Freaking Out II

I'm not as freaked out today, as I was last week about the licensing exam.

It's doable. I just learned some of the friends that passed -- and if they passed, then I sure as hell can pass. Odds are 2:1, essentially, in favor of me passing. Just have to be organized and learn tons of material and go in with my head on straight. I can make it work. It's a nice feeling -- I've sure as hell been through worse.

PROGRESS

Progress has been slow recently - due to numerous other commitments. Still trying to manage life with a GF who works out 2-3 times per week, against my standard of trying to get more like 6-10 workouts in per week. It's hard going at times.

She likes to eat out, though we've mellowed at that a bit. Today we went to a nice deli near her place -- my solution to high calorie food: split things. Order a full salad and a hamburger -- and then eat half salad, half of hamburger (and some fries) -- but better than just ordering a hamburger. It's a nice solution to a troubling problem. . .

I started looking the other night at my potential triathlon races next year. It's exciting if I can pass the exam -- then money isn't such a huge issue (well, I do have lots of debt) -- but at least I'll have some cash flow. . .

Though I thought I wouldn't want to do any more xterra's. . . I think I'm down for 1-2 next year. M also wants to do some running -- at least she thinks she does -- so I'll probably do a 5k or 10k with her in December. . .

k

Body fat: 21.481%

Body fat via calipers tonight: 21.481%.

It seems to be coming along. . .

Blog Addition

Here's jessica's blog with some quite impressive before/after photographs. Nice work.

Freaking Out a Bit

Licensing Exam

So my licensing exam is fast approaching (actually it's not until February, but preparation for it begins in earnest in 1 month -- immediately after finals).

So, it's all bittersweet; immediately after finals ends, I begin preparation for the licensing exam. No time to stop and smell the coffee.

I still need to work out the details of my plan. In fact, I think I'll have 1-1.5 hours per day to get in some solid exercise. Although, I don't even think I'm going to ride my bike, as I fear a bike crash and I need to stay healthy (extra healthy) until February.

I was thinking the other day -- that I bet everything (financial, emotional, couple years of my life) on grad school. This bet comes to the fore in February. If I don't pass (in fact, the majority fail at this licensing exam -- only 48% passed the last exam) -- then I'll retry in July; but it will be quite difficult. I need to pass the first time around. In fact, my goal is to pass by such a wide margin that it's not even close. I will study harder for this exam than any other exam, because I don't think I can afford to fail at this -- just pure fear factor.

Nonetheless, I do think I'll have ~2 hours per day to get things happening in the exercise department. In fact, I'd like to replan my racing schedule next year.

I'd like to do ventura again, along with some SD races. I'll have to make it a point to look at that.

Enough.

k.

Body Fat (Calipers): 21.481%

So, normally I used the rusty caliper site (on sidebar) to determine my body fat via calipers. His site recommends that one take five measurements, throw out the low and the high, and then enter the three middle measurements as your data.

So, as an experiment, I did the following:

ONE MEASUREMENT

I took one measurement, and then used that one measurement, at each of the three sites, to determine my body fat via calipers.

RESULT: 21.391%

THE FIRST THREE MEASUREMENTS

The first three measurements, combine to the following:

RESULT: 21.481%

THROWING OUT LOW AND HIGH AND AVERAGING MIDDLE THREE:

RESULT: 21.481%

* * *

Ironic that the last two methods provide the same result -- and even the first method, provides a result that is "off" by 0.09%. It may be easier to simply take one measurement every few days -- and then take 5 measurements once a week or once a month. I suspect the accuracy won't vary much. . .

k

Pastor Loses 105 pounds

Hi Ken Pierpont has an interesting take on losing weight -- though I'm not particularly spiritual. . .

weights from 10.24 to 11.13.2005.  

appparently 04-2005 worksheets. 

GF and BodyFat - restaurant

So, I had a long discussion with the GF today about my weight loss struggles -- and we talked about various solutions.

