The
C
H
A
L
L
E
N
G
E

Dennis Hutton
 

Read Biography
 

Read Daily Journals
 

View Progress Pictures
 

 
 

 

            

MAY JOURNALS

Date:
04 May 2003
Time:
16:36:32

Todays Journal

I had a terrible sleep. I feel quite drained of energy (possibly I shouldn't have worked out so hard on Friday). All of a sudden (in the last week or so) I seem to have lost about 5 pounds. Partly, I have been worrying about things and haven't had my usual appetite and haven't been sleeping well (lack of sleep seems to dull my appetite too).

On the positive side, I have been using the exercise bike, usually Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and I have been increasing the length of my workouts on the exercise bike. I must be stronger because I can ride the exercise bike longer and keep it at level 5 throughout one hour ( which I couldn't have done before). It's probably okay to challenge myself on a Friday because I have the weekend to recuperate, but, when I have a workday ahead of me, I need to keep my exercise reasonably moderate. Finally, perhaps, this program is beginning to kick in. I've been defeating my self by eating chocolate bars and other junk snacks, but now I seem to be losing interest in sugary and fatty foods and I'm finding it easier to turn down cake and other such things. I'm beginning to believe that the increased muscle in my legs is starting to rev up my metabolism. This would be great. If I can combine a diminished appetite for junk snacks with an increased metabolic rate along with increased strength to perform longer, more intense workouts, I may actually be able to turn this blimp (me) around. For a long time I was gaining weight, then I plateaued. Now, hopefully, I'm trimming.

Date:
04 May 2003
Time:
16:41:36

Todays Journal

It would be wonderful to lose this "spare tire" around my middle. I'M PRAYING THAT IS STARTING TO HAPPEN.

Date:
05 May 2003
Time:
01:08:43

Todays Journal

No exercise today. My right hip and thigh are sore. Followed my meal plan successfully.

Date:
06 May 2003
Time:
00:31:49

Todays Journal

No exercise today other than mowing the front lawn. Followed meal plan except for some soy ice-cream and a package of dried mango. Ignored the fattening snacks at the staff meeting. Drank water and ate a banana before the staff meeting. I didn't even want any of the snacks because of filling up with water beforehand.

Date:
07 May 2003
Time:
01:50:12

Todays Journal

20 minutes exercise bike at fat-burning heartrate. Stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
08 May 2003
Time:
01:35:21

Todays Journal

No exercise today. Stuck to my meal plan. I feel tired. Hope I get a good night's sleep.

Date:
09 May 2003
Time:
01:03:13

Todays Journal

One hour walk-Green Timbers. I wish my legs were as good as when I was young. The arthritis in my hip is a real nuisance. Stuck to my meal plan except for a beer and a small amount of soy ice-cream.

Date:
10 May 2003
Time:
10:41:23

Todays Journal

May 9

One hour of "swimming" with my class at Newton Wave Pool. Stuck to my meal plan except for some soy ice cream and 2 candies. My appetite seems smaller. I ate a pear instead of a more calorific snack.

Date:
11 May 2003
Time:
01:39:53

Todays Journal

May 10

No exercise today. Had a beer and ate some chocolate covered almonds and a couple of candies.

Date:
12 May 2003
Time:
01:09:35

Todays Journal

May 12 Mowed the lawn and pulled some weeds, but no other exercise. Followed meal plan except for a glass of sweet wine, some nuts and some soy ice-cream. My legs have been bothering me quite a bit (arthritis and muscle pulls because of exercising despite the arthritis) so I've been avoiding exercise recently, but I'm hoping to get back on track next week. Sitting less at the computer would certainly help.

Date:
12 May 2003
Time:
21:51:20

Todays Journal

20 minutes exercise bike at fat-burning heartrate. One hour walk- Green Timbers. Went off my meal plan by having a Dairy Queen sundae (my wife will buy these things for us) and a glass of wine. Trying to drink lots of water.

Date:
14 May 2003
Time:
01:09:29

Todays Journal

May 13

30 minutes exercise bike at fat-burning heartrate. Ate a bag of carob covered ginger, but otherwise stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
15 May 2003
Time:
01:10:45

Todays Journal

May 14

No exercise today. Drank a beer and ate a bag of honey roasted candied nuts. I've been slipping backwards the last 3 days. At least, my class has performed its play; it's good to have that done. Hopefully, now I can get back on track to better progress.

Date:
16 May 2003
Time:
03:22:05

Todays Journal

May 15

No exercise today. Followed meal plan except for a bowl of soy ice-cream. Looking forward to the long weekend as an opportunity to rest and recover and get back on track.

