My last post from my five part series entitled “A Journey to Fit”. To wrap it up today, I have three very basic sections: Equipment Wrapup, Conclusions, and Thanks/Credits.
Equipment Wrap-up
I went ahead and opted for a gym membership to gain access to alot of the equipment that has made my weight-loss possible, however, you don’t need fancy equipment or expensive gym memberships to lose those pounds. I will outline the the pieces that have been central to my efforts, but you will also notice that many of these things I used are quite inexpensive!
Strength Training
| Free WeightsFree weights are great for working on individual muscle groups, especially biceps and triceps. I also use the free weights for some shoulder, chest, and back routines. |  |
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Smith MachineThe Smith machine is a basic system that allows for heavier lifting when a spotter may not be available for bench lifting. The system is designed to allow for guided reps with bailout catchs to allow for heavier sets. |
| Cable MachineAn awesome machine that takes the danger and inconveience out of lifting. With quick weight changes, this machine is great for all muscle groups, and really good for cut sets. |  |
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Leg SledLeg workout only. Great calorie burn as your legs are the largest muscles you work in your body. Lay flat and push up or modify and do squats standing up. |
| Weight Bench All chest and shoulders here. Careful lifting heavy weights as there is no saftey mechanism for bailout… spotters strongly recommended! |
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Universal MachineEvey muscle can get benefit from the use of this machine, quick setup and quick weight change make this a great cut-set machine. I find you don’t get quite the range of movement as with other weight training options, but still good! |
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Cardio
| TreadmillA staple of cardio… when it’s rainy, cold, snowy, or just something on TV, still get your cardio on the ol’ treadmill. Generally speaking, you burn about 100 calories every 10 minutes at 4mph, (brisk walk). |  |
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PedometerA small monitor that counts the number of steps you take and calculates the distance traveled in either steps or miles. Great way to keep track of long walks and daily step count. |
| Mountain BikeGreat cardio with an emphasis on glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves. Generally speaking, you burn about 160 calories every 10 minutes as long as you are traveling at least 11mph. |  |
Diet
| Ziploc “Twist and Loc” ContainersYes, I loaded a picture of a food container… laugh if you must, but nothing makes it easier to keep portion sizes undercheck then using these babies… (the “loc” part of the lid is a plus for brown baggers). |  |
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Ziploc Snack Bags Again with the storage! These bags work great in that their small size limit the servings per bag, perfect for pre-measuring snacks. |
| Weight Scale As the writing says in Phoenix Fitness, “Our Good Friend, The Truth Detector”… I find it helpful to monitor my weight loss both at the gym and at home with a home weight scale. |  |
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Diet/Weight/Training LogGoing along with the weight monitoring is the Training Log. Nothing motivates more than seeing the pounds melt off or the strength gains over the course of time! |
Conclusion
My conclusions are simple, and to sum it up best, I recall Diane Huntington, a friend from the church family, correcting me when I said that I had, “almost reached my goal,” when she said, “this never ends”… this type of radical change can only come as a life-choice and ultimately a life-long struggle. I can only hope to continue to learn and improve my strategies to be the most healthy, fit, and viberant human being, father, husband, and man I can be 
To date, these are my results:
Weight Started: 349lbs
Current Weight: 259lbs
Goal Weight: 230lbsPrevious Body Fat %: >40%… blah!
Current Body Fat %: 28%… GETTING THERE!Previous Blood Pressure: High *(don’t have readings, borderline medicated)
Current Blood Pressure: 123/78 (Normal 120/80)Previous Triglycerides: 282
Current Triglycerides: 116 (Normal Range 30-190)Previous Cholesterol: 270
Current Cholesterol: 148 (Normal Range 120-199)Previous LDL: 162
Current LDL: 91 (Normal Range 65-130)
Thanks/Credits
This was/is most importantly a collaborative effort on the part of many people! For so many years, I have struggled to jump-start (quit procrastinating) my fitness, and with the help of these people, I have been sucessful!
- God – Yes, I know, EVERYONE thanks HIM when they succeed, but He was also there when I wasn’t succeeding, and through the hard times He has been a support and an encouragement, and it is HIS strength that has allowed me to get this far, (no matter how cliche it might come off).
- My Wife and Daughter -the mainstays of my life! Though I ultimately do this all for myself, I draw encouragement to continue from the improvements I hope my good health will have on my lives. They have been an encouragement and a source of superior motivation!
- Chris Pepe – I still remember the Sunday morning when Chris came over to me after church service and offered to be a support for me… even though he didn’t really know if I needed the support or not. God prompted his heart to offer his expertise as a trainer to help me jump-start my workouts, and it is from his routines and diet tips that I have drawn the majority of my inspiration.
- My Extended Family – To my Mom and brother Bob, my Gram, John and Margaret, (my in-laws), Heather and Rich… all of you kept prompting me to take control of my life, even when I wasn’t ready to or didn’t want to admit I had a problem. Thanks for not giving up on me
- Joe Ford – my best friend who also decided to get fit and drop the WoW monster around the same time I did… the guy is a beast and I draw constant support and encouragement from our joint workouts, talks, and just overall good advice
- Kevin O’Connor, Bill, Jason, Jonas, and all the other gym rats at Phoenix Fitness – thank you for always keeping me honest and allowing me to bounce ideas off you, give me advice on diet, weight training strategies, and in Kevin’s case, admonish me to move on to P90X when I feel ready
- My Church Family - what an encouragement to have so many caring people come forward and give me words of motivation and congratulations as this process has taken it’s course! Your prayers and kind words mean so much!
I apologize if I missed anyone… like I said, SO MANY people have been inspirational to me during this time, and though this life-change has a permanence that perhaps doesn’t warrant this type of “acceptance speech” style “thank you”, it is the best way I can think of to show my appreciation for all you all have done! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
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2 Comments
May 22, 2009 at 10:46 am
Wow 90lbs Congrats! Thats a 6th grader that you don’t have to carry around anymore. Seriously good work and keep it up! You’re almost there
May 22, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Thanks, it’s been a long road to get back to a healthy weight, and I know the journey now can never end