Football Any One? Letting Yourself Go!

Cece watched her first football game during the super bowl.   She got hooked watching the pre-game show and listening to all the back stories about the two teams AND she wanted to see Madonna.

Shortly before the Superbowl though she had joined a new gym and met a pro-football player who worked out very hard.  He was retired and still was in very good shape.  He was kind and worked with her and spotted her on the bench press.  They are developing a nice friendship.

So, the other day, she asked him how many crunches he does every day as she watched him do crunch after crunch, this way then that a way.  He told her 2,000!  Cece was amazed and asked him why he did so many crunches. He told her,"Because one time, I let myself go and I got lazy working out and  I don't ever want to get that way again."

Later, she thought about that and decided that the next time she sees him at the gym, she is going to ask him about the time he let himself go  and ask him if he is comfortable talking about it.  Well, that day was today.  He had brought pictures of his football days when he was player of the year for the Chargers.  He looked very good...much like he  does to this day.  So, Cece took a risk and asked him the question....about letting himself go and how it happened, what happened etc.

Well, he told her, he likes to maintain his weight at his playing weight which is  214. He is about 6 foot 3.  He played one of those running positions that catches the ball after the quarterback throws it.   214 is the weight he likes to hold.  Well, Cece asked, when you let yourself go, how much weight did  you gain?"  Well, he said, I got up to 224."  In amazement, Cece said , "Well that is only a ten pound gain!"  Yes, he replied, he I got i t all here."  He pointed to his stomach.  She told him, "When I let myself go,  I put on  30 pounds." She pointed to her hips and thighs.  He smiled.

Cece thought about this. Once she gets down to her goal weight, she needs to make sure that she does not keep taking it off and then putting it back on...which she has been doing.  If she can catch  "I am letting myself go" at a 10 pound gain it will be way easier to take off than a 30 pound gain.

She will have more talks with this man about how he keeps  his motivation up etc and will keep you posted.
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Update on Weight loss:    I am down 6.0 pounds of the 10  I want to loose by March 16th.

The Wind is a Liar!

All week I had been planning to ride on Wednesday afternoon.  Joe Diaz, our beloved weatherman,  and the Weather Underground all promised the weather to be fairly warm in the high 50s with about 9 mph winds.  HURRAY!  I could get outdoors at the end of February!

On the way home from work, I watched all the flags blowing, not quite straight out, but I could tell it was  pretty windy.  Should I ride outdoors or should I ride in the comfort of the indoors?  That was the question. Those of you that know me, know I do not like the cold and wind in combination and I rationalized I only had one thing I hated..the wind...it was pretty warm out hovering round 65 degrees. 

Once at home, I went to the Weather Underground...a weather site that tell you hour by hour what the wind speed and temperature is from various weather stations that you can choose for your destination.  I chose the weather station along my route.  It said Zero wind!  And it said 65 degrees!  I  wondered if  on my ride route there would be no wind...it could be possible.  I got ready, got dressed for windy weather...thinking the wind was a liar and set off for my ride while there was still enough sun light to complete it! 

When I arrived I greeted a woman who was walking by as I was getting my bike ready.    I told her,  "This is my first ride outdoors this winter."  She said, "Well this weather must be  heaven for you then!"  I agreed as  I stood in a slight wind and the warm sunshine.

Off I went in a southern direction!  The breeze was coming from the west and was not at all bad.  I was happy that I could feel all the training I had done indoors and at the gym doing hamstring curls and other forms of torture to get my legs stronger.  I was maintaining a 19 mph speed.  This WAS heaven! 

I got to my turn around point and started back. As I rode back it was getting colder.  AND the wind was picking up.  I now had a head wind to cycle through to get all the way back to my starting point.  OK, I thought I am  going to channel the focus and determination of Cadel Evans and  will get myself home in one piece.

And that is just what  I did with maximum speeds of 11-12 mph!  URGH!  It was  tough going feeling  like someone was pulling me back with a r ope around my waist.  Later, I met a woman in the parking lot who cycled in after  I did.  We discussed the horrid wind and guessed it was between 15 and 25mph.

When I got home, I discovered it was 18 mph. Well, the cyclists mantra..."The  wind is your training partner" comes to mind...and  so it was.
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UPDATE on weight loss goal: As of 2/23 I have lost 5.6 pounds of the 10 pounds  to be lost by March 16th.