Date:
17 May 2003
Time:
01:38:58

Todays Journal

May 16

No exercise today. Stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
18 May 2003
Time:
01:36:12

Todays Journal

May 17

90 minutes on the treadmill at fat-burning heartrate. While I exercised I was listening to a "Baroque Duet" c.d. with Kathleen Battle and Winton Marsalis. Beautiful music. What a wonderful way to lose stress , relax, and get exercise. I should use the treadmill more often. I usually use the exercise bike, but that can be wearing on the knees. If I alternate between the bike and treadmill that should allow more time for my tendons, ligaments and muscles to recuperate. I should be able to increase my exercise time by switching between the bike and treadmill. It felt good today to put in a lengthy workout.

Went to a party and visited my parents. Had a glass of wine, some nuts, and some ice-cream cake, but otherwise stuck to my meal plan. I'm trying to drink lots of water.

Date:
19 May 2003
Time:
02:07:40

Todays Journal

May 18

In the morning and afternoon I felt tired and sore from yesterday's lengthy workout. In the evening I overdosed on desserts.

Date:
19 May 2003
Time:
23:42:27

Todays Journal

No exercise today. I guess I took the idea of a holiday too literally. Followed my meal plan except for some soy ice-cream.

Date:
20 May 2003
Time:
23:06:57

Todays Journal

20 minutes on exercise bike at fat-burning heartrate. Stuck to my mealplan except for some soy ice-cream. Assessment tomorrow. Here's hoping for a good report!

Date:
22 May 2003
Time:
02:57:45

Todays Journal

May 21

No exercise today. Had my third assessment today. I've lost 7 pounds and lowered my body fat percentage since my last assessment. Good results! Some of my lost weight is apparently muscle loss, which isn't good. Stuck to my mealplan today, except for some soy ice-cream.

Date:
23 May 2003
Time:
00:46:13

Todays Journal

30 minutes exercise bike at fat-burning heartrate. Stuck to my mealplan, except for 2 cookies I ate at the Parent Tea. Good thing I didn't eat any of the cake!

Date:
24 May 2003
Time:
14:02:42

Todays Journal

May 23

No exercise today. Stuck to my mealplan and didn't eat any junk food.

Date:
25 May 2003
Time:
11:12:49

Todays Journal

May 24

No exercise today. Too much time spent sitting at the computer and reading. This has been the case for the last few weeks. I am very tired out and stressed out. Need to get more sleep, better sleep. Are some greasy pasta and drank a beer: otherwise, ate healthily.

Date:
26 May 2003
Time:
03:02:47

Todays Journal

May 25

Mowed the lawn, but that was about it for exercise. Celebrated my birthday with my parents, Vicky and Brodie. Just had a thin sliver of birthday cake, but ate quite a few nuts and had a beer. Must do better!

Date:
27 May 2003
Time:
02:02:00

Todays Journal

May 26

One hour walk-Green Timbers. Ate three Tim Horton's donut holes at the staff meeting, but, otherwise, followed my meal plan.

Date:
28 May 2003
Time:
01:50:39

Todays Journal

May 27

One hour walk- Green Timbers. My 56th birthday! Ate cheesecake and other cake, drank wine and ate lots of chicken. Oh well, it's my birthday.

Date:
29 May 2003
Time:
02:49:42

Todays Journal

May 28

One hour walk- GreenTimbers. Stuck to my meal plan today.

Date:
29 May 2003
Time:
23:51:51

Todays Journal

May 29

One hour walk- Green Timbers. Mostly stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
31 May 2003
Time:
03:47:45

Todays Journal

May 30

Close to one hour of swimming with my class at Bear Creek Park. Stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
31 May 2003
Time:
03:48:04

Todays Journal

May 30

Close to one hour of swimming with my class at Bear Creek Park. Stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
01 Jun 2003
Time:
23:03:16

Todays Journal

May 31

Some dancing and a short walk. Drank a beer, ate some nuts and brownies. Not a good day for progress.

Date:
01 Jun 2003
Time:
23:04:08

Todays Journal

No exercise today. Stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
03 Jun 2003
Time:
00:12:10

Todays Journal

No exercise today. Mostly stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
03 Jun 2003
Time:
23:50:02

Todays Journal

No exercise today, other than mowing the front lawn. Stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
05 Jun 2003
Time:
00:25:20

Todays Journal

One hour walk-Green Timbers. Stuck to my meal plan, except for some soy ice-cream.

Date:
05 Jun 2003
Time:
23:12:44

Todays Journal

Sports Day today. Lots of sun (too much). No exercise today. I feel drained by the heat. Ate french fries and fried chicken and drank a beer. I'm expecting to do more exercise in the summer holidays, when I'm not so busy with school, but I need to build exercise into my daily schedule. Have to work on report cards this weekend and next. I better get some exercise too. Sitting at the computer working on report cards is terrible without some exercise to relax and lose stress.

Date:
07 Jun 2003
Time:
00:33:06

Todays Journal

One hour walk- Green Timbers Park. Drank a beer and ate some soy ice-cream, but otherwise stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
08 Jun 2003
Time:
01:51:25

Todays Journal

June 7

One hour walk- Green Timbers. Stuck to my meal plan, except for some soy ice-cream.

