Day 20 - Big Time

Let's just say that we are soooo sore tonight - but it's a good sore. Got to the gym for our final appointment with Cameron and he took us through the ringer. My mind is a blur but we did a lot of free weights plus our standard routine of machines. Most of the exercizes revolved around our upper body and our arms. The fact that I can even type tonight amazes me but it was well worth it. The fact that our bodies are so out of shape, we decided to give ourselves an early Christmas present and committed to working with a personal trainer twice a week. We get to meet our new trainer next week but we are not sure who that will be yet.

We are making a huge investment in ourselves and not to let ourselves fall into a pattern of quitting. By having the financial portion take a sting, this is extra motivation to make sure that we follow through and do the job that needs to be done. I am really psyched and looking forward to the journey. Hope you stick around to walk with us.

Love you guys!

Jerry van West
9/29/05 - 273 1/2 lbs.
4 1/2 lbs. lost
105 1/2 lbs. to weight goal

Day 18 - Magnificent Mile

My conference ended at 6:00 tonight and so I went back upstairs in my hotel room to check e-mails and try to respond to as many customers as I could. I was feeling a bit antsy so I decided to look for the famous Michigan Ave. Magnificent Mile. I left the hotel around 7:00 pm and decided I would walk from Columbus Ave. & Illinois to Michigan Ave. (around 2-3 blocks). I then proceeded up the street and looked at many of the beautiful shops along Michigan Ave. I got side tracked at the Apple Store and stopped in for a look. Many of the same items as the Apple store in Chandler so I left and proceeded down another half mile and then back for another mile. Got stopped by a shoe shine guy and I couldn't say no as my shoes were in need of cleaning. Ended back at the hotel to eat dinner and up to the room for more e-mails and bed. All in all, I did about 2 miles of walking - not bad for a night out.

Till Next Time,

Jerry van West
9/27/05 - 273 1/2 lbs.
4 1/2 lbs. lost
105 1/2 lbs. to weight goal

Day 17 - Chicago

OK, so I am in Chicago this week for the Intermec Developer's conference. I am at the Embassy Suites Lakefront which is a very nice hotel. It should be for $399 per night. Good thing the company got a special deal and I don't have to pay for the joint. You would have thought that for that kind of money, the high speed internet connection would have been included. Leave it to corporate America to find more ways to scam business travelers out of more money. You know, if I would have stayed at the Courtyard by Marriot or the Holiday Inn Express, the internet access is complimentary but at a $400 a night fancy joint, you have to pay an extra $10 per day to use the net. What a rip!

Anyways, they did have a mini gym here. 3 treadmills, a couple of eliptical machines and a couple of exercize bikes. There was some sort of all in one workout machine but I didn't know what was what and there were no weights to show how much you were lifting so I just hit the treadmill. I increased the speed to 2.9 mph at a 5.5 elevation. The machine was a LifeFitness treadmill and worked like the one at PureFitness but didn't have the heart monitor active. I did my standard 25 minutes with a 5 minute cool down and then hit the jacuzzi for about 20 min.

Patty has her meeting with Cameron tonight but mine is not til Thursday evening. I can't wait! Post to me if you think this is cool. I'm actually having fun with this but want to see if anyone is interested in a blog about getting fit.

Till Next Time,

Jerry van West
9/26/05 - 273 1/2 lbs.
4 1/2 lbs. lost
105 1/2 lbs. to weight goal

Day 15 - Progress

What a gorgeous day in Phoenix. We started off with our good friends, Chris & Beverly Shaler getting married at First Christian Church in Phoenix. This was a church designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and wow, what a beautiful place to worship.

After the wedding, we went to eat lunch. Yes, I was good. Cesar Salad and soup was on the menu for me. Patty had what looked like a French Dip sandwich. She didn't eat the bread as she normally does not like those kind of starches. Had a good lunch and a good time to reflect on our first 2 weeks at the gym. Had a number of comments from friends and acquaintances who have started to see some progress on my weight loss. That was great to hear!

We ended at the gym at 4:00 pm and did our complete work out. Bench press, deltoid fly (both front and rear), bicep curls, triceps, leg extensions, calf lifts, and a couple of other machines. I actually wrote them down and will post our actual machines and weights for each later. We ended our routine with a nice 25 minute walk on the treadmill with a 5 minute cool down. I am at 2.7 mph at a 5.5 incline. Patty is at 2.5 mph at a 4.0 incline. We were really sore after our workout but it's a good kind of sore.

The good news is that I weighed in and lost 4 1/2 lbs!! Woohoo!! I wasn't sure that I was making any progress but at least we're moving in the right direction. I fly off to Chicago tomorrow for a Developer's Conference from one of my suppliers. The hotel I am staying at has a gym and a treadmill so I will be keeping up the workouts even though I am away from home.

