Weight – Page 2 – Run Fat Boy

Jan 14th, 2023: Sauna Blanket

Firstly, let’s get the weight bit out of the way……

I did two weigh ins today, once when i woke up, and the second after i spent some time in my sauna blanket unwinding

Weight in 1 was at 09:43 and came in at a disappointing 116.5 kg +0.1 kg from yesterday.
Weigh in 2 took place 11:16, and i just spent 1 hour in my sauna blanket, the weigh in came in at 115.9 kg -0.6 kg from my earlier weigh in!

I guess the question is how do i feel about that? a little perplexed i guess, firstly i wanted to do the sauna due to health reasons, its meant to reduce your blood pressure and other internal symptoms. Secondly you do very much sweat it out…. ok so hold onto your stomachs, this was what i was left with in the sauna blanket at the end….. beads and puddles of sweat!

I must admit i feel like i am really starting to enjoy it. The MiHigh was a little bit of a concern to me when i went to purchase it, and if there was not such a discount (25% off) at the time, i doubt i would have committed to doing so.

So, for the uninitiated a sauna blanket, also known as a far infrared sauna blanket, is a device that uses infrared heat to help the body detoxify, lose weight, and relieve pain and stress which is exactly what i need. Some benefits i am aiming from using a sauna blanket include:

Detoxification: The high temperatures generated by the blanket can cause the body to sweat, which can help to remove toxins and impurities from the body.
Weight loss (clearly!!!): The heat generated by the blanket can also cause the body to burn calories, which can lead to weight loss. Now i doubt this was my cause for a -0.6 kg loss this morning, but i hope it does help.
Pain relief: The infrared heat can also penetrate deep into the muscles and tissues, which can help to alleviate pain and soreness. Remember i am walking loads, my legs really do hurt at the end of a day.
Stress relief: The heat and sweating can also help to relax the body and reduce stress levels. I juggle a lot of balls in a day, i do it to keep myself distracted, but also to ensure i am enriching my children’s lives, but the constant time slicing and job pressures need relief.
Improved circulation: The heat can also improve circulation, which can help to bring oxygen and nutrients to the cells and tissues in the body. Let me be clear! i have cold feet, and at points hands! clearly something needs fixing in my circulation.
Better skin: The sweating can also help to open up the pores and improve the overall health of the skin.

Basically, sauna blanket provides a great way to improve overall health, relaxation and well being, and thats what i need at this point!

I still have a long way to go with this MiHigh sauna blanket, but i now do understand i need to set the heat to level 9 (top level) and be in the blanket for at least 45 mins to get a sweat on! But at least i understand it now.

Lastly, i am super happy that i completed my week of DDP Yoga Fat Burner 2.0. Although my arms really feel it today!

It’s nice to be in the 115s again, however i think over the next few days that will increase upwards! Just the way my body works, and then another dip!

Tomorrow morning i will head to Sittingbourne for a rugby match with my junior team that i coach. I hope it’s a good game for my lads. I love seeing my son play rugby, it’s a true pleasure for me that can’t quite be described, as well as the time alone with him to just enjoy the moments, chats, and laughs!

Wish us luck

Jan 13th, 2023: End of the work week

Tonight, its going to be a short post, just mentally and physically worn out. Plus we ended up at work having a late-night call for some planning work.

Key facts ;

Weight today 116.4 kg
-0.2 kg from yesterday
DDP Yoga Fat Burner 2.0 Complete but really worn out
Peloton Strength class done, but arms like jelly – 10 mins only
Food intake around 2100 calories
Fasting in good order
Tired!

So i am going to totally veg and do nothing but drink water and eventually fall asleep to YouTube!

Jan 12th, 2023: Another long one….

The last 3 days have been hard going, they have bled mostly into my evenings for a variety of reasons, but this has made it also extremely difficult to keep focused on my goals;

Tuesday – I am the chair for a non-profit and my evening was spent running a meeting for this

Wednesday – Late night work calls for my official job. Running from 9pm till late. That the challenge when you work for a Seattle based organisation

Thursday – Rugby coaches meeting, focused on some fundamental challenges the juniors section has.

