Week 1

Well, I weighed in on Sunday (my designated weigh-in day) at 300.4...which means I'm down 3.6 pounds from last week. I feel really, really good about it because I feel like I've been doing things right.

In theory, I was hoping to ease my way into my workouts, but did some things I probably wasn't expecting to. I got two great days of cardio in, with half-mile swims, and three solid lifts in. One way that is challenging for me is to be able to check my pride aside and stick to a low weight, high rep workout. It's so hard and tempting to lift heavy and hard. My whole life, the time spent in the weight room was centered around competition. Now, it's difficult to break out of that mindset that I've worked so hard on developing. However, I did manage to complete one of my lifts this week as a circuit, where I stayed light on the weights and was constantly moving. I guess if I do at least one of those a week, I can consider that a start.

As for my diet, I think I found a great routine that works well for now. It's amazing how easy it is to eat right if you plan it out. I'm learning to value my health more than my desires and cravings. I even exercised some discipline and ate the same lunch all week and was okay with it. I made smaller portioned sized lunches on Sunday for the whole week, a chicken and veggie stir fry on a bed of wild, brown, and white rice mix. I'm eating 5 smaller portioned meals, and I'm using my school schedule to help me remember when to eat. Anna and I also planned our healthy choiced and properly portioned dinners for the week, and it was fun! We're finding the go-to meals that we can eat every week, and mixing in change-ups for variety. On Saturday, we enjoyed a meal out at one of our favorites, Momiji's. I withheld from eating too much and found that I still enjoyed it thoroughly. It's these small victories that I have to find and celebrate if I hope to break old habits. After this week, my only anxiety is when baseball starts...where am I going to find the time to make sure these meals are planned out right? I fear this will be my first stumbling block in the near future. But as I'm learning, nothing that a little planning and prep can't do...

As for the Nopalea, I feel great! For one, my knee has been performing stellar. Today I back squatted 315 for a few reps for the first time in a really, REALLY long time, and I did it WITHOUT MY KNEE BRACE, which is a first since my knee injury! Not only that, but it was completed with significantly less pain than in the past. Beyond my knee pain and mobility, I really feel my recovery times are shorter than I can remember. You all know how horrible that first week back in the weight room is...hurts to breathe sometimes, and you dread the next workout. Last week, I was excited and ready to go back to the weight room. This week was by far the best first week back in my life, and I have to honestly think that some of that has to do with the Nopalea consumption!

This week, I need to find a way to incorporate another day of cardio in. I really need a good tune-up of my bike and a test ride so I can start to ride to school again. It's a great way to not only save on gas, but also to squeeze in a couple 30-35 minute bike rides in the day.

Until I complain about next weeks challenges,
To Health and Wealth!

Aloha,
Isaac