Photos

Justin's post

I've been meaning to post some pictures from my recent trip to China and Peru.  So since I don't have a lot to write about today, here they are.

This is downtown Anqing China.  It really isn't a tourist destination, but the downtown area seems like a happening place.  Although I spent 3 days here I didn't take many pictures.

This is old town Shanghai.  The buildings here are all examples of traditional Chinese architecture and house little shops.  I like this picture because you can see the Word Financial Center in the background.

More old town Shanghai.

Right next to the old town are the Yu Yuan Gardens.  This is a beautiful area that was built for an important family during the Ming dynasty.

The gardens have a lot of little pools and pagodas.

The level of detail is amazing.  All of the rocks were specifically placed where you see them.

This is the main pool in the gardens.

Every surface has painstaking detail.  There are patterns made with rocks of different sizes and shapes.

Mosaics too.

The theatre.

I love the dragon wall.

This is a view of People's Square from the hotel.

More of People's Square.

Peru stood in stark contrast to China.  At least the part of Peru I was in was incredibly poor.  Many of the houses were these little shacks build right into the hillside.

My hotel was cute and quaint with little apartments connected with cobblestone streets.

It was really an oasis in the desert as there was virtually no vegetation outside of the hotel property.

The van here is a bus.  There would be literally 20 people or more packed into these buses going wherever they needed to go.

These little motorcycle-powered carts are taxis.  It seemed like the majority of vehicles on the road were either buses or taxis like in these pictures.

What I was proud of today

I made it through Yummy Monday fairly well for the most part.  I didn't eat too much so I was able to exercise tonight, which is definitely better than other Mondays have been.

What I wasn't proud of today

One thing that Kim does really well is avoiding snacking in the evening.  She tries not to eat anything after 7:00, and it seems like she does a good job of that.  I don't do as well and today I couldn't resist snacking after I exercised.

Track of the day

Wonderwall - Oasis

Weekly Weigh-In #7

Kimberly:

189.6

Justin:

192.2

Where we were:

                    Kimberly                  Justin

4/1/12         190.2                        200.0

4/8/12         191.2                        199.2

4/15/12       189.2                        197.0

4/22/12       188.6                        195.0
4/29/12       188.2                        194.4

5/13/12       189.0                        193.8

what we're going for:

Our Goals in Numbers

Kimberly:

Optimum BMI - 19-25

Optimum Weight - 135

Justin:

Optimum BMI - 20-25

Optimum Weight - 150

Justin's post

Wow I've been terrible at writing this week.  I definitely meant to write a post on Tuesday.  And then I really meant to write a post on Wednesday, and Thursday, and Saturday.  I will definitely try to do better this week.

This past week has been pretty good for exercise.  I ran 5 miles on Monday, used the elliptical on Tuesday*, played basketball on Wednesday, used the elliptical again on Friday, ran 8 miles on Saturday, and used the elliptical again today.  With the exception of Thursday I've achieved my goal of 30 minutes of exercise every day this week.  And I have a decent weight today to show for it.

*Since writing about sweating when using the elliptical in my last post I've paid more attention to it this week.  I absolutely sweat more in 30 minutes on the elliptical than running 8 miles outside.  So obviously the amount of sweat depends on more factors than just the amount of effort expended during exercise.  In my case I think I get warmer in my basement that has little air circulation than outdoors where there is wind as well as the breeze from my own movement.

Looking forward, I have two weeks until the end of the month when I need to hit my target of 189.4, which means one pound a week.  That's certainly achievable.  We are going on vacation the end of this week visiting my family in Utah.  My parents are renting a condo near a spa in the mountains and I think I'll have plenty of opportunity to exercise with all the trails in the area and the exercise facility at the spa.  I think it will be a lot of fun and I think I can get some good exercise in too.  Of course my real weakness is food, so we'll see how it goes.

What I was proud of this week

I had an awesome 8 mile run yesterday.  On a longer run the last couple of miles are typically pretty difficult, but yesterday I felt great and picked up the pace towards the end of the run.  I want to sign up for another race so I have something to work towards, but I'm waiting for my work schedule to firm up somewhat so I can be sure I'm in town.

What I wasn't proud of this week

I have no excuse for dropping the ball on Thursday, especially when its so easy to do sit-ups and pushups.  I think I'm avoiding those exercises because I'm not as good at them, which is a terrible reason.

Track of the week

Home - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Um.  I am obviously moving in the wrong direction.  I've been all consumed with the crafty competition I'm in right now (SYTYC) and another big project whose due date is looming on my horizon.  It's excuses, I know, but it's really true that all of my spare time is spent working on one of these two things.

At the end of the week we're going to Utah.  I'm actually looking forward to their more active lifestyle than my family, and for the outdoor opportunities - something I haven't paid much attention to in the past, but it'll be a great way to get my butt in gear.