Basically, each evening has been a balancing act. The other challenge has been winding down! My sleep was shocking last night, i woke up multiple times and was massively over thinking things, plus the weather was bad and the wind was howling. I also at points wake up worried that my little office at the end of the garden is going to get blown away and i will have to have an argument with one Neighbour, but thats another issue. Annoyingly i didn’t wear my watch last night as i feel asleep while charging it!

Down to business, my weight went up today, 116.6 kg , thats + 0.2 kg . Again i wonder if thats the poor nights sleep! and just poor day yesterday all round! i mean i was tired and unmotivated and felt a massive desire to eat!

I got back on form to DDP Yoga tonight, so almost complete of a week adding Fat Burner 2.0, and i also got my weights class in at peloton.

It was still a good day walking, almost 26k and 13 miles! But my legs feel a bit tired still. I look forward to Saturday and just unwinding a bit! Just letting the little legs of mine recover.

I have been off the sauna blanket also over the last few day. I just have not had the time in the day to factor that in.

On a separate note i did get a message from my sons school today saying that rugby training will resume next week, i lend my time to coach rugby at my sons school, and i love that interaction and coaching aspect!

I am hoping over the next few posts i can give some more context/reviews on some specific items. Its almost 2 weeks complete, and i think i should dive a bit deeper on some aspects!

Thanks for listening

Jan 11th, 2023: The next long Wednesday

As my late-night meetings kick in, i thought as i listen i would also type. Today i feel tired, i feel wavering discipline, and a little lost on motivation. And doing both my DDP Yoga and Peloton was actually hard today, just the motivation was difficult. In fact, with the Peloton i ended up not doing a strength class but a 10 min yoga class.

Let’s get to the numbers!

Today i clocked in at 116.4 kg that’s -0.3 kg from yesterday. And i was really chuffed to see the trend continue. But when i convert things to lbs and stone, i still feel miles away from my goals and i know it will take months vs weeks or days.

I reflected back last night on some of my original posts from August 2016. My original goal at that point was 95kg! and my first micro goal is 115 kg (to be clear for me meeting that first goal i need to be in the 114’s kg, just being in 115 kg is NOT good enough)

I carried on walking today, in fact i am still walking as i type this and expect to end up in the mid 20’ks by the end of the day but for now i am at 24k and just passing 12 miles. My shins really feel it today, and i have ended up rubbing them a few times today, i wonder if i am landing too hard on my feet and sending shock waves into my shins!

(Slight Update: Just finished my evening calls and i landed at 30k steps and just over 15 miles)

On the food side i have kept myself in good order, but i did have cravings earlier on in the day , around an hour after my protein shake and after my fast i was hungry again, which is something that has not typically happened for me! I am thinking that all the walking from the last few days and with the Fat Burner 2.0 DDP Yoga courses is making me more and more hungry and my body wanting the energy

The Net Calories are still good especially with the work that i am putting in, and also the fact that i am still not complete tonight i do expect this number to be adjusted tomorrow.

Today is nowhere near as high as low as yesterdays net calories, but thats because i have not walked as much and todays DDP Yoga was Energy 2.0 and i didn’t do a strength class but a peloton yoga class.

Overall, i feel pretty worn down today, less motivated then i have felt since the start, but a massive chunk of that is down to how tired i feel. Wednesday evening calls and walking add to that tired feeling, but i will recover over the next few days i hope!

I hope i can keep the trend going and maybe break into the 115 kg mark over the next week. Let’s wait and see!

Thanks for listening

Jan 10th, 2023: The day after

Ok frustrating day was yesterday, and this is “the day after”, another chance to get myself aligned and moving in the right direction. Firstly, today is a long Tuesday, firstly it’s a normal workday, and then between 7.30-9pm i have to chair a parents and teachers association. Throughout this whole day i knew i wanted to walk, so it was going to be a long day. And let me say at this very moment as i lay across the bed writing this, it really has felt it.

So firstly, what’s the scores on the doors! There was no morning constitutional today, it just didn’t happen? and i normally weigh myself at that very moment. That in my mind is my baseline….. so, i decided to jump on the scales anyway….