Till Next Time,

Jerry van West
9/24/05 - 273 1/2 lbs.
4 1/2 lbs. lost
105 1/2 lbs. to weight goal

Day 12 - Committment & Desire

Today was a tough day. I got home from work and I really didn't want to go to the gym. Patty was really supportive but she kicked my butt and said, "Let's Get Moving!". There is no saying "no" to her so we went. It was a good thing too as once I was there, I was happy to be doing something useful.

We did our extended set of machines today. Had a little trouble on the Lateral Fly but eventually made it through. I am not as sore as I was on Monday & Tuesday but I am still sore. Legs are still a problem but I imagine that it will take a few months and it will eventually work itself out.

We ended the workout with 25 min. on the treadmill. The LifeFitness machines were all in use so we had to use the Precor treadmills. They are not as good as the LifeFitness machines but they got the job done. Had about 10 min. in the Jacuzzi before leaving.

I have to find a poem/statement that my friend Brandy had at work on her white board. It was on Desire. It was quite motivating. If I find it, I will post it here.

Till next time,
Jerry van West
9/21/05 - 278 lbs.
110 lbs. to weight goal

Day 10 - Ouch!

Oh boy - are we exhausted! Cameron put us through the ringer tonight. I was expecting some challenges but I was not expecting how wiped out I would feel afterwards. Both Patty & I went in at 7:00 pm and started out with a quick 10 min. treadmill warmup. Then we hit about 8 or 9 machines doing a different program than last week. The main focus was on the biceps and triceps as well as lats and calf & thigh. I know I will be feeling this tomorrow but...no pain, no gain. We ended the workout with 25 min. on the treadmill for a cardio session. Weighed in but no weight loss this week. I also ate dinner at 6:00 so that may account for something. Not demotivated as I know that I'm getting my water in as well as trying to work in the 3 extra meals to keep the matabolism moving. That's the hardest thing for me. Eating more frequently (6 smaller meals per day versus 3 large meals per day) to lose weight just doesn't seem right but in my mind, I know that it is true.

Till next time,
Jerry van West
9/19/05 - 278 lbs.
110 lbs. to weight goal

Day 8 - Day of Fun

Patty & I went with some friends to see the "Movin' Out" ballet/musical based on music from Billy Joel at ASU/Gammage auditorium. We walked about a mile to and from the parking lot to Gammage. It's a real motivating factor sitting in the tight seats there. When we last went there, we saw Riverdance in 2004 and the seats were quite a bit tighter for me. I am looking forward to when those seats have a few inches on either side of my waist and I can enjoy the performances a bit more. If you are not comfortable, you tend to not enjoy things as well. Go figure!

I went to a bachelor's party dinner for my friend, Chris Shaler in the evening. I was good - soup and salad and no appitizers. I am trying hard to not overeat when I go out but it's a lifestyle change and I am not there yet. My instinct is to do what I want but I am learning to deny myself.

We left and went to go bowling in Chandler. 2 hours of fun with good friends was a blast. I scored a 99, 153 and 112 game for the 3 games I bowled. Our team (Ed, Bryan D and myself) won best team scores overall but it wasn't about winning. It was a lot of fun.

Jerry van West
9/17/05 - 278 lbs.
110 lbs. to weight goal

Day 7 - Workout time

This was a very hectic day. We didn't make it to the gym in the early AM like we had planned. We had a 9:00 am appointment downtown for our Notary training class. This ended at 12:30 and I needed to make it to my mom's house to drop off an item. We met for lunch at Sweet Tomatoes for Soup & Salad - yummy! I love their Won Ton Chicken Salad and only 10 carbs per cup. Had some chili and a micro cone of vanilla yogurt.

Made it to the gym around 3:30 pm and did our full workout. Man, are my arms sore tonight but their going to be like that for a few weeks until we tear down the muscles and rebuild. Did a full 25 min cardio like Wednesday and finished off with 30 min in the jacuzzi.

We were both so sore so we treated ourselves to a nice pedicure. I had a gift certificate for a free pedicure that Patty gave me for my birthday in May so that saved a few bucks. There's nothing like having your muscles massaged and pampered after a workout! Cameron said that we're doing great and our next full workout should be Monday night when we meet with him. We'll hit the gym on Sunday for a straight cadio routine.

Feel free to post your comments if you would like to encourage Patty & me. I value your input.

Till Next Time,

Jerry van West
9/16/05 - 278 lbs.
110 lbs. to weight goal
Next weigh in is Sunday

Day 6 - No Workout

Well, we didn't slack off but we did take a day to rest as both Patty & I were sore from our first minor workout with Cameron yesterday. We decided to hit the gym and sit in the jacuzzi for about 30-40 minutes.

That was very relaxing as my muscles in my chest, arms, back and calfs were quite sore today. There was nothing on T.V. tonight (we'll, there usually isn't much on anyways) so it's off to feel better taking care of our 40 something bodies.

Both of us took tomorrow off (Sept. 16th) to attend a Notary training class in Phoenix. We both will get up in the AM for our workout. Let's see how that works.