Basically, I've had a steady line drop from Jan-05 to about May-05. It reduced significantly thereafter -- but remained with some minor losses. Since about Aug-05 until Nov-05 -- it's been stagnant or even headed upward. All problems like this are resolved by reviewing what it is that has changed. Mostly it's the arrival of her and my more lackadaisacal training approachinges. Combined with the end of the triathlon season.

k

Body Fat: 21.21% (calipers)

Caliper body fat, went back to normal and 21.21%. I still have the goal to get it down to 20% by last final: 12.20.2005.

My view? It's all about calories anyway.

Goal

It's pretty clear to me I'm going to miss the goal of 200 pounds or < 20% body fat by graduation of 12.22.2005.

Therefore, I'm going to revise it: 210 pounds or 21.00% (or lower) body fat no later than 12.22.2005.

200 pounds and 20.00 (or lower) % body fat by 02.22.2005 (professional exam time).

k

Dog gets 72nd in Alcatraz swim

Interesting, dog gets 72nd in recent alcatraz swim race.

Jurgen Zack and DAve scott -- Body Fat

Here's an interesting article about Jurgen Zack and Dave Scott -- discussing Zacks (too high in Scott's view) body fat. Zack defends himself.

Triathlon nutrition

Here's a nice guide to triathlon nutrition -- .

Food King - Eating Disorder (personal) story site

Here's an excellent site about (apparently) food eating disorders and art.

Nice Fellow Female Triathlete

Here's a nice fellow female triathlete in my area. She recently linked to me -- I'll add her to my links evenutally. . .

Low-Carb Diet Blog

Another blog that looks quite good -- from only reading it a second. Worthy of a second look for me.

REferrer Blogs

This is a good site about practical reality of trying to lose 100 pounds (showed up via a referral -- often the link to my best sources).

Oprah Advice

I saw this -- from a referrer blog -- and felt the need to discuss it.

This is one of those articles that is so general -- that it offers virtually nothing useful. If I could simply focus upon the road in front of me -- then I wouldn't be where I am now. I would be a healthy weight.

Hmmm.

Body Fat Calipers: 24.04%

A new HIGH body fat of 24.04% using calipers. At least the highest number I remember seeing in a while.

Bad times.

Though it's tempting to claim this as an inaccurate measurement due to just random shifting of data through multiple measurements. Even before taking the measurement I looked in the mirror -- and I appeared different. Furthermore, the recent scale weights have been in the upper 220s. . . so it would appear since weight is up by ~8-10 pounds -- that it could also very well be that body fat is up by 2%. . . I'm just surprised at how quickly it has risen.

Again, I think the magical formula isn't nearly as much exercise as it is kick-ass nutrition vigilance.

kc.

Driving Traffic to Blog

I began some research a few nights ago about how to drive traffic onto my blog.

The first question, I suppose is why do I even care who stops by this website (OK, if I could drive 150,000 people here, I could make a few bucks from google) -- but I honestly don't even have that sort of inclination.

I remember two key points -- and I do have the intention of doing both of them at some (hopefully soon-to-be) future date:

1. Write a kick-ass about me page. I have some biographical data buried in my blog (in the first month or so) -- but I probably need to sit down and smartly craft a 500-1500 word essay that tells all the readers (all 8 of you) who I am.

2. Write smaller entries with more frequency. I admit I do go to other sites, just to check and see how they're doing. If they never update, I'm not as interested. IF they update all the time, I'm much more interested.

anyhow. . .

k

More Blogging

More Blogging:

I would like to do more blogging, but I just can't seem to find the time. I considered dropping a quick entry tonight -- but gave up on it, because I didn't want to potentially flag myself as an internet abuser at a sensitive government job (I love the job -- but the particularities -- and the high profile potential image, are a bit tiring at times like these :-)).