116.7 kg, that’s -0.8kg down from yesterday

So, am i happy with that? Yes, back on track, i guess. And just need to see how the next few days go.

The steps where really good today, 34k and just shy of 17 miles!

Calories In and Out were good again today.

And with all the extra walking and consistency on the DDP Yoga it helped today on net calories

I was asked over the last few days what DDP Yoga was and why i thought it was so good. I came across DDP Yoga at probably one of my lowest points in my life, there were two YouTube videos about it that stood out, and one of the other things that stood out was that there were no super pretty people advertising it, it was all normal and average joes promoting the positive outcomes that they had.

But these two videos set me on my way. First one was Arthur, and what an amazing inspirational story

And the second one is Jarad, and boy did i feel like i could relate

DDP Yoga is a combination of Yoga, Dynamic Resistance, Core Strength, and Pilates, but it’s always been amazing when i have been consistent with it, and that’s where i am today……

Let’s see what tomorrow brings, but Wednesdays are always brutal for me, its a long long long day, both on the treadmill and on the work front, but i need to carve out time in my day to do the work.

Thanks again, and time for a shower

Jan 7th, 2023: End of Week 1 Review

As we are now at the end of week 1, the first thing is to have a quick review of progress to date, and i guess assess how i am feeling, mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Firstly, on the 6th of Jan i weighed in at 117.4 kg, that was 0.4 from the 5th. However today on the 7th my weight is now 117.2 kg, that’s 0.2 from 6th.

So lets dig into the 1st week of 2023 in a little more depth.

Weight

I started this week at 119.7 kg and finishing at 117.2 kg. Thats 2.5 kg. I am not too sure how i feel about this, i am aware that its a start, and its half way to my first goal. But i think i also wont see drastic drops (1kg drops) on a regular basis. I am happy with a steady loss mind you and feel good that its going down, but i also feel nervous that it will just stop.

I also kept an eye on other metrics for the body over the week

Intermittent Fasting

I have been doing intermittent fasting (IF) for a week. I am running from 20:00 to 12:00 everyday, and to be fair this does not affect me. I am comfortable in stopping eating at 20:00 and by the time i get to 12:00 i feel ready to eat or consume a protein shake. I think the key bit is that i STOP eating, i stop grabbing snacks while watching the TV and i am able to not think about eating or nibbling. I guess the other aspect is that i am exercising in the evening so distracted.

Calories In/Out

This week i have tried to hold , i have wanted to stay under 2,187 calories per day. The majority of my calories have come from a protein shake from Manual.co (Vanilla and Salted Caramel), and i have ensured i have consumed but also burnt calories also.

Below you can see my calories consumed, the only day i went over (and technically i dont think thats accurate, i just used a pre-made salad on Myfitnesspal, which i believe was much higher than what i ate).

The Net calories are critical, as that shows the adjusted amount with exercise and movement. Today was a low touch exersice day, but i have been mainly doing practical work at home, but nowhere near enough compared to the working week. I am also yet to do my DDP Yoga/Peloton today.

The consumption this week was as follows

Exercise

There are 3 main intakes this week on the exercise front

Walking – This week i have done over 115k steps and just shy of 60 miles. My left foot feels sore and a little tender. I am aware that this will impact my knees, calves, and feet. But its a critical element of me burning calories.
DDP Yoga – I have been just getting going on Energy 2.0 and building up to the real harder workouts. But DDP Yoga was magic for me in 2017 and i hope it can do its magic again in 2023. And i will try to keep it consistent to a workout a day.
Peloton – My new edition of my peloton guide, and weights has been helpful. I am not doing anything crazy. I am just doing 10 mins a day of some sort of strength training and trying to keep that consistency. Which i think i have.

Recovery

The sauna blanket is truly kicking into its own. Firstly, i know now i need to stay in it for 45 mins +, i also know i need it on its hottest level, and by achieving this i finally get to that sweaty moment that you need in a sauna, along with breath shortness and elevated heart rates. I originally started with myself laying on the floor, but have found a home on the bed!

As you can see it gets a bit grim inside the sauna blanket, but i am hoping its doing wonders for my health and recovery.

