 mi biked
01.08.2009 / 174.5 lbs (-2.0) / 28.16 BMI (-0.32) / 23.9 mi biked
01.12.2009 / 173.0 lbs (-1.5) / 27.92 BMI (-0.24) / 42.1 mi biked
01.15.2009 / 172.5 lbs (-0.5) / 27.84 BMI (-0.08) / 47.5 mi biked
01.19.2009 / 170.0 lbs (-2.5) / 27.44 BMI (-0.40) / 37.3 mi biked
01.22.2009 / 169.0 lbs (-1.0) / 27.27 BMI (-0.16) / 39.1 mi biked
01.26.2009 / 166.5 lbs (-2.5) / 26.87 BMI (-0.40) / 34.0 mi biked, 9 mi walked
01.29.2009 / 164.5 lbs (-2.0) / 26.55 BMI (-0.32) / 43.0 mi biked, 8.4 mi walked
02.02.2009 / 166.5 lbs (+2.0) / 26.87 BMI (+0.32) / 43.5 mi biked, 2.5 mi walked
02.05.2009 / 161.5 lbs (-5.0) / 26.06 BMI (-0.81) / 80.2 mi biked, 5.1 mi walked
02.09.2009 / 164.0 lbs (+2.5) / 26.47 BMI (+0.40) / 71.0 mi biked, 7.5 mi walked
Lots of work left to be done, but I am happy with the progress thus far. I expect a shitty weigh-in tomorrow but this cheers me up.
People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success.This is a big week for me: on Tuesday I completed my 31st consecutive day with a bike ride. I have taken a bike ride every day since January 3rd, and hope to continue that trend through the rest of the year.-Norman Vincent Peale
But more significant (for me, anyway) is my drop in Body Mass Index. I began at 29.05, considered nearly obese in the Hamilton and Whitney definition of BMI. I am proud to say that with today's weigh-in my BMI is down to 26.06 - just within the "Normal" range. Of course I am in the upper limits of that range and a lot of work remains to be done, but I am really pleased with my 2.99 decrease.
I still have a ways to go, but I feel like I am making a huge dent in this goal.
Don't call it a comeback! It is beginning to look like last week was some sort of fluke because a 5-lb loss this week is unusual. Within the context of my overall weight loss trend, however, it's all in line. I checked my weight 4 different times (standing in different ways) to confirm that the scale wasn't wrong! This is an exciting weigh-in for me; I will post about that later.
This weigh-in was 161.5 lbs, down 5.0 lbs from Monday's reading of 166.5 lbs. I am now 16.5 pounds above my target weight.
Total weight lost: 18.5 lbs (10.3% of my body weight). At my target weight I will have lost nearly 20% of my body weight. I am currently at 52.86% of my goal.
My new BMI calculation is 26.06, which is an increase of 0.32 from last reading. My total BMI decrease is 2.99 kg/m2 At my target weight my BMI will be 23.4. At that point, new fitness goals will be set; but for now I am focusing on this goal.
Progress thus far:
01.01.2009 / 180.0 lbs (-0.0) / 29.05 BMI (-0.00) / 0.0 mi biked
01.05.2009 / 176.5 lbs (-3.5) / 28.48 BMI (-0.57) / 9.9 mi biked
01.08.2009 / 174.5 lbs (-2.0) / 28.16 BMI (-0.32) / 23.9 mi biked
01.12.2009 / 173.0 lbs (-1.5) / 27.92 BMI (-0.24) / 42.1 mi biked
01.15.2009 / 172.5 lbs (-0.5) / 27.84 BMI (-0.08) / 47.5 mi biked
01.19.2009 / 170.0 lbs (-2.5) / 27.44 BMI (-0.40) / 37.3 mi biked
01.22.2009 / 169.0 lbs (-1.0) / 27.27 BMI (-0.16) / 39.1 mi biked
01.26.2009 / 166.5 lbs (-2.5) / 26.87 BMI (-0.40) / 34.0 mi biked, 9 mi walked
01.29.2009 / 164.5 lbs (-2.0) / 26.55 BMI (-0.32) / 43.0 mi biked, 8.4 mi walked
02.02.2009 / 166.5 lbs (+2.0) / 26.87 BMI (+0.32) / 43.5 mi biked, 2.5 mi walked
02.05.2009 / 161.5 lbs (-5.0) / 26.06 BMI (-0.81) / 80.2 mi biked, 5.1 mi walked
Shit. I wasn't expecting a great weigh-in, but I wasn't expecting this. I suppose that the fact that Kerri and I haven't been walking at night has had a negative impact. We need to get back into our routine.
This weigh-in was 166.5 lbs, up 2.0 lbs from Thursday's reading of 164.5 lbs. I am now 21.5 pounds above my target weight.
Total weight lost: 13.5 lbs (7.5% of my body weight). At my target weight I will have lost nearly 20% of my body weight. I am currently at 38.57% of my goal.
My new BMI calculation is 26.87, which is an increase of 0.32 from last reading. My total BMI decrease is 2.18 kg/m2 At my target weight my BMI will be 23.4. At that point, new fitness goals will be set; but for now I am focusing on this goal.
Progress thus far:
01.01.2009 / 180.0 lbs (-0.0) / 29.05 BMI (-0.00) / 0.0 mi biked
01.05.2009 / 176.5 lbs (-3.5) / 28.48 BMI (-0.57) / 9.9 mi biked
01.08.2009 / 174.5 lbs (-2.0) / 28.16 BMI (-0.32) / 23.9 mi biked
01.12.2009 / 173.0 lbs (-1.5) / 27.92 BMI (-0.24) / 42.1 mi biked
01.15.2009 / 172.5 lbs (-0.5) / 27.84 BMI (-0.08) / 47.5 mi biked
01.19.2009 / 170.0 lbs (-2.5) / 27.44 BMI (-0.40) / 37.3 mi biked
01.22.2009 / 169.0 lbs (-1.0) / 27.27 BMI (-0.16) / 39.1 mi biked
01.26.2009 / 166.5 lbs (-2.5) / 26.87 BMI (-0.40) / 34.0 mi biked, 9 mi walked
01.29.2009 / 164.5 lbs (-2.0) / 26.55 BMI (-0.32) / 43.0 mi biked, 8.4 mi walked
02.02.2009 / 166.5 lbs (+2.0) / 26.87 BMI (+0.32) / 43.5 mi biked, 2.5 mi walked
I have gone ahead and registered for Tour de Cure 2009, and have already met the minimum fundraising goal of $150 thanks to the following people:
- Mom and Dad
- Megan Mundle and Kyle Harvey
- Carla Ramos
- Alicia Cartwright
- Michelle Baker
- Matt Ramsze
- Stephanie Koch
But I still want to raise more for this worthy cause. If you are able, please pass this along to your friends and co-workers. I would appreciate all the help we can get.
http://main.diabetes.org/goto/jeffry