School Started last week for me. In that time many students and a few teachers made some comments that I have found inspiring, and in some cases hilarious.
Another teacher: "John-John...I have to ask you, how much weight did you lose this summer?" (This comment really made my day! It was the first time that someone who hasn't followed my journey noticed that I had lost weight)
A former student upon seeing me the first day of school: "Mr. Henrichsen, you look...different..."
Another former student, shouting in the hall before school: "Henrichsen lost weight! Henrichsen lost weight!"
Student: "Mr. Henrichsen, you look good!"
Another Teacher: "You're looking really good. Seriously, I've noticed. I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."
There's something about other people noticing the results of the changes that I've made in my life that is gratifying, impelling, and rewarding. Perhaps it's the distance I have yet ahead of me or the fact that I look at myself in the mirror everyday, but I've seen the numbers on the scale and I haven't been sure that I was seeing the results that I thought those number should represent. This has helped to change my perspective.
I started running again yesterday. My hip is still not back to 100%, but the pain I felt as I ran wasn't enough to keep me from running. And I really needed to run again. I never thought I would say this, but I really missed running the week and a half that I took off. I'm glad that I was able to start it up again.
I've written before about the mental toughness that has been required of me to keep running. Especially at the beginning of the C25K, I felt that each run I went on made me mentally stronger as well as physically stronger. Until I didn't run for a week and a half, I didn't realize how much mental strength that running gave me in other areas of my life. I learned that I could do hard things and that my persistence helped me to achieve new heights. After having a couple of harder days last weekend, getting back to running has been exactly what I've needed at this point in my journey.
Since June 30th I've lost 37 pounds and I've logged over 140 miles of walking/running for exercise. My goal weight for the end of August is less than one pound away with 5 days still to go!
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Monday, August 18, 2014
Week 7 Highlights
- I had to buy a smaller belt.
- One of my coworkers asked me how much weight I lost over the summer.
- My bruised hip is quickly healing.
- A "bad" day did not turn into a "bad" week.
- I have walked/run over 130 miles for exercise since June 30th
- I have lost 32 pounds in that same time.
Thanks again and always for your support! You have no idea how much it means to me!
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Yellowstone, Setback, and Moving Forward
Finally, at the end of my summer (I head back to school later this week), I went on vacation. For the first time in my life I visited Yellowstone National Park. It was amazing! As somewhat of a science fan-boy, I loved the incredible natural wonders that the park holds. I spent the better part of 3 days in the park and I know I only saw a small fraction of the wonder that it contains. The vistas and views were awe inspiring. The thermal features were breathtaking (but seriously, some of those you don't want to breathe around...). The wildlife made the biologist in me giddy with excitement. And the petrified tree gave me perspective on time. It was such an amazing trip and I'm so happy that my sisters made me go...ahem, I mean invited me to go with them. I can't wait to do it again soon!
I went on vacation with plans to continue the success that I've been having. The first night there, my brother-in-law told me that he wanted to exercise with me in the morning. The next morning we went walking around the island we were staying on. It was a refreshing 3+ mile morning walk. My sisters and I took turn preparing meals for the days that we were together. They are aware of the changes I've made in my food choices and were very accommodating to ensure that I had something that I would want to eat.
One of the most exciting things that I did outside of Yellowstone was four wheeling. I had never gone before, and I had a healthy respect for the power and risks of riding a four wheeler. The more I rode the more comfortable and confidant I became. Perhaps I became a bit too comfortable and confidant...
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It was afternoon (the picture above was taken in the morning) on a westward 4 wheeler path that ran parallel to a paved road. It was here that I didn't see the corrugated steel drainage pipe just to the left of the trail. I caught the pipe with my left front wheel. As I was flying through the air, probably going around 20 mph, I tried to piece together what was happening. Before I hit the ground I knew what had happened. Then I hit the ground, landing on the left side of my body, and rolled. I stopped rolling just a few feet from the sign in the picture above. I later went back and measured that the sign is 15 paces (25-30 feet?) from the pipe. After I stopped rolling I jumped up and was happy to note that I could still move on my own power, though painfully so. I noticed that my right arm got scraped up and that my hip was throbbing. I was following my brother-in-law and he must have noticed that I wasn't behind him anymore. By the time he turned around and came back to me I was back on the four wheeler ready to continue on. We had just gotten gas from the gas station and the plan was to go ride on some of the trails. So we went. I tried to have fun despite my fresh experience, but much of the previous confidence and comfort had left me. More hindering was the pain that I experienced with any bump or turn.
After we got back to the cabin, I started to clean my open wounds and assess the damage I had just inflicted on my body. I noted that most movement involving the right side of my body caused quite a bit of pain. I quickly realized that I was in no condition to run the next morning as part of my C25K training. This realization almost moved me to tears. It was to be the end of 6th week of training. I wanted to run, but I could barely walk...
Somehow I still managed to be able to walk around Yellowstone the next few days. Sometimes the pain wasn't bad, but sometimes it was barely bearable. There were times that I had to sit down and rest while my family moved on. Despite my injuries, I had an amazing time.
