Have your times in training been improving?
YES....my times have improved, dramatically. There was a time when I'd only look around the gym at the hotties and just imagine having sex with them every couple minutes. Now, with hard work, I'm hitting the thought at least every 15 seconds. Cause, gosh darn it, I'm lean enough, mean enough and I deserve it!
On a serious note...yeah, everything is up. I can run faster, longer and with lower HR. My mile swim is down to about 33 minutes (from 38) and I'm working at a more intense level on the bike. As for weights, there too I'm moving heavier weights and/or the previous weights move easier.
BSL, did you switch from Alan? If you don't mind me asking, who is the trainer/nutritionist now?
Good progress, BSL. You should be proud of your improvements, and personal accomplishments.
I'm still with Alan....but it's the most unorthodox relationship: I do not follow any particular diet, I go to him to get weighed, pinched and then we have lunch. It's more like he's a friend who has a background.
Usually I'm complaining of not losing weight. I lost a fractional amount, but that's not my gripe here....my gripe is over the gain in weight set against no gain in fat, which I suppose can only be a combination of muscle/water and perhaps some stubborn intestinal material.
The fact is, I spent half of December thorugh late February being sick and not in my routine...so I've only be "on it" for about 3 weeks....and over time (as typical) more food has gradually made it's way into my daily intake.
What I've concluded is this: that body has a very keen sense of equilibrium....or homeostasis; just as we can regulate our body temperature and hydration level so too does the body seek to maintain it's weight. Sure, I can nail 2,400 calories of exercise but the body knows darn-well that the calories were spent and it'll drive me with sincere & legit hunger until I replace those calories. I've been having little meals and just listening to my body....but again: calories add-up quickly and parasitic calories sneak into the pattern. Frozen yogurt winds-up going from no toppings to a sprinkle to a tablespoon. Sharing that 10-piece spicy tuna roll becomes having your own...because, gosh: I just did a mini-triathlon and dammit I'm hungry! The bottom line is...if you let your body run things, it'll seek to maintain weight. LOSING WEIGHT IS NOT AN ACCEPTIBLE PROCESS to the body. When you need water, your body tells you it's thirsty, when you need rest, your body makes you feel tired and inspires you to rest. In the same like manner, my body has driven me with divine & ferocious hunger to keep-up with my caloric output. Exercise burns calories, but excercise combined with a deficit results in fat-loss.
Now don't get me wrong: I did not gain fat, I lost a bit...so we're not looking at a crisis in wonder. Almost 2 months off with just 3 weeks on will do that...but still, the gain freaked me out.
It's tune-up time....time to account for every morsel that goes into my mouth, time to get militant...and it's far more easy to do when just about every day is about exercise and fulfilling my committment to get "there". It's when I get sick that I can't exercise: suddenly I need to reduce calories because I'm not getting the 15-17 hours per week of exercise I do.
Hey, we ALL need food to live....it's a battle, a fight and a work-in-progress. Not a day goes by where we aren't faced with hunger and feeding our bodies. I'm lucky to not have gained any fat. I still think it's bizarre to have slightly less body-fat and yet have gained 9 pounds, but it is what it is. Tomorrow is another day and the battle ensues. Today I did 2 spin classes, the run on the t-mill and swam my mile...that's 2k calories 'out' and I've been moderate with my intake. I'm on track again.
Lastly...Alan insist I'm a metabolic freak. He says most his clients will lose about 30% of their weight-loss in lean muscle, but for reasons that are off the chart, I have not lost but instead gained & gained muscle...but I'm a collision of two factors: diet AND intense weights/cardio/athletic training.
Thanks for all the support, sorry for afflicting you all with my writing...writing gives me a chance to reflect on things myself and put things in perspective.
On another side note...I've now subscribed to Men's Health and I have to admit...I keep seeing/reading those ads for Hydroxycut and all these other fat-burner things that claim you'll lose 10x more fat then with diet & exercise alone. Guys: it's SOOOO tempting and yet I have to keep telling myself it's all hype, marketing and bullsh!t...but maybe? NO!
