Weight Loss - Part 8

It's been a month, so it's time for that new update on my weight loss goal.  Once again, while not directly related to pharmacy, working towards improving my health, self-esteem, and energy levels will most definitely help me reach my goal.  It's not all about fleshing out the application.  (Unless I end up writing a little something about this in supplemental apps.)

Now for the numbers:

Starting Weight: 216.8
Weight Last Month: 204.0
Week 26 Weight: 204.0
Week 27 Weight: 206.0
Week 28 Weight: 208.2
Week 29 Weight: 207.4
Week 30 Weight: 209.4
Total Weight Loss: -5.4
Pounds Still to Go: 24.4
Trendline Estimate: 205.0

What happened? Failure is what happened. I can say a lot of things. Like I haven't been going to the gym to heal the damage to my calf that I've been feeling, that my brother came back from med school for two weeks and we've been eating all the food he hasn't been able to eat while over there, but in the end, I just failed. At least during this extended period from January until my birthday, failure means I still lost 2.4 pounds total. It's not good enough. I didn't get myself the birthday present that I wanted to get, but in the end, this deadline was also almost essentially just a number. Weight management is a hard fought battle, and the battle wages on. Next deadline - Week 52.

Weight Loss - Part 7

It's been a month, so it's time for that new update on my weight loss goal.  Once again, while not directly related to pharmacy, working towards improving my health, self-esteem, and energy levels will most definitely help me reach my goal.  It's not all about fleshing out the application.

Now for the numbers:

Starting Weight: 216.8
Weight Last Month: 209.6
Week 22 Weight: 208.4
Week 23 Weight: 208.8
Week 24 Weight: 207.2
Week 25 Weight: 204
Total Weight Loss: 12.8
Pounds Still to Go: 19.0
Trendline Estimate: 203.9

I didn't keep track of the days I went to the gym. But overall, this month I made some great progress. However, I do expect that when I weigh myself this coming Monday, that there will be a gain. Hopefully it doesn't completely eliminate the progress I've made. But overall, breaking the 205 mark so soon after finally breaking the 210 mark is very encouraging. I can certainly see the difference, and it's so strange thinking that if I lose just 5 pounds, that over 25% of the weight that I want to lose.  I'm getting there. I don't know when I'll reach 185, but my goal for reaching 200 by my birthday seems very possible. It's a good feeling.

Toolbox - Weight Loss

Everything counts. I worked in a bug lab for three years. It doesn't seem related, but just knowing how to do research, and put together a book and presentation... those are skills you'll be using a lot. Put it all in your toolbox. Hopefully it's big and always expanding.

- UCSF Phi Delta Chi Pledge

That's good advice, and is something I should be doing. And well... I somewhat am. I always thought of this blog as taking on that function. But as I write more and more posts, it's going to be harder and harder to find those specific events that'll be placed in that toolbox of mine.  So it's time I start explicitly saying it straight out, and time to start labeling this specifically with the tag "toolbox" so when it comes time to fill out apps, I'll all be right there waiting for me.

And one quote leads to another.  This time quoting myself.

The fact that there's still progress, that I'm still motivated, and that I still believe I can make it is what matters.  Once I hit my mark, that's going to last me for years, if not the rest of my life.  A couple more months isn't that big of a difference.

I wrote that during my last weight loss update, and as soon as I typed that paragraph, it didn't escape me that the sentiment parallels the journey to pharmacy school as well.  I strayed a bit, but I'm on track now, and I see progress towards my goal.  As long as I believe I'm on the right course, can see that progress to the eventual conclusion, and remain motivated, once I get there, I'll be there, regardless of how behind I feel right now.

But that's not the part of the quote that goes in my toolbox. It's the actual weight loss. It hit me that losing weight might actually be worth talking about on my application.  It is something that I've been struggling against nearly my whole life.  If I do reach my goal, and if I do maintain that weight after I lose it... well... that's a pretty clear physical manifestation of the new drive that I have in my life.  It really does mirror the new state of mind that I'm in, and is clear evidence that I'm now willing to put in the proper amount of work to reach a difficult goal.