I actually ate two (small) pieces of chocolate cake today. I did it at the end of the day -- and, yes, I did feel pretty guilty about it. It's not the end of the world, but it's not the get tough variety. I think I just feel powerless at times over the calling nature of sweets that get parked at the end of my desk. I honestly wish no one would bring that sort of food to the office -- I simply eat it. Period. If it wasn't there, I wouldn't eat it. Therefore, I guess in some measure I do feel a bit out of control about it -- much like an alcoholic who can't turn down a drink if it's put in front of him (I can easily do that. . . that's like nothing to me).

It also doesn't help that the new girlfriend likes to make ice cream -- from scratch at home. I don't think she understands that while I will gleefully eat it: a) I do actually wish she would NOT make it; and b) it's really NOT good for me.

I'm convinced more than ever that the road to abs (or 6% body fat) -- is paved with less food rather than more exercise. My demon is purely caloric -- not exercise.

On that note. . .

1 MILLION METERS - ROWING

In spite of (above), I made ~990,000 meters today -- another ~8,000 meters and I'm over the top. I'll be pretty stoked to get the t-shirt.

Management - Quick Thoughts

I'm trying to manage various spheres of my life today -- and there just isn't enough of me to go around.

I have 3 weeks of class -- then three weeks of finals. Then 2 weeks off. Then the professional exam that determines my entrance into the profession. It's the most high stakes gamble test I've ever taken (not to be melodramatic or anything).

So, that coupled with -- a new girlfriend, coupled with work at a nice government job (part-time) -- that should be a stepping stone to a future career -- all add up to a busy life. Hectic life. Too hectic at times.

I remember some point in the last year, where I endeavored to sleep 8 hours per night. . . I haven't been doing that lately. That's hard, because there just seems to be so little time to get everything on my goal sheet done. These days, it's a good night if I'm in bed by midnight. It'll all work-out (no pun intended) in a a few weeks though.

I do think I've (unhappily) identified the lynchpin of my weight loss problems: I very much fit the wikipedia definition for binging / compulsive overeating. I sometimes eat when I'm not really hungry and often feel guilty and self-conscious about eating. In some measure, I suppose, I should feel grand that I may have discovered the underlying cause of my affliction -- not sure whether I can develop a solution (or whether it will require professional intervention).

it's almost midnight, so I've got to go to bed.

cek.

Comments - Moderation: Good news / bad news

So, good news, bad news I suppose.

BAD NEWS:

It appears, the comments feature is being abused by spammers who want free advertising on blogs like mine. No thanks. It's super annoying. So, from now on, any comment will go through a moderator process. HOwever, there aren't that many comments, so it's pretty easy to manage.

GOOD NEWS:

But the good news is that I seem to have pretty strong traffic these days -- an average of 11 visits per day, at 3.5 minutes per day. So I'm happy to see that people are still reading, even though my comments are much more sporadic these days.

I'll keep posting though. Slowly but surely.

kc.

Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

Some of my coworkers (evidently) brought in their leftover candy. So I ate a bunch of it. And I feel bad about it.

Not only that, but my new girlfriend talked about being a binge eater -- and the diagnosis seemed to fit: See, article on wikipedia, binge eating.

And so today, I just kept eating candy after candy after candy (M&Ms and Reeses). Piles of it. And then, just like the diagnosis, I felt bad about it. I shouldn't be eating like that -- it's bad for me and I know it's bad for me. I'm not quite sure what to do about it, but I feel like I should do something.

But on a positive note, I currently have ~950,000 meters on the erg (I added 15,000 meters tonight). This means, probably next week, I'll get my 1 million meters done with concept2 and get the cool t-shirt (and plaque! -- well, certificate -- but the t-shirt is what I sort of really want).

Like I keep repeating -- I'm quite surprised (yet delighted) at how much I've enjoyed doing the indoor rowing (erg) for the past 6 months or so.

Body Fat: 22.11%

New low body fat: 22.11% via calipers.

I'm almost at the 1 million meters.

cek.