Return to Normal.

A serious drop off in Posts.   Sorry about that.

My exercise regimen has been drastically modified by snow shoveling and a chance to ski with my grandkids.    Working the weights with the 5x5 program appears to be producing results although I missed two sessions when I went up north for the ski trip.

I don't feel like I have lost any weight, but have definitely noticed a bounce in my step, and have seen some muscle tone and definition returning.  The weight loss will come and feeling good takes precedence.

In the meantime, this snow period for Boston has been the worse in MOAM memory.  Too much for even the Aiens Compact 24 Snowblower to move.  It was a Godsend that I started my workouts at the beginning of the year, or the snow shoveling would have been close to overwhelming.  As it is, I have pain in areas that I had forgotten about.

Back to work at Nanepashemet Telecom after the week ski vaca and work respite.  Trying to return to Normal.

Lull After the Super Bowl

The Patriots won the Super Bowl in a work of fiction ending that could never be believed unless it actually happened in real life.... which it did.

And we in the Boston area have been pummeled with 50" of snow.

Both of these circumstances have colored the landscape since I last reported to you Peeps.

For four days during this period, I was out in subzero weather shoveling and trying to persuade my Ariens Snowblower to plow through drifts and snowbanks with a great deal of resistance.   On all of these occasions, since my t-sheet was soaked in sweat by the time I got back into the house, I treated it as an aerobic workout.   Outside of that, I filled the gaps on the Cybex and doing three 5x5 Stronglifts workouts.

End result is that I've only lost one lb. during this period and the rapid weight loss has taken a hiatus. I was warned by Christos that this would happen, and that I should soldier on... and that is exactly the tact that I am taking.  At this rate, it looks like February will see a scaled back projection.  If I lose four more lbs. before the end of the month, I will be happy.

I noticed though that other times when I have begun a weight loss regime, I've been stalemated at my current weight..... and that the program fell by the wayside.  Can't see this happening this time though.... what with my soldiering on and all.

The 5x5 StrongLifts program is in an interesting stage.   At the beginning, the weights are so light that I would be fairly embarrassed if anyone saw be benching the bar with a few puny plates on it.   But I'm going to stay the course.... by week 18, which shows up sometime in June.... no one will be laughing, and I may have to supplement the plates that I have on hand.

BTW... Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL .... and he is coached by the greatest coach, Bill Belichick.    DeFlateGate can Kiss My Ass.

January Recap

Peeps....
A Recap of January in this MOAM Quest to shed the label of "Big Guy".

After one month, I have officially lost 13 lbs., kept up a regime of 45min. aerobic sessions on the Cybex, interspersed with a couple 60 min. sessions and days off for stuff like illness, real estate closings and Grandson Births.

I also bought and installed a 300 lb. Olympic Free Weight barbell set, as well an accessory bench and squat rack.  My first experimental workout with the weights was very promising and I intend to start performing the www.stronglifts.com program on Monday.

The experimental workout was followed by a 45 min. session on the Cybex yesterday, and today I am a little sore... especially in my core area.... aka "Fat Gut".  I am psyched to turn a keg into a six pack, which should be a byproduct of this routine come August of this year.

Mentally, I am prepared to ski with my Grandkids, which would have been not feasible as close as last December.  And come the end of February, I plan to invest in a good road bike for April/May when all of this white stuff that the Democrats call "Global Warming" has receded.

Business-wise, it was a productive month as well, so that I can't see why I can't incorporate this program without any financial compromise.

This month was easy as far as motivation... what with reading the "Younger Next Year" book cover to cover twice,... and getting a lot of advice from FB Friends, Christos Laganos, Wayne Webster, and Jim Lundgren.... all Lynn English High School classmates of mine.

Next Month's February recap will tell the real story.

Victory So Far.

Peeps....  I've neglected you, as I'm sure you've realized.

But WTF, I had a new Grandson, so back the EFF off.   What the Hell do you want from me???