Bye for now,

Jerry van West
9/15/05 - 278 lbs.
110 lbs. to weight goal

Day 5 - First Meeting

It's finally here. At 5:00 pm, we met our fitness trainer, Cameron. He is a really cool dude. Many times when we've attempted at doing a fitness program, Patty felt like the odd man out when we did our training set up. This was one of the sticking points for me as I always felt that I was the impediment to her success so I gave up. Cameron was so helpful and gave us both the individual attention we need so that we understand the areas we are going to get worked.

First off, it's talk time to discuss our physical bodies, medications we're on, diet, and current level of experience (ok, for me it's Fitness for Dummies time). After going through the basics and setting goals for ourselves, it's off to starting.

Step 1 - basic fitness test. LifeCycle machine at 5 minutes. Both Patty and I have bad hearts. At 75-80 rpm, I only produced about 18.4 joules of energy. Should be much better but that's why I am there, right??!

Next, we go to the Flex machines. Not sure the names of them all but we will list them here later.

We do the 55 cm ball on the wall for leg squats - 15 reps x 1 time.

Crunches - 15 reps x 1 time - kind of like sit ups but not as bad on the neck. Used a small yellow ball on the stomach to crunch to. Patty did a 5 lb. weight from side to side. 15 reps. We will alternate these exercizes for each work out.

Lastly, it was cardio time.

Treadmill
Settings - 2.7 mph
Elevation - 5.5 - this was tough but I did it
Duration - 25 minutes + 3 min cool down.

We were exhausted after this workout but it felt great! Afterwards, we went to Hi Health to pick up some protien bars. My friend Brandy told me about a bar called "just deee-licious!" which is part of the UltraPlan series from Hi Health. I don't know about you but most of the bars I've tried taste like eating saw dust. These had a very desirable taste so we bought a box with 5 mixed flavors. They are pretty yummy and it will help me to increase my eating from 3 to 6 times per day. The more you snack properly, the less you will over eat at normal meal times.

Till Next Time,

Jerry van West
9/14/05 - 278 lbs.
110 lbs. to weight goal

Day 4

We took off Monday as a rest day. Since we're starting out, we didn't want to risk an injury prior to starting our body shaping routine. Returned towel I borrowed to Lost and Found. We did wash the towel so at least I did that. One day til we meet with Cameron to set our goals in writing.

Synopsis of workout:

Treadmill
Settings - 2.7 mph
Elevation - 0
Duration - 30 minutes + 5 min cool down.

This was setting 2 - programmed track.

Sit in Jacuzzi for 30 min afterward for therapy. This is getting good. Feet don't feel as much pain as before. I figure that this is due to bad circulation in my legs and will eventually go away as long as we keep on track.

Jerry van West
9/13/05 - 278 lbs.
110 lbs. to weight goal

Day 2 - First Workout Day

Patty & I went to Pure Fitness today. I got my iPod and headphones and we're off. Our appointment with Cameron, our trainer is this Wednesday so I decide that I will just walk on the treadmill.

Settings - 2.7 mph
Elevation - 0
Duration - 40 minutes.

After our workout, we sit in the jacuzzi for about 30 min. Accidently borrowed someone elses towel at the pool. Left my towel there. Felt like an idiot!

Jerry van West
9/11/05 - 278 lbs.
110 lbs. to weight goal

Day 1

Today is day one. Patty & I decided to join Pure Fitness in Chandler, AZ. I am so tired of making empty promises to myself and to Patty so we made a full 2 year committment to eliminate any objections to reaching our fitness goals. It's a long road ahead for us but we didn't get ourselves out here overnight nor do we expect to be at our goals overnight.

Some basic particulars:

Height - 5' 8 1/2"
Weight - 278 lbs. - this is actually down from 355 in 2003
Emotional Goal - 168 lbs - 175 lbs.
Waist - 46" - this is down from 52" to 54" in 2003
Emotional Goal - 33"
Body Fat - 32% - this is down from 53% in 2003
Emotional Goal - 12-14 %
Committment - Cardio 3-4 times per week, weights/machines/exercizes at 3-4 times per week.
Issues - July, 2005 diagnosed with Type-II Diabetes. This is primarily the case from being overweight for the majority of my life plus family genes. I am not blaming anyone for my diabetes. The hope is that once we have decreased our body mass, the liver, kidneys and pancreas will start to work properly and I will be able to control my sugars with diet and exercize.

This blog is also my committment to documenting my progress and my committment to achieving my fitness goals. All excuses for exercizing and getting fit are now put aside. There are no acceptable reasons to quit.

Great movie line from "The Shawshank Redemption". Tim Robbins tells Morgan Freeman, "You have to get busy living or get busy dying". In my case, pushing 360 lbs., I was on the tail end of that statement pushing myself to an early grave. After having all the pains in my body plus my desire to remain among the living, this blog becomes one of my committments to my success. I will post a few photos of me throughout my journey.

Feel free to post comments and encouragement to help me stay on track. Thank you!!

Jerry van West
9/10/05 - 278 lbs.
110 lbs. to weight goal