So now I sit here wondering what the next few weeks will hold for me. I don't know that I broke anything, I'm thinking about going to see a doctor just to be sure. I want to keep moving forward with my exercise, but since I made changes in my life so that I could live a healthier life it would be counter-productive to push through the pain if it's actually making an injury worse.
I guess it comes down to the fact that although I can't quite exercise how I've been exercising for the past 6 weeks, there are still things that I can control that will help to move me forward in this journey. It's not the end of the road, but merely a detour that I have to make to get me where I want to go.
Since June 30th I've lost 29.5 pounds (I really wanted that last .5 pound... hopefully tomorrow).
I've also logged over 115 exercise miles in that time.
I went on vacation with plans to continue the success that I've been having. The first night there, my brother-in-law told me that he wanted to exercise with me in the morning. The next morning we went walking around the island we were staying on. It was a refreshing 3+ mile morning walk. My sisters and I took turn preparing meals for the days that we were together. They are aware of the changes I've made in my food choices and were very accommodating to ensure that I had something that I would want to eat.
One of the most exciting things that I did outside of Yellowstone was four wheeling. I had never gone before, and I had a healthy respect for the power and risks of riding a four wheeler. The more I rode the more comfortable and confidant I became. Perhaps I became a bit too comfortable and confidant...
After we got back to the cabin, I started to clean my open wounds and assess the damage I had just inflicted on my body. I noted that most movement involving the right side of my body caused quite a bit of pain. I quickly realized that I was in no condition to run the next morning as part of my C25K training. This realization almost moved me to tears. It was to be the end of 6th week of training. I wanted to run, but I could barely walk...
Somehow I still managed to be able to walk around Yellowstone the next few days. Sometimes the pain wasn't bad, but sometimes it was barely bearable. There were times that I had to sit down and rest while my family moved on. Despite my injuries, I had an amazing time.
So now I sit here wondering what the next few weeks will hold for me. I don't know that I broke anything, I'm thinking about going to see a doctor just to be sure. I want to keep moving forward with my exercise, but since I made changes in my life so that I could live a healthier life it would be counter-productive to push through the pain if it's actually making an injury worse.
I guess it comes down to the fact that although I can't quite exercise how I've been exercising for the past 6 weeks, there are still things that I can control that will help to move me forward in this journey. It's not the end of the road, but merely a detour that I have to make to get me where I want to go.
Since June 30th I've lost 29.5 pounds (I really wanted that last .5 pound... hopefully tomorrow).
I've also logged over 115 exercise miles in that time.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Reflection, Report, New Month, & New Goals
It was 5 weeks ago that I started this lifestyle change. And it really has been quite the lifestyle change. It's amazing how much of a difference attitude and perspective can make in such a change. When people ask me if I can or I can't have something (in terms of food) I always say that I can eat whatever I want. For me it was important that I made this lifestyle change something that is sustainable; if it is really something that is going to have lasting change in my life it has to be something that I keep on doing. For this reason I've never referred to what I'm doing as a diet. Because of my relationship with food, I realized it was very important for me not to make food the enemy. And I think I've done a great job of that.
Now with all that said, I choose to eat differently than I did before. I haven't banned anything from my diet, instead I look for better choices to make when it comes to food. I've been focusing a lot on whole grains, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, and lean proteins. This has been working so well for me. It actually feels like I've gone through a detox program and I've learned again how great tasting healthy food can be! I wasn't convinced of this truth before, but now I am; you can have food that is both delicious and healthy! There are still days that I end up eating more than I should, but instead of the extra food being a half of a large pizza it's grapes or baked lays potato chips. And that is most definitely a better choice. I do still have room to do better, but I'm extremely happy with the progress I've made and the choices that I most often make.
My exercise routine has been going well. Today I started week 6 of C25K. I'm blown away with the progress I've made on this front each day. On Friday the training called for me running for 20 minutes straight without stopping, and I did it! It was only 5 weeks ago that when I ran for one minute straight I thought I was going to die. I'm still not very fast, and I definitely need to keep pushing myself, but I've gained both the physical and mental strength to push through and overcome this program. I look forward to waking up early and going for my run or my walk. My goal has been, and still is, to go at least 3 miles everyday. And 3 miles just keeps getting easier and easier!
As I said in my last update, one of the biggest areas that I've seen improvement is in how I feel. That has continued to be true. A simple demonstration of this is something I realized just this past week. As I was unpacking things in my new apartment I came across my bottle of Tums. I realized that in the past month I hadn't needed to use any for stomach pain relief. Back before I changed how and what I eat, I would take Tums several times a week to deal with the consequences of eating too much food. That moment that I looked at the bottle of Tums was a victory for me. Things are getting better.
But of course there are always those measurables that help to track and motivate. The two things that I track each day are my weight and my workout distance. On day 1, June 30, I weighed 322.6 pounds. This morning when I weighed in the scale read 298.6 pounds. That's a difference of 24 pounds! Even more exciting to me was that for the first time in probably over a year (probably closer to 18 months even) I weighed less than 300 pounds! I'm feeling good and it just motivates me to keep going and to improve even more!
