Healthy Living in Connecticut Blog

My friend took some photos of my work out at the gym this past weekend. I wanted to see if there was any progress visible from all the hard work, with five days a week of strength training!

I think my arms are developing nicely. In fact, I'm surprised how the triceps are starting to show. The skin has tightened a lot in my arms and I feel so much stronger.

At the beginning of the month, I decided to do a 30 day plank challenge. The goal is by the end of the month to hold a plank for 5 minutes. For those that aren't familiar with the plank, the basic plank exercise is a way to improve core strength and stability. You begin in a plank position with your forearms and toes on the floor while your torso is straight. The body in a straight line with no sagging. The abs are being held in as if they are waiting for a punch.

It's difficult to hold the position for a long time because you are really engaging your abs. The longest I've gone is three minutes non stop. I want to get to five minutes because I think it will further strengthen my core and tighten my abs. It won't be easy, but my hope is by the end of the challenge, I'll get to five minutes.

I remember when I first started losing weight a little over three and a half years ago. I would feel somewhat embarrassed with all the attention and would sometimes understate how much weight I lost. But, eventually I had to admit my weight loss to others. I was always afraid of people's shock when they would hear the number... 140 pounds, Oh My God! Of course, now it's been over 150 pounds lost, but anyway... 

Personally, I have no desire to get to a certain number. I'm very happy with my weight... in fact, if it goes down a little on the scale, I get nervous as I don't want my weight to go lower. I judge by how I look... despite the sagging skin on my abs, I know that I don't need to worry about my weight. I'm proud of the weight I lost and have no interest in losing anymore. I know I have an athletic body fat percentage and that my waist circumference is considered healthy. For me, it's all about being healthy. But there are other people I've talked to that obsess about getting to a certain number on the scale.

A few months ago, I did an email interview with Derek Mitchell. He made the national news as he is doing a 5K race every month and plans to lose 175 pounds by the end of this year. He started out at about 570 pounds but he's doing an awesome job and inspiring thousands of others! I wanted to update on how Derek was doing, as he just announced he completed his ninth race. Great job Derek! If you're ever in CT, let us know... I'm sure many of your fans here would do a race with you!

1. How many races you've participated in so far?

9 - 8 live 5k's and 1 virtual 5k.

Today, I saw my personal trainer for the first time in a month. What a difference from last month’s numbers! My trainer measured my body fat with an instrument called the Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, and that number came down two percentage points since last month, and it read 16.5!!!

He then used the calipers and after measuring my legs, chest and abs, my total body fat percentage was now 10.6! 10.6... I can't believe it, I'm so close to my goal!

I have been working incredibly hard but I have a ton of energy. My muscle is definitely increasing and the numbers reflect that. My abs, at least to me, have tightened a great deal since last year. I asked my doctor about how much they will tighten and he's not sure if they will tighten further. If they don't, I am so happy with the results anyway. If they do continue to tighten as I stay within ten percent, even better. I know it's worth it as I feel stronger than ever and have lots of energy.