Date:
08 Jun 2003
Time:
23:51:16

Todays Journal

The hot weather continues. I exercised this morning between 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. Not as hot as during the day, but still plenty warm. Not at all hard to work up a sweat. (Rode the exercise bike for one hour. Mostly at level 5, but the last 15 or 20 minutes were at level 4.) During the day I could definitely feel that I had exercised.

Mostly stuck to my meal plan, except for some soy ice-cream.

I've lost about 10 pounds since I've started and I'm pretty sure my body fat percentage is still better. I'm drinking quite a lot of water and that keeps hunger away. Especially, in this hot weather I'm finding I need to drink a lot of water.

I'm having soy protein powder on my morning porridge and often now I'm having a shake in the afternoon or evening. For my shake I have chocolate soy milk, a banana, and soy protein powder. Neaghn says the protein helps keep away the craving for sweets. Maybe there's something to that because lately I seem to be doing much better at resisting sweets. I also didn't buy any nuts when I was in Safeway today ( although I thought about it). Generally, my appetite, especially for sweets, seems to have diminished. I find myself filling up my water glass rather than reaching for some sugary treat. That's progress!

Date:
10 Jun 2003
Time:
00:01:31

Todays Journal

No exercise today. My legs still feel tired from yesterday's workout. Probably should have given my arms a workout by lifting weights, but I didn't.

Ate 2 chocolate bars and several pieces of barbequed chicken.

Date:
11 Jun 2003
Time:
01:50:24

Todays Journal

June 10

No exercise today. Had some soy ice-cream, but, otherwise, stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
12 Jun 2003
Time:
01:56:10

Todays Journal

June 11

No exercise today. Ate some soy ice-cream again today, but, otherwise followed my meal plan.

Date:
13 Jun 2003
Time:
00:27:34

Todays Journal

30 minutes walking. Walked to Safeway and back. Carried home groceries.

Followed meal plan.

Date:
14 Jun 2003
Time:
00:16:02

Todays Journal

No exercise today. Stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
15 Jun 2003
Time:
05:28:01

Todays Journal

June 14

One hour walk-Green Timbers. Stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
16 Jun 2003
Time:
09:09:47

Todays Journal

June 15

One hour walk-Green Timbers. Visited mom & dad for Father's Day. Ate cashews.

Date:
17 Jun 2003
Time:
23:49:24

Todays Journal

No exercise today. Stuck to my meal plan. Drinking lots of water.

Date:
19 Jun 2003
Time:
23:28:28

Todays Journal

JUNE 18

One hour walk- Green Timbers. Had some soy ice-cream, but, otherwise, stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
19 Jun 2003
Time:
23:29:32

Todays Journal

One hour walk- Green Timbers. Stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
21 Jun 2003
Time:
01:01:38

Todays Journal

No exercise today. Had a beer and ate too much at the staff party.

Date:
22 Jun 2003
Time:
17:16:27

Todays Journal

June 21 No exercise today. Visited Mom in the hospital and Dad at home. Ate nuts.

Date:
22 Jun 2003
Time:
23:55:59

Todays Journal

No exercise today other than mowing the lawn. Stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
23 Jun 2003
Time:
22:39:10

Todays Journal

My wife had a 3:45 a.m. flight this morning to Hong Kong. I got back from the airport at 1:30 a.m. and to bed at 2:00 a.m. Up at 6:00 a.m. No exercise today. (Had a nap this evening.) Ate some candies and cake.

Date:
25 Jun 2003
Time:
00:19:35

Todays Journal

Woke up at 3:30 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep. (Second night in a row without enough sleep.) No exercise today. Followed meal plan except for eating 2 slices of toast with jam before bed. Assessment tomorrow.

Date:
26 Jun 2003
Time:
01:55:13

Todays Journal

45 minute walk to Bear Creek Park with my class. Ate ice-cream and chocolates. Had my assessment. Lost weight, but I'm losing muscle instead of fat. Need to exercise better, more regularly. Need to cut out "treats".

Date:
26 Jun 2003
Time:
22:48:11

Todays Journal

No exercise today. Ate a 145 gram box of Glossette chocolate covered peanuts I received as a gift, and ate some other chocolates as well. Probably 50 grams of fat. One more day of school. I'm expecting to do better in my holidays.

Date:
28 Jun 2003
Time:
02:16:45

Todays Journal

June 27

No exercise today. Ate some candies and some soy ice-cream. Am I ever tired! Last day of school! Hurray!

Date:
28 Jun 2003
Time:
02:17:01

Todays Journal

June 27

No exercise today. Ate some candies and some soy ice-cream. Am I ever tired! Last day of school! Hurray!

Date:
29 Jun 2003
Time:
07:32:48

Todays Journal

June 28

One hour walk- Green Timbers. Stuck to my meal plan, except for some soy ice-cream.