I do my C25K training on Mon, Wed, Fri. On Tues, Thurs, Sat I just walk. Like I mentioned earlier, my goal is to go at least 3 miles each day. Since June 30th I have logged 105.65 workout miles. Those don't include additional walking or movement throughout the day, only what I do for exercise in the morning. Just as with the weight, the progress that I've made just propels me forward and motivates me to keep going!
It's weird, or maybe it's not, but the longer I work on changing my lifestyle the easier it has gotten. I don't have to make the daily struggles anymore of craving such-and-such food and then having to talk myself out of making a choice I will regret later. The more I live this the easier it becomes. I don't ask myself if I really want to wake up early and exercise; I just do it. I have so much momentum I can't stop. I don't want to stop. It is, in my eyes, a true lifestyle change.
And the most rewarding part for me is that I have discovered that I am capable of so much more than I ever thought I was. When I started, I honestly didn't know if I would be able to pull through and make progress. I feel so much stronger than I ever have before, and much of that strength has come from within, but a significant portion of that strength has come from the throngs of people that have supported me on this journey, as well as from divine help. How blessed I am to be associated with you amazing people that lift and encourage me. From the bottom of my heart I give you my most sincere thanks.
Goals for the month of August: lose 15 additional pounds (down to 283) and continue to exercise at least 3 miles/day. School starts up for me in the middle of the month so I built to some space to account for adjustments that will have to be made in the routines that I've set over the past month. I don't see this as presenting too much of a problem though. Onward and Upward.
Now with all that said, I choose to eat differently than I did before. I haven't banned anything from my diet, instead I look for better choices to make when it comes to food. I've been focusing a lot on whole grains, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, and lean proteins. This has been working so well for me. It actually feels like I've gone through a detox program and I've learned again how great tasting healthy food can be! I wasn't convinced of this truth before, but now I am; you can have food that is both delicious and healthy! There are still days that I end up eating more than I should, but instead of the extra food being a half of a large pizza it's grapes or baked lays potato chips. And that is most definitely a better choice. I do still have room to do better, but I'm extremely happy with the progress I've made and the choices that I most often make.
My exercise routine has been going well. Today I started week 6 of C25K. I'm blown away with the progress I've made on this front each day. On Friday the training called for me running for 20 minutes straight without stopping, and I did it! It was only 5 weeks ago that when I ran for one minute straight I thought I was going to die. I'm still not very fast, and I definitely need to keep pushing myself, but I've gained both the physical and mental strength to push through and overcome this program. I look forward to waking up early and going for my run or my walk. My goal has been, and still is, to go at least 3 miles everyday. And 3 miles just keeps getting easier and easier!
As I said in my last update, one of the biggest areas that I've seen improvement is in how I feel. That has continued to be true. A simple demonstration of this is something I realized just this past week. As I was unpacking things in my new apartment I came across my bottle of Tums. I realized that in the past month I hadn't needed to use any for stomach pain relief. Back before I changed how and what I eat, I would take Tums several times a week to deal with the consequences of eating too much food. That moment that I looked at the bottle of Tums was a victory for me. Things are getting better.
But of course there are always those measurables that help to track and motivate. The two things that I track each day are my weight and my workout distance. On day 1, June 30, I weighed 322.6 pounds. This morning when I weighed in the scale read 298.6 pounds. That's a difference of 24 pounds! Even more exciting to me was that for the first time in probably over a year (probably closer to 18 months even) I weighed less than 300 pounds! I'm feeling good and it just motivates me to keep going and to improve even more!
I do my C25K training on Mon, Wed, Fri. On Tues, Thurs, Sat I just walk. Like I mentioned earlier, my goal is to go at least 3 miles each day. Since June 30th I have logged 105.65 workout miles. Those don't include additional walking or movement throughout the day, only what I do for exercise in the morning. Just as with the weight, the progress that I've made just propels me forward and motivates me to keep going!
It's weird, or maybe it's not, but the longer I work on changing my lifestyle the easier it has gotten. I don't have to make the daily struggles anymore of craving such-and-such food and then having to talk myself out of making a choice I will regret later. The more I live this the easier it becomes. I don't ask myself if I really want to wake up early and exercise; I just do it. I have so much momentum I can't stop. I don't want to stop. It is, in my eyes, a true lifestyle change.
And the most rewarding part for me is that I have discovered that I am capable of so much more than I ever thought I was. When I started, I honestly didn't know if I would be able to pull through and make progress. I feel so much stronger than I ever have before, and much of that strength has come from within, but a significant portion of that strength has come from the throngs of people that have supported me on this journey, as well as from divine help. How blessed I am to be associated with you amazing people that lift and encourage me. From the bottom of my heart I give you my most sincere thanks.
Goals for the month of August: lose 15 additional pounds (down to 283) and continue to exercise at least 3 miles/day. School starts up for me in the middle of the month so I built to some space to account for adjustments that will have to be made in the routines that I've set over the past month. I don't see this as presenting too much of a problem though. Onward and Upward.
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