Goals remain the same.  

Sweating

Justin's post 
This might sound funny, but I like sweating. When I'm working out and I start to feel the sweat running down my face I feel great. I think its a form of instant gratification for me--its reinforcement that what I'm doing is working. Its a similar idea as to why I enjoy running outside much more than running on a treadmill. The drops of sweat are like the passing scenery telling me that I'm doing a good job. 


Sweating is one of the saving graces of using a treadmill or elliptical. I've written in the past about how I really struggle with only having the electronic display on the machine counting down the workout and how I need something more viceral than just a number to give me feedback. So as I was using the elliptical tonight I was reflecting on how I enjoyed the sweat. I find it very satisfying that just 30 minutes on the elliptical can leave me drenched in sweat. Intellectually I know this isn't necessarily a good measure of the workout because when I run outside I don't usually get as sweaty (I think its because the sweat evaporates faster when I run outside). But whatever the case it makes me feel good and its important to stay motivated. 


What I was proud of today 
I've definitely been getting back into the my exercise habits the past two days and I've been playing catch up at the same time with the yard work that didn't get done when I was gone. Yesterday I ran 5 miles and mowed my lawn and today I used the elliptical for 30 minutes plus more yard work that I didn't have time for yesterday. 


What I wasn't proud of today 
Although I worked hard yesterday I still ate too much for Yummy Monday. This is really becoming a theme... which I'm also not proud of... 


Track of the day 
Dragostea Din Tei - OZONE 
These guys were an internet sensation a few years ago (or at least the chubby "Numa Numa" guy). But the song is fun and the music video is hilarious. Its like Romania had to make up for spending the 80's behind the Iron Curtain.

Almost Weekly Weigh-In #6

Kimberly:

189.0

Justin:

193.8

Where we were:

                    Kimberly                  Justin

4/1/12         190.2                        200.0

4/8/12         191.2                        199.2

4/15/12       189.2                        197.0

4/22/12       188.6                        195.0
4/29/12       188.2                        194.4

what we're going for:

Our Goals in Numbers

Kimberly:

Optimum BMI - 19-25

Optimum Weight - 135

Justin:

Optimum BMI - 20-25

Optimum Weight - 150

Justin's post
I'll be completely honest - I'm shocked that I lost weight over the last two weeks.  Granted, it wasn't a lot of weight, but my main goal was simply not to gain anything since I didn't expect to have many chances to exercise.  And in practice that was the case - I only exercised twice during the whole trip.  My eating my have improved in Peru since the food at the factory cafeteria was less than stellar.  But for the most part I didn't make much of an effort to lose weight during the trip.  Luckily we finished up the work we had early so I was able to come home 3 days early.  I'm sure I'll get back on track now that I'm home and have more control over my schedule.


In my last post I shared a funny experience exercising at my hotel in Peru.  My second trip to the exercise facility was also interesting.  Again I chose the treadmill, but this time I chose the manual mode and slowly increased the speed.  But then all on its own the speed shot up to 12 km/hr.  I tried to turn it down, but it would just shoot back up to 12.  I tried to run at that speed for a while, but eventually I got tired.  It turns out that the speed up button had been stuck down, so I got it unstuck and was able to run at the speed of my choice.  The perils of old equipment.


What I was proud of today
Friday was my last day in Peru.  I worked in the factory until 6 p.m. and took a taxi back to the hotel.  I quickly changed and went straight to the exercise facility since I had just enough time for a workout before I had to leave for the airport.  Take advantage of opportunities when you have them.


What I wasn't proud of today
I fully intended to use the elliptical yesterday evening, but I sat down on the couch and promptly fell asleep.


Track of the day
Cherub Rock - Smashing Pumpkins

Ok, so I went up again.  By a few tiny ounces.  I admit that without Justin around, this weight loss thing is a nightmare.  Not only do I not have his nagging er, loving encouragement right there by me every night (or at least right before our weigh-ins) but I it's also more apparent to me than ever when he's gone that I am an emotional eater.  Essentially, mr's work trips mean I'm doomed.

Ok, maybe not DOOMED.  I just need to redouble my efforts... retriple?  Requadruple?  Something like that.

Well, it's Mother's Day.  And in honor of mother's day my own mother made the most deliciously delectable family favorite desserts EVER.  So I ate them.  And in honor of mother's day, I refuse to feel guilty.  That's right.  No guilt.

Ok.  Maybe a little.

Someone want to send some motivation my way?  Because evidently embarrassing myself all over the world-wide web in a very publicly humiliating type of way just isn't enough.