Anyway... With 186 days to go, I've lost 15 lbs.... simply by working out hard for at least 45 minutes everyday on the Cybex.   In the last 26 days, I took 4 days off.... 2 because I felt crappy, 1 because I had to manage Kate's real estate closing, and 1 because of Connor's birth.

Christos and Jim Lundgren had urged me to consider free weights a while ago.... and I took their advice.   Bought an Adidas Bench, Squat Rack and a 300 lb Olympic weight set, complete with a 7' 45 lb. bar from Amazon. The Bench came today, but the Blizzard of 2015 is delaying delivery of the weights and squat rack.

My plan is to start in February using the 5x5 method illustrated by www.stronglifts.com.

This regime is designed to make you gain strength in a 12 week period by lifting every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and increasing the exercised by 5lbs. each session.  A Belgian guy named "Mendi", who likes to say "Bullshit" a lot with a French accent has put the website and an iPhone app together that takes all of the guess work out of it.  It is actually very well done, and I urge you to check out this website if you are so inclined.

So I hope to integrate the weight lifting program in with the cybex aerobic sessions for the next three months or so, after which the May weather should open up a lot of outdoor cycling and rowing activity.

At this point, I am on schedule to get to Mike's wedding on August 1, under 200 lbs.   A lot can happen between now and then, but I'll take it day by day, and declare victory in various stages along the way  as appropriate.

Connor Joseph Boyle

It was a nice week as Connor Joseph Boyle was born to Katelyn and Brady.

Birth is a joyous event, and always seems miraculous, even though it should seem commonplace.   Modern medical practices have decreased the chances for tragedy to mother or baby, but it still was risky as Brady drove Kate into Massachusetts General Hospital, and she felt like the birth would occur in the car on the way.

Looking at my little grandson, I couldn't help but wonder what life had in store for him.... what will he achieve as he navigates the changes of the 21st century?

I wish him the best and hope to journey part of the way with him.

Mapping Some Alternatives

The daily sweat routines on the Cybex do create a bit of boredom and monotony.

It helps to watch the Science Channel with episodes of "How It's Made" or Comedy Central's "Key and Peele" who I think are talented and hilarious comedians.

It works for this initial push in the cold weather, but I've been mapping out some alternatives when the weather turns a little better in  March or so.

I'm definitely going to get a good road bike as recommended by Wayne Webster and Christos Laganos.   Wayne stresses getting a frame that fits properly and Chris points out that I should be ready to drop $2k or more.

I agree with both of them.   Want to find a good bike shop to buy from and I want the bike to be high enough quality to guarantee the best experience and performance possible.

I've mapped out some routes on the mapmyride.com site up through Cape Ann from my house, and the good parts of this plan is that they would take me past Mike and Pam's house in Beverly Farms... just in case I needed a pick up.  

More than once in the middle of a ride in the past, my bike has broken down, and you have to be prepared for this contingency.

The other activity that I have been actively planning is rowing in Marblehead Harbor using the Herreshoff Columbia Tender.  The distance from the put in at the end of the Harbor on Riverhead Beach to the mouth of the Harbor is 1 1/2 miles.... a three mile out and back.    Add another half mile out to Children's Island, where I would drop a few lobster traps close into the rocks, and you have a row of about four miles.   Rowing at a speed of four knots would be a good workout and would take about an hour and a half.    Plus, stopping for a couple of minutes to tend the traps and maybe harvest some tasty crustaceans would be a great addition to an aerobic workout.

And it wouldn't be any bother to troll a line and maybe hook some mackeral, bunker or maybe a stripper once in a while for dinner fare and lobster bait.

Lastly, I want to get back into running and hiking.... but only after I have built a strong base of fitness from the lower impact exercises of cycling and rowing.

Peeps.... This isn't recreation....it is a commitment to my business partners, customers, family, employees, friends and even you.... to attack the last third of my life in a manner to remain as productive and contributive as possible.

And I am convinced that exercise is the only way.   I urge you to buy and read "Younger Next Year"  by Crowley and Lodge for your own health and well being.

16 Days In - Progress Report

Peeps...
Out of the last 16 days, I have succeeded in getting in a 45 minute session fourteen days on the Cybex stationary cycle, after which my tee shirt quite literally could not be more soaked than if I wore it in Tommy O's swimming pool at the 4th of July.