It's not enough proof all by itself of course, but once I show that I've also maintained straight A's since I've reached this new state of mind, I think it is certainly a significant enough event in my life that it's worth mentioning.

Weight Loss - Part 6

It's been a month, so it's time for that new update on my weight loss goal.  Once again, while not directly related to pharmacy, working towards improving my health, self-esteem, and energy levels will most definitely help me reach my goal.  It's not all about fleshing out the application.

Now for the numbers:

Starting Weight: 216.8
Weight Last Month: 210.4
Week 18 Weight: 210.4
Week 19 Weight: -----
Week 20 Weight: 211.2
Week 21 Weight: 209.6
Total Weight Loss: 7.2
Pounds Still to Go: 24.4
Trendline Estimate: 203.5

- Week 18: Went to the gym ? days this week

- Week 19: Went to the gym ? days this week

- Week 20: Went to the gym ? days this week

- Week 21: Went to the gym 5 days this week

I missed on my record keeping this past month.  I put my cat to sleep and didn't feeling like taking notes and I woke up just late enough that if I ran out the door I could still make it in time for class.  And I also just need to adjust to my new Monday routine, and schedule in a different time to write down my notes than I was used to.

With that said, progress is slow.  I slipped again, but overall for the month I'm down.  I'm not going to make my 185 target by my birthday in April, but since it was an arbitrary target, it's not that bad.  Losing weight isn't like studying.  It's an issue that I've been dealing with for most of my life.  The fact that there's still progress, that I'm still motivated, and that I still believe I can make it is what matters.  Once I hit my mark, that's going to last me for years, if not the rest of my life.  A couple more months isn't that big of a difference.

With that said, I still want to hit 200 by my birthday.  About 17 pounds since I started tracking my weight, and a total of an estimated 25 pounds from my heaviest.  As long as my trendline doesn't flatline I'm good.  But I still want to see it go as steep as I can make it.

Weight Loss - Part 5

It's been (over) a month, so it's time for that new update on my weight loss goal.  Once again, while not directly related to pharmacy, working towards improving my health, self-esteem, and energy levels will most definitely help me reach my goal.  It's not all about fleshing out the application.

Now for the numbers:

Starting Weight: 216.8
Weight Last Month: 207.6
Week 13 Weight: 211.8
Week 14 Weight: 210.4
Week 15 Weight: 213.2
Week 16 Weight: 211.2
Week 17 Weight: 210.4
Total Weight Loss: 6.4
Pounds Still to Go: 25.6
Trendline Estimate: 201.2

- Week 13: Went to the gym 0 days this week

- Week 14: Went to the gym 0 days this week

- Week 15: Went to the gym 0 days this week

- Week 16: Went to the gym 1 days this week

- Week 17: Went to the gym 7 days this week

First... not that anyone noticed, but I changed when I'm going to update my weightloss posts.  Rather than every fourth Monday, it's going to be every 27th.  My target date to lose my weight is before my birthday, on April 27th, so it was time to sync things up.

Second of all, I found my gym card, and have been going to the gym every day since I picked it up again.

Third of all... I gained weight since this past update.  Largely due to the fact that I misplaced my gym card, the holidays, and possibly (if the set point theory is true) due to having a set point that I'm having trouble overcoming.

A key lesson.  For me, the gym is definitely way to go if I'm going to overcome my weight.  But not only to reach my target weight, but most likely to also to maintain my weight for the rest of my life.

The best thing to come of the experience however, is my renewed motivation to go to the gym.  Not only in going every day, but doing 1+ hours of cardio each time.

I'm confident that I can still make my target weight from this point on.  See you again in a month.

[Note:  It looks like I only lost 0.8 pounds from last week, even though it's the week I went to the gym every day.  I am fairly confident that the Week 16 date is far too low.  I didn't think it was right when I recorded the number.  I knew I didn't work hard enough, or eat few enough calories, to lose two pounds.  In the middle of last week, I messed around with my scale, and saw that sometimes it would give me a reading that was up to two pounds off.  So I'm pretty sure that's what happened, and that in reality, I lost nearly three pounds this past week due to all my effort.]