Date:
30 Jun 2003
Time:
01:15:14

Todays Journal

June 29

30 minute walk pushing my mom in her wheelchair. Ate quite a few nuts, but, otherwise, stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
01 Jul 2003
Time:
03:29:29

Todays Journal

June 30

One hour walk- Green Timbers. My wife is away, so I'm looking after food preparation. Ate toast and jam and waffles with maple syrup.

Date:
02 Jul 2003
Time:
01:21:54

Todays Journal

July 1

Hurray, Canada! One hour walk- Green Timbers. Aside from a beer and 2 pieces of toast with jam, I stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
04 Jul 2003
Time:
00:33:41

Todays Journal

July 2

35-40 minute walk around Langara Golf Course. Followed meal plan except for eating some nuts.

Date:
04 Jul 2003
Time:
00:38:22

Todays Journal

One hour walk- Green Timbers. Ate 2 MacDonald's sundaes (they're on sale, 2 for a twoonie) and had a beer, but, otherwise, followed meal plan. I find that drinking lots of water is helping me cut down the amount of food I eat. I think I'm still gradually losing weight.

Date:
05 Jul 2003
Time:
03:59:00

Todays Journal

July 4

After I wrote my journal yesterday I went shopping at Safeway. I bought and ate a bag of cashews, drank a pop, and ate 2 pieces of toast with peanut butter. No exercise today other than mowing the back lawn. Ate 2 pieces of toast with peanut butter, but followed my meal plan otherwise (except for 2 and a half glasses of orange juice and some sake). My right leg is bothering me. If it doesn't improve I'll make an appointment for physiotherapy.

Date:
06 Jul 2003
Time:
05:32:43

Todays Journal

One hour walk- Green Timbers. Need to do some stretching and strengthening ( and less time sitting at the computer) in order to alleviate leg pains.

Didn't do justice to my meal plan. Drank a beer, ate 4 pieces of toast with peanut butter and consumed lots of some chocolates I received as a gift.

Date:
08 Jul 2003
Time:
17:11:08

Todays Journal

JULY 6

20-25 MINUTES PUSHING MY MOM IN HER WHEELCHAIR AT FRASER RIVER PARK. DRANK 2 BEERS AND CONSUMED A FAIR AMOUNT OF CHOCOLATES AND SOME NUTS.

Date:
08 Jul 2003
Time:
17:12:56

Todays Journal

July 7

30 minute walk in my neighborhood. Still having leg problems. Drak a beer and ate chocolates.

Date:
08 Jul 2003
Time:
23:36:08

Todays Journal

One hour walk- Green Timbers. Followed meal plan except for eating some chocolates. ( The chocolates will be finished soon.)

Date:
10 Jul 2003
Time:
00:01:32

Todays Journal

One hour walk- Green Timbers. Followed my meal plan except for eating 2 pieces of toast with peanut butter.

Date:
11 Jul 2003
Time:
00:29:01

Todays Journal

Half hour walk pushing my mom in her wheelchair. Ate a DQ Pecan Parfait and some nuts. Went to physiotherapy for my hip.

Date:
12 Jul 2003
Time:
01:29:12

Todays Journal

July 11

30 minute walk in my neighborhood. My right hip and hamstring are tight and are causing me to limp, and are causing numerous other leg problems. I need to do more strengthening/ stretching/ flexibility exercises. It's hot today. Drank a beer and a pop. Ate pistacchios, linzetorte, and toast with peanut butter.

Date:
13 Jul 2003
Time:
04:25:30

Todays Journal

July 12

Our sixth anniversary. My wife's in the Philippines, but will be back on Wednesday.

No exercise today. Spent a couple of hours moving my computer ( and I still don't have any sound for the system- I think a cord got wrecked). The new setup wiil hopefully be better ergonomically - better for my neck and legs.

It's still warm and muggy. Drank a beer and a pop. Finished the pistacchios and ate 2 slices of toast with peanut butter.

I'm really hoping the new computer setup will enable me to have fewer leg problems. I want to be able to exercise and not have hip, hamstring, knee, shin, etc. problems. The way I had the computer set up before didn't allow me to extend my legs properly. If this new setup helps eliminate muscle tightness and cramping I'll be happy.

Date:
14 Jul 2003
Time:
02:59:51

Todays Journal

July 13

No exercise today. Ate some nuts and 2 pieces of toast with peanut butter, but, otherwise, followed my meal plan.

Date:
15 Jul 2003
Time:
01:10:52

Todays Journal

July 14

One hour walk- Green Timbers. Followed my meal plan except for eating some linzetorte.

My walking seemed better today. Hopefully, this new setup for the computer is better for my legs.

Date:
16 Jul 2003
Time:
02:17:07

Todays Journal

July 15

One hour walk- Green Timbers. Ate peanut butter on toast and linzetorte (very calorific). My wife gets back from the Philippines tomorrow. Should do better at following my meal plan when I'm not preparing the meals. My wife cooks great healthy, nutritious meals.

Date:
17 Jul 2003
Time:
01:09:57

Todays Journal

July 16

One hour walk in my neighborhood. Followed my meal plan except for drinking a beer and a large hot chocolate made with soy milk, and eating some nuts and more linzetorte. Vicky's home!