Which translates into a serious  series of MOAM workouts.

This Saturday morning, in keeping with my pathetic commitment to report  my progress to you, I am happy to disclose the following.

• I feel freaking great... from a general standpoint.... just much more comfortable as I sit and move during the day.
• I've lost 11 lbs. and my clothes fit much better.
• I can feel tone in my ass and legs.
• I can do push ups again.  When I started on New Year's Day, I most embarrassingly could not do one. Yesterday I did 13 in a row.
• I feel more alert and attentive at work... and stress out much less often.
• I don't get sluggish in the afternoon, whereas before by three in the afternoon, I frequently had to fight off fatigue to attend to work issues.

Don't get me wrong.... I'm still a loud, somewhat obnoxiously opinionated, cranky, bastard,

But my secret fear.....that embarking on this lifestyle change would turn me into a mushy headed Liberal.... has not materialized.  Thank the Creator for that!!!!!

It hasn't been all Goose Down and Rose Petals though.

I still have this nagging voice when it is time to workout  in the late afternoon that urges me to blow it off for any particular reason, and I have to fight through that urge.   And the workouts are hard and painful.   Halfway through, I think about quitting and worry that the session will never end.

But it does end, and I am rewarded with a sense of satisfaction and achievement when it is over.... along with the soaked tee shirt.   Then I shower, weigh myself and record the whole thing on an Excel spreadsheet which projects the progress that my present condition has on meeting the August 1 goal.

And it gets worse Peeps.....

Yesterday I went down to Marblehead cycle and priced out a nice Trek Road Bike that I plan to purchase in the Spring.  Man,,, those bikes have changed since I bought my CCM ten speed back in 1971.

What It is Like to be Black

It often comes up when you talk about race relations with Black people, that White people don't know what it is like to be Black.

OK.... I find that to be indisputable.

But I get the distinct feeling that Black people think that if you are White, then you have got it made.  Everything opens up to you because you are White.  Which of course, is BullShit.

It is an unfortunate misconception, and I think that it leads some Black people to think that the challenges they face are solely because they are Black..... when often the same challenges of life affect their White counterparts.

I truly and perhaps naively believe that we have reached a place in our society where class and race only limit you if you use your status as a crutch, and fail to confront head on the challenges that you face.  This wasn't the case when I was a young man, but I believe it to be true now.

So I said it.... let the Political Correctness Police condemn me to Hell.

This is Becoming Apparent

"Men don't fail to climb the mountain because they are old.
They are old because they fail to climb the mountain."
- Christos Laganos

198 - Planning a Fashion Statement

198 Days to go.

I am right on target with my weight loss program after 15 days, but I'm actually more excited about some other benefits.

I've regularly been downing 12oz Mason Jars of tap water during the day and doing pushups after every daily 45 minute sweat session on the Cybex stationary cycle.

The Cybex sessions are getting easier and I add a pushup a day to my PR total since staring this regime.  This is bound to level off in the next 15 days or so.

But the immediate benefit that I've noticed is the disappearance of a host of aches and pains that I had previously accepted as signs of ageing.  There was a time, not so long ago, when a wrench or screwdriver lying on the floor mean't some pain bending down and picking it up.  And walking up stairs just had an automatic dosage of knee pain.

I noticed today that these little aches and pains were gone.

I also prefer water with my meals rather than fruit juice or whatever other beverage was in the refrigerator.   And I don't just automatically reach for a beer or glass of wine at the end of the day.

My schedule calls for me losing a little less than 2 lbs. per week, and the current routine obviously supports this.   I suspect that after having lost 25 lbs or so, that it will be tougher to maintain this rate. Christos gave me a heads up with this, and I believe it.

But this is a lifestyle change, not just a weight loss program.   I intend to create a habit of vigorous daily exercise that will last long after the lbs are gone.

And my Fat Boy clothes are really starting to loosen up.   Most of the clothes in my closet used to fit when I was 15 lbs lighter, so sometime in March I hope to tap into a large collection of  khakis, which, as Joanne likes to remind me, have all gone out of style.