Weight Loss - Part 4

It's been a month, so it's time for that new update on my weight loss goal.  Once again, while not directly related to pharmacy, working towards improving my health, self-esteem, and energy levels will most definitely help me reach my goal.  It's not all about fleshing out the application.

Now for the numbers:

Starting Weight: 216.8
Weight Last Month: 212.4
Week 9 Weight: 211.0
Week 10 Weight: 210.6
Week 11 Weight: 208
Week 12 Weight: 207.6
Total Weight Loss: 9.4
Pounds Still to Go: 22.6
Trendline Estimate: 207.2

- Week 9: Went to the gym 5 days this week

- Week 10: Went to the gym 3 days this week

- Week 11: Went to the gym 0 days this week, strict calorie counting

- Week 12: Went to the gym 0 days this week

I hardly went to the gym at all this month.  That's because I've misplaced my gym card and hoped to find it as I reorganized my room.  That didn't happen.  I still did lose weight however, that's because I focused on calorie counting and tried to see what I could do with that.  It worked.  It is pretty difficult though, and I prefer doing the combo of eat less/exercise more.

Something to note.  My shoulder is still hurt.  I can do chin ups just fine at home on the the pull-up bar, but doing pull-ups shows me the damage is still there.  This is taking a while to heal.  I do think it's better, but I wish it would speed up.

I'm obviously nowhere near my 185 goal, but as long as I keep on losing weight, that's what matters.  My new arbitrary end date is Monday, April 26th.  (The day before my birthday.)  Reaching my ideal weight is going to be a birthday present to myself.

Weight Loss - Part 3

It's been a month, so it's time for that new update on my weight loss goal.  Once again, while not directly related to pharmacy, working towards improving my health, self-esteem, and energy levels will most definitely help me reach my goal.  It's not all about fleshing out the application.

Now for the numbers:

Starting Weight: 216.8
Weight Last Month: 211.4
Week 5 Weight: 210.4
Week 6 Weight: 209.8
Week 7 Weight: 211.6
Week 8 Weight: 212.4
Total Weight Loss: 4.4
Pounds Still to Go: 27.4
Trendline Estimate: 206.5

- Week 5: Went to the gym 5 days this week, started some ab exercises, and noticed my shoulder was hurting

- Week 6: Went to the gym 2 days this week, shoulder still hurts.

- Week 7: Went to the gym 2 days this week, worked my calves especially hard

- Week 8: Went to the gym 1 day this week

Only went to the gym 10 days this month, as opposed to 23 last month.  I also gained a pound instead of lost weight.  Not good.  I did gain a lot of muscle, but I still should have lost weight.  The reasons for the reversal?  My shoulder started it.  I wanted to give my shoulder a rest, however it still is hurt.  That's a problem.  However, I can still go do cardio and do other exercises that are not working my shoulder.  The week I worked my calves, I worked them so hard I could hardly walk.  My range of motion was impaired, and so I needed to rest those as well.

But I've gained weight two weeks in a row.  That's good to be aware of.  And that's a big reason why I'm recording my weight every week.  I'm able to catch this before it gets out of hand, and put myself back on the right track.  The plan now isn't to go extra crazy and starve myself.  The plan is to simply make sure I make it to the gym at least 4 times this week, like I'm supposed to be doing.  I'm still going to enjoy Thanksgiving and all the great food that comes along with it.  As long as I don't neglect the gym I should be fine.

Weight Loss - Part 2

It's been a month, I think it's time for an update to my weight loss goal.  And as a quick reminder as what this has to do with pharmacy.  Preparing for pharmacy isn't just about making myself look good on paper.  It's also about being ready.  Getting back in shape will help my confidence, give me more energy, and simply make me feel better about myself.  With that comes better performance in all aspects of life, which likely includes better performance as I fix my grades, better impression as I interact with people who I end up asking for letters of recommendation, and doing better on interviews I go to.  Increased confidence, energy, and higher self-esteem is not something to be ignored.

Now for the numbers:

Starting Weight: 216.8
Week 1 Weight: 215.8
Week 2 Weight: 214.8
Week 3 Weight: 215.0
Week 4 Weight: 211.6
Total Weight Loss: 5.2
Pounds Still to Go: 26.8
Trendline Estimate: 202.7

- Week 1: Went to the gym every day of the week, only did cardio on an elliptical machine.

