November 18, 2010
My workout program is progressing along nicely (still in the SST phase), but I have had to deal with a couple challenges. First, my back injury flared up! I have herniated disks and every once in a while it rears it’s ugly head. Unfortunately, I missed two workout sessions due to this problem. On the positive side, because I recognized that my back was on the verge of giving me real problems, I backed off my workouts. In fact, I felt it pull in the middle of a workout and I immediately stopped. In the past I would have pushed through and paid the price later. Because I was smart about how I managed this flare up, the problem only lasted a couple days. Prior blow outs have lasted weeks at a time. Overall, I have my back problem under control. I have really adjusted how I train and care for my back. I don’t workout like I did when I played football. However, I do still push my self with high intensity exercise, but I don’t overdo it and I perform a lot of stretching and core conditioning.
The second challenge I am facing is the lack of time. I have really gotten busy with my work (which is a good thing from a business standpoint) but this means that I am having problems focusing on my workout and nutrition like I want to. Yes, a trainer needs someone to help them stay accountable and balance their schedule too! We all can benefit from having a coach.
Another factor that has been introduced into the mix is I am implementing a 40 day period of fasting. I am doing this to work on my spiritual development and relationship with God. I have been working really hard on my physical fitness, but I need to make sure I take care of what’s really important. In fact, it’s a no-brainer (see Matthew 6:33). Taking care of my body and being healthy is great, but in the end this doesn’t matter if I am lacking in the spiritual realm. Interestingly, even though I am skipping a meal a day, I have not lost weight. This means that I am making up the calories somewhere else. The fasting is not making me hit a calorie deficit. But, ultimately, weight loss is not my goal with the fasting. It’s seeking and listening to God.
Total Workouts: 6 (down from 7 in the prior two week period)
Total Calorie Expenditure: 3,206 (down from 4,167)
Highest Individual Workout Calorie Expenditure: 815 (up from 773)
Highest Individual Workout Heart Rate: 159 (down from 169)
Highest Individual Workout Average Heart Rate: 131 (down from 134)
Body Weight: 199 lbs. on 11/4/10 (= 199 lbs. on 10/21/10)