Date:
18 Jul 2003
Time:
02:31:03

Todays Journal

July 17

It's 12:30 a.m. already ( a half hour after midnight) and I haven't exercised yet. I'm planning to go for a short walk before going to bed. My legs have been hurting, so I've been putting off any exercise. Drank a beer and a pop and 3 large glasses of juice. Ate a bag of cashew nuts. I'd better get back on track or I'll soon have put back on all the weight I've lost.

Date:
19 Jul 2003
Time:
03:09:21

Todays Journal

July 18

Short walk- Queen Elizabeth Park. Mostly followed my meal plan.

Date:
20 Jul 2003
Time:
02:49:20

Todays Journal

No exercise today. My hip continues to hurt quite a bit. Went to a party. Watched carefully what I ate, but drank 2 beers. Ate some soy ice-cream when we got home.

Date:
21 Jul 2003
Time:
02:17:26

Todays Journal

July 20

20 minutes walk- Barnet Marine Park. Ate chicken, salmon and caramel popcorn. My hip is bothering me a lot. I'm going to request an MRI.

Date:
22 Jul 2003
Time:
03:11:38

Todays Journal

July 21

No exercise today. Made appointment to see doctor about my hip on Wednesday. Followed my meal plan except for a calorific Greek dessert.

Date:
22 Jul 2003
Time:
21:36:32

Todays Journal

No exercise today, See the doctor tomorrow about my hip. Drank a beer and ate some nuts and a very sweet Greek dessert, but, otherwise, followed my meal plan.

Date:
24 Jul 2003
Time:
00:42:03

Todays Journal

Saw doctor today about my hip. He sent me for further X-rays. Discussed possible referral for surgery. No exercise today. Legs still troubling me too much. Physiotherapy tomorrow. Followed meal plan except for very calorific Greek dessert, tiny Kit-Kat bar and some Philippine candy.

Date:
24 Jul 2003
Time:
19:34:17

Todays Journal

I had my final assessment today. Since the start of the program I've lost weight, lost fat, and gained muscle. Excellent! Those were my goals. I've made progress, but Iwould have done lots better by cutting out the numerous "treats" I've had. I could have done a lot better by exercising more too. Lately, the arthritis in my right hip has been really bothering me; I'm going to focus on stretching and flexibility exercises and visit the physiotherapist much more often. Today I had a physio appointment and it really helped to loosen up my right hamstring. After my appointment I rode the exercice bike for 30 minutes. This was my first time on the exercise bike since June 8. My hip seems to be okay; maybe the bike is better than walking. So far today I've followed my meal plan.

Date:
26 Jul 2003
Time:
03:08:52

Todays Journal

July 25

One hour walk with Kelly- Green Timbers. Drank a pop and a beer, but, otherwise, stuck to my meal plan.

Date:
29 Jul 2003
Time:
01:10:33

Todays Journal

July 26

30 minutes exercise bike. Level 5- quite intense. I sweated a lot. Went to a party. I drank a beer and a pop and some juice. Ate a lot of steak and some salmon and a piece of very calorific birthday cake.

Date:
29 Jul 2003
Time:
01:15:29

Todays Journal

July 27

Walked around Whistler and Brandywyne Falls. Not really that much walking. More like short strolls. Drank 2 ciders. Followed my meal plan reasonably well except for a DQ chocolate dipped cone.

Date:
29 Jul 2003
Time:
01:40:37

Todays Journal

July 28

Got the results of the X-ray of my right hip. Not good. I asked for a photocopy: "There is tremendous degenerative arthritis with irregular articular bone, narrow joint space, degenerative cysts, marginal sclerosis and large periarticular lipping." My doctor has referred me to an orthopedic surgeon. It may take up to a year to see him. If he were to recommend immediate surgery, it might be a year to wait for the operation. I have read some recent articles in the Vancouver Sun about hip surgery. From what I've read, I might be best off with a ceramic hip replacement or, possibly, with a hip "resurfacing" procedure if I am lucky enough to have a surgeon who feels comfortable with these. Neither sounds particularly pleasing, but I want to be able to walk, so they both sound better than a wheelchair. Swam for 10 or 15 minutes and had a physio appointment. Followed my meal plan pretty well except for eating a soy bar. As I'm having various leg pains and problems I'm planning to do more swimming and try to figure out how to minimize trauma to my hip and knees while still being active. Reducing excess weight now has become a higher priority. I'm going to have to be much stricter with my diet as my exercise options are getting more limited and mobility is becoming more difficult. I'm going to need to think about strengthening my upper body as it's getting to be more difficult to strengthen my lower body.

Date:
30 Jul 2003
Time:
00:55:07

Todays Journal

No exercise today. I'm letting my left knee and right hip heal. Followed my meal plan except for some candied banana.

