Last Updated on October 22, 2023 by Michael Brockbank
This morning, I weighed in at 231.2 pounds. So, I’ve lost a total of three pounds over the last three weeks. I can’t be too discouraged about that, however. Keep in mind that I hurt my back something fierce at the end of week one.
Considering that I weighed 234 last week, that’s actually decent moment while being on the disabled list.
How I Lost 3 Pounds this Week
While the back pain has been significantly less this past week, it also contributed to less movement. I’m able to walk around a bit better but wasn’t able to dive into my workout routines as I wanted. Apparently, though, a few rounds around the backyard this week proved beneficial.
On the upside, I was able to hit the gym a bit on Friday. I didn’t want to overdo things (because I have a habit of screwing myself up even more), so I avoided the ab crunch and lower back extension machines.
Essentially, Friday centered purely around the upper body from about the mid-section, up. And yes, after nearly two weeks, the DOMS was made apparent, despite dropping the weight on my workouts. It’s not as bad as it has been in the past, but this is what happens when you don’t go to the gym for so long.
I also reeled back on the eating and snacking this week. Instead of pizza, Taco Bell, and Chic-fil-A, I cooked smokehouse maple chicken breast and a serving of crinkle fries. It’s nice being able to stand long enough to cook again.
Sure, I’ve only lost three pounds total since this challenge began. But most of that was during this past week. So, I am getting back on track. I just need to remind myself that I’m not superhuman (yet) and need to give my aging body a bit of time to heal.
I’m not 20 years old anymore.
What’s the Plan for Week 4?
Perhaps the most difficult part for me is to realize my limitations at the moment. Just because I know I can handle pushing myself a bit harder, doesn’t mean I should with a semi-hurt back. The last thing I want to do is to get laid out for the next two months.
So, I’m going to work on easing back into everything slowly. I won’t be the sex symbol I was hoping for by Halloween, but at least I’ll still be in the game.
At this point in time, that is the most vital component to succeeding. Health and fitness are all about playing the long game, especially when you’re closing in on 50. Yes, there are some fit grandpas out there who look like they can benchpress a truck. But they’ve also been working at it for many years.
Looking for a “Green” Christmas
Initially, I wanted to give myself a Christmas present of maintaining my Net 600 Calorie Diet throughout the entire challenge. And until my back went out, I was doing smashingly well. Now that I am back on my feet (ish), I am going to see if I can maintain it throughout the rest of the challenge.
Well, except for the days I labeled in pastel blue on the 12-week fitness challenge spreadsheet. Those are special occasions such as Halloween, Extra Life, and Thanksgiving. Aside from those days, I’m going to do my best to keep all of the days “green” by burning twice what I eat.
As long as I can keep myself semi-active, I should have no problem burning a lot of fat this week. Well, unless I hurt myself once again, which is a distinct possibility. I’m a bit of a clutz, after all.
Getting Back to the Gym
Friday demonstrated that I can get back to the gym and start working on weight training a bit more. Plus, I’ve been able to sustain walking a mile without excruciating pain, so I can start walking to Planet Fitness once again.
I’m starting off slow as it’s been a couple of weeks since I was breaking personal records. Not only does this decrease the impact of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), but it’ll be better for my back to heal.
I don’t mind, to be honest. I’m not some Gen Zer who focuses on instant gratification. I’d rather properly heal my back than break myself even further. Besides, I have plenty of time in my life to break personal records.
Morning Stretches
I’ve been doing a bit more stretching lately. Well, at least as much as my back will allow. I’m still working on building a morning habit of stretching and have decided to add some yoga to my routines.
That’s perhaps the most difficult part, really. Because stretching isn’t something I often thought about in the past, it’ll take a bit of effort to create a positive habit with it. I often forget a lot, especially lately. But as my friend Chris points out, baby steps to create habits get them solidified after time.
If I stretched more often, I have no doubt that I wouldn’t have been disabled by sitting wrong in my chair. I’m wound tighter than a snare drum, and loosening the muscles needs to be part of my daily activities.
10,000 Steps per Day?
During the first week of this challenge, I averaged 10,103 steps per day. This week, the goal is to get back to that point. That is as long as my back is willing to give them to me. I did fairly well with my walk this morning, so I don’t think it’ll be too much of an issue.
The only real activity that I can’t do at the moment is play bowling on the Oculus. It requires too much bending which really aggravated my hip on Friday night. That’s because when I bowl, I actually bowl whether it’s on the Oculus or the Wii. I can’t just stand there and move my arms.
In any case, I’m looking forward to seeing how many steps I can rack up this week without hurting myself. This includes playing the Oculus, Xbox Kinect, or anything else I do that the Fitbit counts as a “step.”
Time to Get the Ball Rolling Again
I’d say I’m probably at around 80% healed. I am able to get around much better, but a few movements still twinge the back and hips. Even at 80%, though, I am capable of doing quite a bit. While I doubt I’ll be pressing 220 pounds on the back extension for a while, at least I can get a few numbers here and there.
Regardless of my progress, at least this experience has given me an idea for a blog post this week. What machines are ideal to use when you have lower back pain?
Anyway, let’s see if I can get this trainwreck back on the tracks.
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