A Crazy Week

Justin’s Post

This has been a crazy week.  I’ve been in the USA, China, The Netherlands and Peru, spending most of my time in airports, airplanes, factories, and hotels.  As I mentioned in my last post, which regrettably was over a week ago, I knew this business trip would be a challenge for me because of the limited opportunities for exercise and the business dinners.  And I was right.  I’m sad to say this in the last week I have exercised only once and I don’t even want to think about all the meals I’ve eaten.  I haven’t even seen a scale, so I really hope that I haven’t gained much weight.  Anyway, here is a quick summary of the past week.

I left on Tuesday morning to travel to Anqing China for my work.  Anqing is a small city (by China standards) about 300 miles west of Shanghai.  To get there I take a 1 hour flight to Detroit, have a 3 hour layover, take a 13 hour flight to Shanghai, spend the night there, and finally another 1 hour flight to Anqing.  Now it’s Thursday morning and I go straight to the factory to work the rest of the day.  My hotel in Anqing doesn’t have an exercise facility, which is very disappointing because I am not going to go running on the street (for many reasons).  But with the time change and long hours in the factory I’m not really in the mood to exercise when I’m done in the evening anyway.  I actually really like authentic Chinese food for the most part, except that the meat is not usually the most choice cuts (pig ears, cow stomach, chicken cartilage, for example).  So I didn’t exercise at all in China and I don’t think I helped myself with how much I ate.

I flew back to Shanghai on Sunday, and spent 12 hours there before starting on the next leg of my trip.  From there I was off to Lima Peru by way of Amsterdam.  I had an 11 hour flight to Amsterdam where I had a 5 hour layover before my 12 hour flight to Lima, which arrived Monday night.  Now I’m in Peru also spending long hours working in a factory, but at least my hotel has an exercise facility.  I exercised for the first time this trip last night.  The hotel is pretty old and so was all the equipment, but at least it worked.  The funny thing was that when I got there all the lights were off and I couldn’t find a light switch.  Eventually I decided to just run in the dark since there was enough light coming in through the windows to see.  About halfway through the lights turned on on their own, so I’m guessing they’re programmed to come on at a certain time.  I decided to run on a treadmill that was really annoying.  I selected a training program that had pre-programed speeds and inclines.  Soon after starting I decided that the speed was too slow so I sped it up.  The annoying this was that at each new leg of the program it would go back to the programmed speed even though I was going faster, so I would have to increase the speed again every time.  But at least I got some exercise.

Peru is a sobering place to visit because it is really, really poor.  So many people live in crude shelters built into the hillside with only rocky paths leading up to them.  It’s really dusty and dry with no vegetation, feral dogs all over, and many of the roads aren’t paved.  It makes me appreciate what I have and the opportunities and privileges of being from the USA.  I’ll be here for another week or so and hopefully I’ll be able to take advantage of the exercise facility regularly.

What I was proud of this week

Yesterday I finally got to exercise and I ate very reasonably at the buffet afterwards.

What I wasn’t proud of this week

Granted it isn’t possible to exercise on a plane or in an airport (unless you’re running to catch your connection!), and I my hotel in China didn’t have an exercise facility, but I didn’t even make an attempt to exercise.  I could have easily done pushups and sit-ups at the very least.

Track of the week

Beekeeper’s Daughter – The All-American Rejects

Weekly Weigh In - One Month

Kimberly:

188.2

Justin:

194.4

Where we were:

                    Kimberly                  Justin

4/1/12         190.2                        200.0

4/8/12         191.2                        199.2

4/15/12       189.2                        197.0

4/22/12       188.6                        195.0

what we're going for:

Our Goals in Numbers

Kimberly:

Optimum BMI - 19-25

Optimum Weight - 135

Justin:

Optimum BMI - 20-25

Optimum Weight - 150

Justin's Post

One month down and I met my goal!  I lost 5.6 pounds this past month and it feels great; plus I'll get a small monetary reward.  I've worked hard, exercised most days, and ran a half marathon.  As good as this month has been, I have some real challenges coming up next month.

On Tuesday I'm leaving on a two-week long business trip to China and Peru where I know I'll have a really hard time finding time to exercise and resisting the temptation to overeat.  I'll have a number of really long flights, hotels without gyms, and unfriendly streets* so I know exercise will be hard to come by.  At the same time business trips are notorious for long plentiful meals, plus the fact that its all on the company's dime so I don't have the monetary incentive to keep the quantity of food in check.

*Going running on the street in China is akin to taking your life in your hand.  In the United States we make fun of drivers in other parts of the country, but its nothing compared to other countries.  China is like the wild west of driving--all signs, road markings, even the direction of traffic flow are mere suggestions.  They drive like its a dog-eat-dog world and everyone is fighting for the same scrap of pavement to maneuver their car into and they're competing with scooters, bikes, rickshaws, and pedestrians for said scrap of pavement.

After the two-week business trip I'm home for a week and then we're going out of town to visit family.  I'm not as worried about the family trip since we're visiting my parents who are also runners and I'm sure we'll get some exercise in.  So I'm thinking if I can make it through the first two weeks of this month without gaining weight I'll have been successful.

