August 18th - Weekly Weigh-In

By Sam Obsession — Aug 18, 2024

"
One is never a failure....until he accepts defeat as permanent and quits trying.
"
- Anonymous

Time to weigh myself, again! A weekly activity to track my weight-loss progress.

This week, I actually included 2 day-long fast in my routine.

It's becoming easier to skip snacks and dinner for a single day; what I do need is keeping the fast until the following evening instead of breaking in the morning.

This Week's Weight Goal

My weight goal this week was 205.92 lbs.

Last Week's Weight

My official weight last week was 199 lbs; by Monday morning, it had ballooned to 203 lbs.

My weight this week is

196.40 lbs!

Officially, I lost 3.40 lbs, but unofficially, I lost about 8 lbs.

My measurements were

Body weight: 196.40 lbs
Waist size: 36 inches
Body fat percentage: 23.2%
Body Mass Index: 27.5
Muscle Mass: 37.4%
Bone density: 7.4 lbs
Calorie maintenance: 2,966 kcal

Meaning

I need a wardrobe overhaul as all my clothes are baggy now; I have only 1 pants that fit properly and that's the only pants I've been wearing out for a couple of weeks now.

My jackets and suits seem like hand-me-downs now.

Although not wash abs yet, my abs are visible, especially when I haven't eaten or early in the morning.

Despite all these changes, my BMI still indicates I'm overweight and my body fat percentage is still greater than 20%.

Week's Activities

Monday

Woke up early and went to the gym, completed the following

15 mins on the elliptical machine
15 mins on the stationary bike
1 pull-up set (7 reps - I'm gaining more control, less kinetic movement on each rep)
Multiple sets on the ring
Shoulder/scapula exercises with 5-lb dumbbell
Vertical pancaking with 20-lbs dumbbell, stretching the hamstring
Butterfly pose with 20-lbs dumbbell on each thigh
2-3 sets of chest-to-wall handstand
5 mins of kickboxing

I came home and practised my middle splits, front splits, and headstand sessions.

I started workday on the walking pad and throughout the day, I completed

multiple sets of headstand
multiple sets of backbend
multiple sets of wide leg horse stance
2 sets of push-ups (levels 1 - 4)

I was supposed to have a full-day fast and I almost succeeded.

I had a few watermelons (which was low on calories) and I went into the bedroom (to avoid the food temptation swirling all around me). I came outside to get the kids ready for bed and I saw their leftovers, which was gonna be dumped into the trash.

I didn't want the whole thing dumped; so, I ate it. Before I knew it, I had helped myself to another round.

Feeling bad about the sudden break in resolve, I went on a food rampage: about 10 - 15 sticks of delicious jerky, some juice, some nuts.

The meals were relatively healthy; I just was annoyed that I couldn't stick to my fast.

Crushed my daily base & stretch walking goals; hit 23k steps.

Tuesday

Was a low-energy day (still feeling bad about last night's meal); actually woke up early, but decided to continue napping.

Eventually got up and completed a little warm-up.

Got ready for work and once workday started, unwillingly got on the walking pad.

After hitting about 9k steps, I got off and decided to complete my middle splits, front splits, headstand, backbend, and chest-to-wall handstand sessions.

From there, I also completed some push-ups and got back on the walking pad.

I later completed some additional headstand reps.

After work, I laced up and went for my Tuesday walk; during the walk, I practised some no-wall handstands (on the grass).

Crushed my base and stretch walking goals; walked over 23k steps!

Wednesday

Woke up and went to the gym.

I started a day-long fast as my weight loss seemed to have stalled this week.

I decided to mix up the exercises a little bit, based on my new goals: flexibility & mobility is my new goal while strength training & cardio are no longer a priority.

Thus, at the gym, I completed

shoulder stretch and bend
20 mins on the elliptical machine
1 set of pull-ups (only 6 reps - my calluses were hurting)
multiple sets of active hanging (tense dangling on the bar, strengthening/stretching the shoulder & upper back muscles)
3 sets of rag doll pose holding a 20-lb dumbbell (while standing on a bench)
shoulder strengthening with 10-lb dumbbell
3 sets of butterfly pose with 20-lbs dumbbell on each thigh
chest-to-wall handstand

Came home to complete my final middle splits, front splits, and headstand sessions.

Started workday on the walking pad.

Completed additional headstand, chest-to-wall, camel pose, and handstand sessions throughout the day.

I was glad when it was bedtime and my fast was still intact.

Shredded my base and stretch walking goals, hit 24k steps!

Thursday

I woke up, broke my fast with a banana, and went to the gym.

The swimming pool is now open (after maintenance closure for over a month); so, I need to include swimming into my exercise plans.

But before jumping into the water, I needed to warm up; so, I

spent 5 mins on the stationary bike
completed a few sets of hanging
completed additional shoulder stretching & strengthening exercises
stretched my lower back

I spent 30 mins in the lane pool, just swimming on my back & front. Swimming is always exhilarating.....as long as you're not thinking/dreading drowning.

Got back home and continued my middle splits warm-up drills to maintain my limberness.

I also completed a headstand as well as a chest-to-wall handstand.

As usual, I started the workday by walking on the pad.

About an hour into my walk/work, I began to feel tired; not sure if it's a combination of lack of food & swimming.

In any case, I also had some oranges and nuts (cashews, peanuts, pistachios); I also had my coffee.

By afternoon, I was quite tired and ended up not doing any extra exercises apart from the walk.

After work, I took the kids to the swimming pool where we also had fun for over an hour.

As usual, crushed my base and stretch walking goals; exceeded 22k steps!

Friday

Woke up late and didn't attend the gym.

I also wasn't sure if I wanted to have a day-long fast today; so, I decided to not eat until I found myself hungry.

I completed some full-body stretches, paying a lot of attention to the

spine
shoulders
upper back
hip flexors, glutes, and hamstrings

I also completed some middle splits warm-up, even though the challenge was over.

I completed some headstand and backbend and today, I was able to completely bend over (with both legs touching the ground) Wow!

I could only hold it for less than 30 seconds, but wow! I did it!

I started workday on the walking pad and over the course of the day, I completed

2 sets of push-ups (levels 1 - 4, 6 reps each)
1 set of pull-ups (8 reps, a new record!)
some rings exercises
additional headstand and backbend (with feet touching the floor)

By the time workday was over, I hadn't had any food, except for some coffee.

Since I wasn't hungry, I thought I should probably make it a day-long fast and break on Saturday.

About 2 hrs later, I was at the movies, stuffing my face with a large popcorn and a large Fanta soda (my body is gonna pay for that later)!

Exceeded my base and stretch walking goals with almost 21k steps!

Saturday

I woke up early and because wife is available to watch the kids, I biked to the beautiful nearby lake for a walk.

I walked 6 miles around the lake before biking about 4 miles home.

Once I got home, I completed a full-body stretch, putting more emphasis on shoulder strength & flexibility.

I also warmed up for my middle splits training, after which I completed 10 sets of middle splits session, 2 sets of front splits, and a headstand.

I weighed myself before showering and after seeing how much weight I had lost, I decided to eat something for extra energy.

Conclusion

I actually have about 9 more pounds to lose in order to meet my target weight (187 lbs); however, given my current abs state, it's possible I may need to lower my ideal weight to about 170 lbs in order to achieve the abs I desire.

We shall see!