However, my overall body battery has fluctuated all week and i need to maintain recovery to a good order! I probably need to dig into this more, but i need to keep feeling fresh to maintain.

Overall, for Week 1

This first Saturday was probably my most unbalanced feeling with food. I felt hungry today. In fact when i ate dinner, i felt like i overate, even though i came inside the calorie count. I just didn’t balance it well OR the exercise in the day keeps me busy and distracted and thus the feeling of hunger does not get to me.

Emotionally i feel better this week, i felt quite low over the Christmas period. It’s not something people will see but a feeling inside, quite hard to explain really.

Physically i feel no different at all. I am still a big boy, and the goal for next week stays the same. Keep consistent!

Things i would like to see but don’t expect, i would like to see inside the 116 kg mark, i would like to keep the calories balanced, i would like to eat more salads to keep me feeling healthy and fuller for longer! Next week starts to bring in further classes in DDP Yoga such as Fat Burner 2.0, that’s more challenging than the Energy 2.0 class i am currently taking and certainly will get me burning more. Also, i want to try and incorporate a 15 min peloton class each day also.

On to week 2 of 2023! and hopefully 116 kg and goal 1!

Jan 6th, 2023: Measurements

Weigh in for today’s post is 117.8 kg, that’s -0.2 from yesterday. Each time i weight in at the moment i am waiting for the pause in weight drop, the little and often approach to weight loss is a good thing for me, but i know there will be points where the weight will not move and will stay static for a period OR increase slightly OR a lot!

With the last statement being true, it’s important to keep in mind that measuring weight is just one factor, and there will be times when weight does not drop but other factors will show some positive change. This may well be small and incremental change but its change nonetheless.

I went and purchased a body measuring tape from amazon. Its small little device and loops around parts of the body to allow you to self-measure.

I wanted to capture all my essential measurements. Within the DDP Yoga Now app there is a way to capture and log your essential measurements. This is something i will have to revisit bi-weekly just to see how things are changing, and i expect it to be a little here and a little there, no huge changes.

My biggest issue is my waistline, i have over extended love handles, always been a problem for me. Weight seems to just develop there quickly and knocks my shape. My legs and arms have always stayed pretty slender and consistent.

The core work from DDP Yoga and hopefully the good eating will help to address some of that issue, but i still think once i am under 100 kg i will have an issue that i need to address. Not sure if that’s clinical or not but its something that i am very aware off and conscious off and always have been.

I am happy that i ticked off another DDP Yoga today, Its a 13 week program but i am adding additional items in on the rest days to keep myself stretched from the walking. And i followed this off with another strength class on the Peloton Guide.

I am also still doing a good walk each day on the treadmill desk, today was just over 20k but a solid 10 miles. I am sure every single step adds up, BUT i need to keep myself flexible. When the leg injuries and feet injuries come, and they will come from excessive walking, i need to ensure i am in a good situation for recovery.

I ended doing a 45 min sauna in the MiHigh sauna blanket. On my first attempt of the blanket i was worried that it was not effective, as i didn’t sweat. However this time with the heat at the top level and laying in it for 45 mins finally got me to that hot sweaty place! And i hope some of the benefits that come from sitting in a sauna and heating the body up.

Calories ln/Out

I am still working to a calorie controlled diet, i will need to start doing some analysis of the food i am eating at the weekend and ways i can optimize myself. The main bit is keeping under 2187 calories per day, and i only consumed 1747 today.

I think a vast amount of what i will do will stay the same, but isn’t that the point? consistency, consistency, consistency?

I keep thinking to myself if i can do this for at least 90 days and stay consistent the behaviors then the benefits will come!

Thanks for checking in!

Jan 5th, 2023: The long Wednesday

Firstly, let’s talk about weight as of Wednesday 4th Jan…. 118 kg that’s down 0.6 kg.

I am always cautious about weight as my weight fluctuates so much. I am talking kgs at a time. Although it’s going down i always worry about it having a spike in the next few days.

I generally try to weigh in first thing in the morning, normally straight after my morning bio break to ensure i have consistent baseline!