Date:
31 Jul 2003
Time:
07:38:54

Todays Journal

July 30

One hour walk along White Rock beach and back with Vicky and Rose. Walked quickly for the first half; leg problems second half. Followed my meal plan.

Date:
01 Aug 2003
Time:
02:13:56

Todays Journal

July 31

45 minute walk with Vicky- Tynehead Park. Followed my meal plan except for eating some candies and some soy ice-cream.

May 2
 

One hour on exercise bike at fat-burning heartrate. Bike was at level 5. This is the best I've done in a long time. I'm getting stronger and more aerobically fit. The first 35 minutes seemed fairly comfortable and easy to do. I could have lowered the setting to level 4 for the last 25 minutes, but I decided to challenge myself. My body is tired, but there should be benefits. My hip is not too bad.
 
Stuck to my meal plan, except for a beer during the hockey game (Hurray, Canucks!) and some soy ice-cream.

May 1
 

My right hip is sore. No exercise today. Ate 5 small chocolate eggs and drank a can of iced tea. Otherwise, stuck to my meal plan.

[ Return to Top ]

_______________________________________________________

APRIL JOURNALS

April 30

30 minutes exercise bike at fat-burning heartrate. Followed meal plan, except for a small amount of soy ice-cream.

April 29 

One hour walk to Guildford and back. Followed meal plan, except for 3 chocolate chip cookies and a small amount of soy ice-cream 

April 28 

One hour exercise bike at fat-burning heartrate. Felt good. Gave me a "runner's high", an adrenaline rush. My hip felt good after the workout and stayed better all day. 

Followed my meal plan, except for extra bananas with some soy ice-cream for dessert. 

April 27

One hour walk- Green Timbers. Well, I think the chocolate in the house is all gone now (consumed), so it won't be tempting me anymore. 

April 26

No exercise other than mowing the lawn. The chocolates and beer were not on my meal plan.

April 22

Felt very tired today. Not enough sleep last night. No exercise. My groin is bothering me and my legs are tired. Drank a pop and ate some of my wife's DQ Peanut Buster Parfait. At the moment the Canucks are leading 3-1.

April 21

Before going to bed (was it at 1:00 a.m. or 2:00 a.m?) I ate my chocolate Easter egg. Now it's gone and I'm going to try to ban sugar from my diet- no chocolate, candy, cake, cookies, ice-cream, etc.

 
As well, I'm going to leave out meat (will substitute beans instead), fish, chicken ( will substitute beans), dairy products, nuts, oils, bread, pasta, fruit juice, and dried fruit. For beverages I'm going to concentrate on water and herb tea.
 
I will eat meals like brown rice and yams, vegetable stew, and shepherd's pie made with beans instead of hamburger.
 
It should be easier to just say no to all sugar treats rather than try to cut down on them. It will be a big change of habit, so I will have to be on guard to keep to my resolve.
 
This morning for breakfast I had porridge without the usual raisins or maple syrup. It wasn't as sweet as I'm used to, but it was okay. I use no-fat soy milk; there are sugars in the soy milk, so adding maple syrup and raisins adds, unnecessarily, to the sugar level. I skipped orange juice and my coffee substitute beverage with maple syrup and drank water and weak green tea.
 
Ate wisely the rest of the day- no sugary treats, just healthy food. 30 minutes on exercise bike at fat-burning heartrate.
 
Went to bed way too late. Now that I'm starting on better diet habits and making a good effort to exercise regularly, the area where I need to improve most is getting to bed earlier and getting enough quality sleep.

April 20

A friend of mine told me today he has lost 10 pounds over the last six weeks and he feels much better for it. Six weeks ago Paul's doctor told him his blood sugar reading was too high and that he should cut out all that white crystal, refined sugar. Paul took the message to heart and has cut out all chocolate, candy, cookies, cake, pie, ice-cream, etc. for the last 6 weeks. As well, he increased his exercise intensity and increased his water intake. Sound like a familiar formula? He hasn't seen the doctor again yet, but odds are his blood sugar readings will be lower at his next appointment.

 
As for me, I didn't exercise today. Ate Easter lunch at a neighbor's and Easter dinner at another friend's party. Watched what I ate and drank for lunch and dinner, but, unfortunately, while working on my income tax return and before going to bed, ate four chocolate truffles I received for Easter. Didn't eat my chocolate Easter egg.
 
Probably, it's best  to quit sugar "cold turkey", completely. I noticed that after eating a couple of chocolate truffles I got hungry and ate 2 pieces of pizza. I'm sure my insulin levels were raised by the truffles and, likely, my raised insulin levels caused my appetite to be stimulated. 
 
It's hard to change habits. I have to do some more paperwork tomorrow and the chocolate Easter egg would be a nice treat to make up for the boring paperwork. Tuesday would be a good day to start a no sugar routine.

April 19

Pushed my mom in her wheelchair for about a 30 minute walk. Ate a lot of pizza, some nuts and some Girl Guide cookies.