- Week 2: Went to the gym every day of the week, did cardio and began using the weight machines.

- Week 3: Only went to the gym 4 days this week, pushed myself hard with the weights.
- Week 4: Went to the gym 5 days during the week, took it easy with the cardio.

I've been drinking a lot of water to keep myself hydrated, and am vaguely keeping aware of my calorie intake.  During the third week, even though I gained 0.2 pounds, it most likely wasn't 0.2 pounds of fat.  I was sore like I hadn't been in years, in my chest, upper back, and hamstrings.  The increase in muscle weight definitely affected what result my scale was showing.

From the results this week, it looks like I may have started getting past that hurdle where muscle gain drastically affects the results of the graph.  It's very possible for me to make my target weight of 185 by the end of the year, but even if I don't, I'm pretty confident that I'll make it to 195 if not 190.  The end of the year is just an arbitrary date, and I can finish off the rest afterwards.  The most important thing is that I am losing weight, and that I'm not killing myself while doing it.  I'm not pushing myself to any extreme so I will make my goal at some point.

Weight Loss - Part 1

For most of my life, I can remember feeling overweight. It wasn't always physically true, but even after I lost my weight during my growth spurt, I still thought I was fat. It is something I've had to live with for a long time, and cannot simply be ignored in this blog, but I will relate it to pharmacy in what ways that I can.

After I came back from the UoP preview day, I was talking with my friend, and I joked that I thought it was a requirement to be hot to get into the school. The three presenters during the student panel were all very pretty, to the point that I stupidly became a little bit anxious when I went to go up to talk to them when my friend that went with me thought up a question that she wanted answered. And on the flip side, all the guys giving us the tour of the campus were all very fit.

Obviously, what I said was just a joke, but I think there may be some vague sense of truth to it.

First of all, I understand that everyone has a different metabolism, set point, etc, and when it comes to weight loss, there is a lot of variation. I will be talking in some generalities, but a lot of it may turn out to just specifically apply to myself.

But when it comes to being a pharmacy student, there is a certain level of discipline required. A common phrase when UoP students spoke was "time-management skills". While there is a whole different level of psychology when it comes to weight loss, as opposed to being studious, there is a level of discipline required when it comes to losing weight. And accomplishing my goal, which is very attainable and not at all unreasonable, is just another sign that I'm mentally prepared for pharmacy school.

I am one of those people that tend to eat more when I'm stressed out. The more hectic my life is, the more weight I gain. At my fittest, I weighed 185 in 2005. I now weight 220. I weighed even more during the summer. I didn't weight myself because I did not want to see the results until I lost some weight, which I did. I know because my clothes are looser.

I plan on taking control of my weight once again (I did so once before. I lost 30 pounds in a little over three months, and maintained that weight until I tore my ACL), and will be joining 24-Hour Fitness, while they have their "$0 Initiation Fee and $29.99 Monthly Dues on a Keep Fit All-Club Sport Membership" special. It lasts until 9/30/09.

While there is no way that looks are a requirement for the interview, losing weight will help me get accepted into whatever school I get into because I will feel better about myself. All the benefits of weight loss will help me get in, including more confidence in myself, more energy, and strengthened mental capabilities. All of those benefits will aid me as a student as well.

And while I can't give out any numbers, a fact of reality is that people respond better to better looking people. If that subconsciously aids me in the interview, then so be it. It is not the main reason why I will be working to lose weight, and probably won't affect the interview much at all, but if that benefit is there, I will take it. And once I become a pharmacist, and being physically fit helps when I have to interact with patients, then it's better for me and it is better for them.

There is no losing when it comes to becoming fit. I just have to keep in mind that losing weight and being fit are not equal. I have to have reasonable goals.

At this point, my goals are to reach 185 by the end of the year, to be able to do 50 push-ups, and 10 pull-ups and chin-ups. Those are numbers that I had been able to reach before. Although I will be happy if I still reach 190.

While I was down in LA for Macy's Passport, I took advantage of the hotel gym, and it felt good. It's time to keep up that momentum, and I'm off to the gym now.