What I was proud of today

Making myself use the elliptical at 11:00 p.m.

What I wasn't proud of today

To be honest, I kind of took it easy the past two days since I knew I would meet the 5 pound goal.

Track of the day

Rain - Creed




I don't know exactly what my issue has been this week, but it's been a difficult one, emotionally and mentally.  The weather is gross, it's cold, it's rainy, the kids are INSANE and I feel overwhelmed with the amount of things I need to get done - housework, blog stuff, competition stuff for So You Think You're Crafty, a BIG upcoming project, etc, etc.  I know I'm not the only one who has overwhelming days or weeks... and I'm certainly not the only one who deals with them by sloughing off certain priorities.  I feel bad about it, but this week was a horrible week for exercise and food.  I've definitely gotten in the habit of controlling my portions better and not snacking.  That's good - and probably the only thing keeping me from GAINING weight... But I have GOT to better with exercising.  Once again, I took a walk with the kids - once.  We were going to ride our bikes, but the bike trailer for the kids broke.  I felt forces conspiring against me - but actually it's just my own negativity that I need to overcome.  
I have not been looking forward to tomorrow - being the day that Justin leaves for at least two weeks.  He arrives home just before our anniversary (and he's supposed to be on a camp out for boy scouts that day...) The kids are sad without Justin.  I am sad without Justin.  There's double the work without Justin.  So I've been doing a fair amount of dreading, which I know has contributed to my bad attitude lately.
Fortunately, I did not GAIN weight this week.  I did not lose any significant amount of weight, even over the course of the whole month.  It's sad, but in a way I'm glad that Justin DID even though I didn't because he won't let me hear the end of it if it happens again...
I need to kick it up a notch or 12.

My Weight History

Justin's Post
I've been meaning to write about my weight history for a while, but for one reason or another I've put it off.  Until today.  I have been caught in the classic yo-yo cycle with my weight since I was in high school.  In high school I joined the wrestling team and really got in shape for the first time in my life.  Thats also when I stopped growing (vertically at least), so it makes a logical place to start.  I wrestled in the 152 pound weight class, which happens to be my ideal weight based on my height and BMI.  Right after high school I served a two year mission for my church where my physical fitness was a low priority for me.  I came home weighing about 200 pounds.  Its interesting that those two points have been the bookends for my weight for the past 12 years--its gone up and down but never much higher than 200 or much lower than 150.


When I got home from my mission I took up running, thanks to my parents, and its been something I've enjoyed ever since.  I put a lot of effort into running, but it took a while before I noticed any results.  A big part of that was learning to eat healthier, but as soon as I figured it out I steadily lost weight until I got down to about 150 pounds.  Then I got married.  I'm not sure why exactly I put on weight so quickly after getting married, but I know I wasn't eating as healthily as before or exercising as much.  And I was really busy finishing my degree, and then working full time.  But before I knew it I was back to about 200 pounds.


Then my wife's extended family decided to have a big family competition to encourage everyone to lose weight.  I really took advantage of the competition and at the same time set a goal to run a marathon.  That time I steadily lost weight from day one.  I made it down to the 170's before the competition ended (due to only a few people still trying).  At that point I was focused on the marathon and the weight itself was a lower priority.  The interesting thing here is that if you're a serious runner you probably aren't going to lose weight because you'd rather burn sugar when running than fat (sugar is a much easier energy source for your body).  So I was drinking a lot of gatorade and eating pasta to have tons of energy for running.  So I didn't lose any more weight, but I did succeed in running a marathon.


Unfortunately as soon as the marathon was over I didn't have a goal that I was actively working on anymore and soon found myself back up at 200.  One thing was that I had picked up some poor eating habits from trying to have energy for running.  But I wasn't running as much anymore, so I gained weight quickly.  About a month ago I got the idea for the competition with Kim and this blog.  I now understand what I really need to lose weight and be healthy.  I need to have an active goal or competition, something to keep me focused and keep me motivated.  My thought is that by starting this blog I'll always have to be accountable to someone other than myself.  And if I do get down to 150 I'm going to keep blogging so that I can actually stay there this time.  Thats the plan.


What I was proud of today
I made myself go running even though it was chilly, windy, and I didn't really feel like it.  Now that the half marathon is behind me I kind-of have a "now what" feeling.  I need a new goal.  Stay tuned.


What I wasn't proud of today
Kim had plans for tonight so I was hanging with the kids by myself and they convinced me to make a treat.  So I made a milkshake for all of us when I really didn't need to eat anything.


Track of the day
Smooth Criminal - Glee Cast
I hope I don't lose my man card for liking the Glee Cast version more than the original, but its awesome.  I love the cellos.