April 18

45 minutes exercise bike at fat-burning heart rate. Mostly at level 4. My body still is feeling Wednesday's 45 minutes on the exercise bike, so level 5 raises my heart rate too high this time.

Stuck to my meal plan, except for eating some chocolate covered almonds.

April 17

No exercise today. Stayed up late last night. My body feels tired today. Ate some small chocolate eggs, a small chocolate bunny, some sugared papaya, and drank a pop.

April 16

Had my assessment with Neaghn today. I've gained weight and my waste is bigger, but my bodyfat percentage has decreased- I've gained more muscle than fat. I've gone from about 20.5% bodyfat to about 19.6% (I think those are the numbers Neaghn told me). My exercise has built muscle, but all the indulging in treats I've done has shown up too.

Rode the exercise bike for 45 minutes at fat-burning heart rate. Felt good when I was done. I exercised from about 6:45 p.m.- 7:30 p.m. on an empty stomach. I was pleased to do a long workout (for me) and pleased that my heart rate stayed fairly low most of the duration of the workout even though I was working at level 5 on the bike the whole time. Sometimes when I work out at level 5 I have to drop down to level 4 because my heart rate is getting too high and I'm exerting too hard. This workout felt good while I was doing it, and afterwards.

Ate a light, healthy dinner after my workout. No dessert, other than 2 slices of papaya fruit. Good progress today!

April 15

15 minutes treadmill at fat-burning heart rate. Got up late and feeling tired. Did only a minute or two of weights.  Staff luncheon today; ate some desserts and other foods not on my meal plan.

 April 14

30 minutes exercise bike at fat-burning heart rate. Stuck to meal plan. 

April 13 

One hour walk- Green Timbers. Stuck to my meal plan. Going to bed early tonight to get a good start on the week.

April 12

Followed my meal plan. No exercise today.

April 11

Stuck to my meal plan fairly well today. No exercise.

April 10

15 minutes treadmill at fat-burning heartrate. Eating healthier today.

April 9

This morning I was happy to see a statue of Saddam Hussein tumbling in Baghdad, and to see Iraqis celebrating their freedom. Perhaps the killing will soon come to an end and, hopefully, better things lay ahead for the Iraqi people. The fall of the statue seemed symbolic of the fall of Saddam's regime.

 For me the fall of the statue is symbolic of a turnaround in my fitness and diet regime. I've been staying up late watching coverage of developments in Iraq. With more television watching my exercise time and effort has declined and my eating habits have suffered. I think I will soon be back on track to better fitness and eating.

 Walked one hour to Green Timbers Park, around the lake, and back home. Binged today on a package of Smarties and 4 Nanaimo bar squares. Planning to change course for the better starting tomorrow. 

April 8

 Today was a negative progress day. No exercise and ate a Crispy Crunch chocolate bar and 2 Nanaimo bar squares.

April 7

30 minutes on exercise bike at fat-burning heartrate. My hip was okay. Stuck to my meal plan today, except for eating 2 Nanaimo bar squares

April 6

One hour walk to Green Timbers Park, around lake, and back with Kelly. My right hip has been bothering me this past week. Walking today was kind of difficult. Sat down on several benches to rest. Need to do more strengthening and stretching of my right leg. Hopefully riding the exercise bike tomorrow will free up the muscles.

April 5

Stuck to my meal plan pretty well today. Not much exercise other than walking around in stores shopping.

April 4

No exercise today either. I didn't sleep well again. TGIF!

Start of a new week!

April 3

No exercise today. Had a terrible sleep last night. Just feel tired. Plan to go to bed early tonight and get a good start tomorrow.  

Ate a package of M & M's and some of Vicky's ice-cream birthday cake. Time to get back on track.

April 2 

35 minute walk around Langara Golf Course. Probably gaining weight, rather than losing, yesterday and today. My wife's birthday party was yesterday. I ate a lot of steak and some ice-cream cake. Today I visited my parents and ate some handfuls of mixed nuts (mostly cashews). My mom came home from the hospital today.

 April 1


15 minutes using Healthrider. It's a bit like a rowing machine; both arms and legs get exercised. Didn't do weight sets because I got up too late.  

It's Vicky's birthday today! We're having company, so I'm busy getting ready and will be busy entertaining this evening. Will have to watch what I eat.

[ Return to Top ]

MARCH JOURNALS

March 3

 no exercise today, recovering from cold, finishing report cards!

March 4

40 minutes using Tectrix exercise bike; heart-monitored at fat-burning pulse; feels good; makes me feel happy & alive; feel like I've accomplished something; bike feels better for my hip than walking; seems to have freed -up some muscle cramps planning to go to bed earlier than usual tonight, contemplating exercising tomorrow morning depending on how I feel.

March 5

 no exercise today. I feel worn out from yesterday's exercise.

March 6

One hour walk- Green Timbers

March 7

Someone phoned at 4:00 a.m. I feel tired. No exercise today

March 8

45 minutes on exercise bike with heart rate mostly 120-140 beats per minute; a hard workout.
 