Wednesdays for me are brutal. Like really brutal, and they have been for some time. My work functions heavily in a US focus, and thus each Wednesday typically between 9pm – 12am i end up on a series of calls after my typical working day.

Now let me be clear, i love what i do, and i love my job, and i have no issues with late-night calls. The risk with Wednesday is that i don’t find time to do my exercise routines. I generally workout around 9pm or 10pm (basically when the kids go to bed), but that goes out of the window due to the calls.

The side effect on Wednesdays is that i try and walk extra miles.

Let’s break down my Wednesday, i typically work from 9am-5pm although today i had a call with my boss that wrapped up at 18:45. Within this window I was able to just focus and walk at the same time, lots to catch up from the holiday season. I spent a little time before chatting to my boss, to do Yoga and a quick test drive on a new purchase, a MiHigh Sauna blanket. I have been spending a fair bit of time on YouTube and the web looking at Saunas and the overall health benefits from them.

I was expecting to be a hot sweaty wreck after the sauna blanket, but that certainly was NOT the case, i was warm, but not hot, i didn’t get a sweat on, and i had the blanket at the highest level. I will have to see how this progresses over the next month. My habit i want to achieve here is a 4-6 times a week in the sauna blanket. I hope that this reduces risks on a whole series of things as well as aid recovery.

I will do a deeper review on this as the month progresses to share my thoughts.

When i finished I went back out to chat to my boss, then have dinner, and then do a quick 10 min strength peloton class before heading back out to work.

My treadmill desk continues to be a life saver for me, it keeps me moving, while the DDP Yoga continues to keep me stretching and making sure i develop flexibility.

Today was a 28k step day and 14 miles.

One of the hard things with walking so much is both friction on the thighs (chub rub as i lovingly call it) and blisters on the feet. I need to ensure i wear both socks and leggings when walking.

I am really happy with the consistency so far with Peloton, I ended up using the Peloton Guide and weights again. I want to see if i can continue to hit my daily streak.

My calories continued staying consistent. I dont feel rough or dizzy from what i am eating or drinking, and feeling good. My Calories today mind you was pretty low. I would say its the lowest this week (ignore the 12/31 results as i did not maintain everything i ate or drank on new years eve)

However due to all the activities today, Walking, DDP Yoga, Peloton, Sauna, my net calories were lower. Again, i don’t feel bad, i feel fine but it’s something for me to monitor and be aware off. Although myfitnesspal does not seem to capture my steps from Garmin connect to adjust.

According to Garmin connect which syncs from myfitnesspal and has all my data. I am in a calorie deficit, and that’s key for me. It’s a long way still to go.

Anyway, as i sit here at 01:22 on the 5th of January after my long wednesday, i think i should go to bed and chill out before my morning starts!

Thanks for listening

Jan 3rd, 2023: Adrian Mole

My son is reading/listening to a book series, Adrian Mole. It’s basically the life of a boy from the age of 13 onwards, his diary and memoirs. And one of the thing Adrian Mole seems to do is constantly measure his penis length. Clearly i won’t be doing that but i feel i should start with a regular or somewhat daily check in on weight.

118.7 kg down 1kg

One of the tools I will be using over this journey is my Withings Body Cardio Scales. I have to give a huge bit of kudos to this tool, it keeps me truly accountable as when i step on them the information is logged and updated to the cloud. Over the years i also bought the blood pressure and temp monitor.

Over the last two days i have tried to start as i mean to go on, little and often as a wise friend once said to me.

Eating: I have folded my intermittent fasting into myfitnesspal, i am currently still doing my 12pm-8pm. I have also kept my calorie intake in control and net calories (calories in vs out) under. Drank water vs fizzy drinks, and been mindful in what i am consuming.

One thing i intend to do with myfitnesspal is analysis of the foods i am eating over time. I am sure there will be items i need to cut or adjust.

Exercise: DDP Yoga is well underway, and two sessions done. With peloton i have done a mindfulness and strength session. I recently purchased the Peloton guide and some weights, so i have the intention to do more weight-based activities as that will have greater resistance and hopefully a higher calorie burn.