But maybe they'll be coming back into fashion this spring.

The Real Deal

Mayor Marty Walsh of Boston just gave his State of the City speech and hit a home run.

He stated his positions without giving blame or making someone the fall guy.   It was an all inclusive speech that laid out his values and vision in a sincere and inspiring fashion.  No pretension, no preaching, no finger pointing.

This guy just may be the real deal..... something that I have rarely seen in a politician

202 - the Right Thing To Do

With 202 days to go and 11 days on this regime to change my exercise habits and make working out my top priority, I think it is working.   Not because of the weight loss, but because of the thought process.

Now when I wake up in the morning, I don't think about how I can fit in my workout around everything I have to do....Instead I think of how to get things done around my workout.

As the "Younger Next Year" book asserts, exercise and your health are your job.   And if you take into account that your career and business cannot progress adequately unless you are in top physical condition, it makes sense.

A key facet to assimilating this premise is the realization that good health is not automatic.   As you get older, you don't stay strong and control your weight without attending to the aerobic exercise requirement that your ancestors programmed into you.

And as you get older and your economic picture matures, you frequently have the means to afford bad habits.

If you want to have a pizza and a six pack of beer for dinner, or a supersized Big Mac Meal for lunch, the cash is there and you have no impediment to satisfying your cravings.   I remember  when I was young and lean, I never had the financial means to buy anything that I felt like immediately eating.

Basically, if you have disposable income, there is a tendency to finance takeout and beverages as the desire arises.   If you have also left your schoolboy athletic career behind, the result is a gain in weight.     Plus your metabolism changes when you get older, but your appetite doesn't,   So more pounds eating the same stuff.

Once I realized that this was happening, I started resolving to exercise more.... but I never made it a top priority.  There was always business or job needs to attend to, and youth hockey games to attend, and almost anything else that came along that would push exercise off of the agenda.

But a health alert or a mirror image was not the factor that set off the alarm bell with me.   I had seen a number of my people my age and older stay in great shape, and while I admired them, I had no need to emulate their lifestyle.

Bob Towne, my UMass college roommate, is a nationally recognized ultra distance runner, and has competed in 100 mile runs.   Harvey Rowe, my former business partner, is an accomplished tri-athlete and never misses a day of working out despite his business and charity work.   Christos Laganos, my old classmate and new found Facebook friend, who turned me on to the "Younger Next Year"book, through-hiked the Appalachian Trail when he turned 60 and takes 100 mile bike rides with impunity.

Even though these guys are my age and older, my basic attitude has been "Cool" for them.  What rang the bell for me was my closet.

I have multiple pairs of size 36 and 38 waist pants that I can no longer wear, and a ton of XL sweaters that are now uncomfortable.  But when size 40 trousers started to be tight and hard to button, and I actually started to look for a 42 to wear, but couldn't find that size in entire stores up in North Conway, I decided that this trend had to be reversed.   Time to find a way back into clothes that I already own, rather than buy all new Fat Boy sizes.

Plus Kate keeps giving me momentos of her wedding, with pictures of her as the beautiful bride and me as the Jolly Fat Dad.   Up till now, I was happy to look at her visage and tried to ignore the Fat Guy standing next to her in the photos.   But Mike's wedding is gearing up to be held in the White Mountains in August and I want his and Pam's album to show a different MOAM.

Then Laganos turned me on to the "Younger Next Year" book by Chris Crowley and Dr. Henry S. Lodge, which seemed to me to be a handbook on how to manage tthe last third of your life.  It points out that you can live into your 80's and 90's with vigorous health rather than debilitating pains and illnesses.  It makes perfect logical sense, and seems foolish not to follow this advice.

So that's the background to why this Sunday morning..... the day after the Patriots beat the Ravens in a great playoff game.... my first priority is to pedal one hour on the Cybex until my tee shirt is dripping wet with sweat, then doing as many pushups as I can before my arms turn all girlyman.  And that is the right thing to do.