Consultation with John. I'm quite impressed with the program. According to John I shouldn't be going above 130 pulse for fat burning. I think I will feel less worn out that way. Plan future workouts to be in the 120-130 beats per minute range.
 
I like the outline of cardio for Monday, Wednesday, Friday and weights Tuesday and Thursday.
Program seems good. I just need to stick to it.
 
I'm happy my vegan diet can be accommodated in this program. ( I try to eat no animal products- no meat, milk, fish, cheese, chicken, etc., but , unfortunately sometimes eat chocolates, ice-cream, cake, etc. Also, my wife gets us invited to a party or two nearly every week and I tend to eat chicken or steak or whatever.) In my meal program I just need to substitute beans for meat. I bought 2 cans of Gensoy protein powder at Gator's Gym Gear store today. I'm planning to have shakes with protein powder, a banana, and chocolate or no-fat soy milk. These should taste good.
 
Met Debbie and Cynthia at Gator's Gym Gear store. It's good to be doing this program with others.

March 17 

40 minutes exercise bike at fat burning heart rate. Following meal plan fairly well. 

March 18

Had a shake last night about 9:00 p.m. Didn't eat breakfast and exercised at noon today. 15 minutes Healthrider as warm-up. Only did a very short workout with weights. I felt weak. 15 hours with no food took its toll. Better do my exercise early from now on so I can eat breakfast early. Today I was doing other things, so I put off exercising, and I didn't want to eat breakfast before I exercised. 45 minutes exercise bike, mostly at fat-burning heartrate.

March 19

(Did go as high as 135 beats per minute.) Drinking lots of water and eating carefully. I seem to be getting fitter and stronger. 15 minutes Healthrider as warm-up, followed by a short weight workout. Feeling muscle fatigue, so didn't do much with the weights.  Meal plan going fairly well, although my dinner last night was way too big.

March 22

45 minutes exercise bike at fat-burning heartrate. TGIF- I'm glad I won't be working out on the weekend; just plan to walk. I'm making progress. A short while ago I couldn't have done three 45 minute workouts on the exercise bike in a week. (Well, one 40 minute workout and two 45 minute workouts.) Plus 2 workouts with the Healthrider followed by sets with weights!
 
We were in a hurry to visit my parents, so I went light on dinner, but paid for it by eating handfuls of mixed nuts (mostly cashews ) at my parents' house. 

March 23

45 minute walk in Tynehead Park with Vicky & Kelly.
Good exercise on a beautiful, sunny afternoon. Spring has sprung!
 
Need to get to bed earlier, get up earlier. Need to cut t.v. time ( too much Iraq war coverage) & computer time. My eating schedule has been getting out of whack because I've been staying up late.

March 24

30 minutes exercise bike. Sticking to meal plan. Feeling a bit stiff and sore, there is, hopefully, gain in the pain.

March 25

15 minutes on treadmill as warm-up, followed by sets with weights. It feels good to do strengthening exercise. I'm used to mostly just walking. The weights make my muscles feel tired, but it's a good tired feeling, knowing I'm using muscles that haven't been challenged for quite a while.

March 26

Before dinner did 45 minutes on exercise bike at fat-burning heartrate. Shouldn't have eaten 3 chocolates and a piece of cake.

March 27

15 minutes on treadmill at fat-burning heartrate, followed by sets with weights. Feeling tired. Took a nap when I got home from work, then stayed up too late.

March 28

30 minutes on exercise bike before dinner. I feel like I had a terrible sleep last night, so the exercise is a struggle. Fell asleep tonight watching the news.

March 29

One hour walk in Green Timbers Park. I'm glad that my plan calls for just light exercise on the weekend. My body is tired and needs to recover. My walk felt like plenty of exercise for today. 

Didn't go to Gator's Gym Gear. Instead took my father (He's 90 years old.) to visit my mother in the hospital (She's 85 and has terminal cancer and seriously advanced diabetes.). They gave Vicky her birthday present in advance (She's 43 on April 1.). Then my dad and I dropped Vicky off at a party we were invited to and Dad and I had dinner together. We watched tennis (videotaped) and hockey on TV. I ate several handfuls of nuts and had a beer. Afterwards, I picked Vicky up from the party and I ate a bag of chocolates the hostess gave me. Certainly didn't stick to the meal plan today! Fell asleep watching the news.

March 30


No exercise today. Didn't sleep well last night. I've felt tired all day today. Would have gone for a walk, but busy getting ready for Vicky's birthday.

March 31

30 minutes exercise bike at fat-burning heartrate. Helped a worthy cause and bought a $2.00 chocolate bar. Offered some chocolate bar to 2 others, but they declined, so I ate it myself. Munched on cookies provided for our staff meeting. I still haven't adjusted my snacking habits to match my fitness goals. I exercised in the morning, so I seem to be telling myself I can have a reward. Progress will be much better without these fattening rewards.