Tomorrow brings me back to the ground with a bump, I need to start my focus again on my job. My household is also either starting to also go back to work or the kids are starting to fold back into school. So life will play a big role now. The days i expect to be busy, i expect to walk, i expect to eat correctly, and the evenings around 9-10pm will likely be when i start an exercise activity. Last year i had the intention of doing some peloton cycling for lunch, but i think this year will be completely full on and that expectation may be hard to follow through on. The main thing is to keep walking and eating correctly.

I want to talk about small micro goals tomorrow, i remember in 2017 when i lost my massive weight loss, i set micro goals. And i need to really zone in on that.

Will check in again tomorrow

Jan 2nd, 2023: Accountability

One of the hardest things I find is trying to keep myself active and holding myself to account. Losing weight for me was not about rules, but more around changing underlying behaviors and beliefs.

To do this I end up getting an addictive personality to a set of fundamental systems that change the way I think and adapt what I do to fit that framework. These principals will hold me to account, and i need to be accountable for at least 3 months to ensure i build the correct behaviors!

In my world I use a set of beliefs and structures, for example;

I need to perform some physical activities per day that make me sweat or challenge me – This could be yoga, sauna, walking, cycling, swimming, but something
I need to control my calories I consume – This could be via intermittent fasting, calorie intake being constricted, a high plant-based diet, just something to restrict my consumption
I need to program my mind to make the right choices vs the easy choices – This could be as simple as rejecting an offer for a drink or food.

Physical Activities

There will be several activities I will be active with;

DDP Yoga – My username here is zarbie if you use the platform. My goal initially for the beginning of this year is to run with the “Intermediate 2” program and get through that twice will adding a few extra sessions. I have officially kicked into this now
Walking – One of the key activities I do is walking, I do this while I work on my treadmill desk. I try to average anything between 10k to 20k steps per day and log that on my Garmin Fenix 6x
Sauna – I have just invested in one of these infrared sauna blankets. It’s one by MiHigh. The research demonstrates that saunas are good for weight loss but more importantly other body functions such as high blood pressure for which i have identified in myself. I want to try and do this 4-6 times a week (bearing energy costs!)
Peloton – I have a peloton bike, in fact i originally shifted away from DDP Yoga to the bike as i loved cycling and wanted to get stronger on my cardio. However, this time i want to balance the cycling with the many other peloton classes, strength and weights classes are necessary for me. Again, if you want to connect with me on peloton my username is JustinZarb
Cycling – I do love cycling, but my flexibility has gotten a bit tight over the last few years and I need to fix that. Before the pandemic I used to cycle back and forth to the office, it was c12 miles each way. However, life not going into the office has caused that to be taken away. I need to consider how i address that. I will log all of this either to Garmin or Strava.
Swimming – This is a long shot, but i would like to get more into swimming. It was a great form of exercise, but it requires a gym membership which i am not overly keen to waste money on given i have other items.

Calories In

This is probably the hardest area! My diet! I have just gone off the rails from what i consume. So i need to establish some good practices and it will take time for me to get my behaviors in place

Intermittent Fasting – I am going to look to only eat for 8 hours of a day. In my earlier life i hardly ever ate breakfast, so i am going to try and only eat from 12pm – 8pm.
MyFitnessPal – I am going to try and limit myself to 2187 calories per day, this may have to be reduced further. Again, you can follow me here
Carbonated Drinks – I really need to cut this, coke zero is just a weak spot for me, i need to drink more green teas and water
Protein Drinks – I am going to try out some of the meal support methods such as Huel and Manual.co , they have high protein drinks to help with hunger and not snack on the wrong things.
Plant Based – I use to have a really high plant-based diet back in 2017, and this has gone astray, too many vices such as chocolates and sweets from the kids getting consumed and need to restrict or remove them all together. My mindset works a bit binary, i am either fully In (not eating rubbish) or not, i can’t just allow a few small treats else I just go off the rails.

These are just some of the things I am thinking of controls for me to keep me focused! I need to get under 100kg! It’s just been too many years and I need to get to that goal!

Jan 1st allowed me to complete my first DDP Yoga course, I am at 164,436 points with DDP Yoga and by the end of the year i want to get to 265k points!

Next update tomorrow