My name is Adam, I’m 36, and I live in Colorado. I have signed up to participate in the 2006 Florida Ironman.
I started training for the event on Jan 1st, 2006 weighing 362.2 lbs (at 6’3"). My goal is to A) lose 140.6 lbs (which equals the total miles covered in an Ironman) before the start of the 2006 Florida Ironman and B) become an official Ironman finisher on Nov 4th 2006. I was certainly big enough to get Gastric bypass surgery but wanted to prove it could be done with a lifestyle change and sweat.
This will be the second time I will have lost significant weight in a year(ish) time frame. 10 years ago I lost 132 lbs because of a $100 bet with a buddy. I remember before I lost weight the first time if was even possible. I felt helpless at times. After the success of the first big weight loss I knew it was about setting up a good plan and sticking to it. I have been big most of my life and started doing triathlons to lose weight. I didn’t eat well so I really didn’t lose any weight (here is a site I did for the 2004 Escape from Alcatraz www.betacode.com I weighed about 340. I was last but I finished the darn thing!) In November 2005 I was watching the Ironman and decided heck I’ll sign up for the Florida event in Nov 2006. I put off starting to train so I could make it my new years resolution (or so I could eat well over the holidays – you be the judge.) Here is my weight loss plan:
1. Calories in – less than calories expended.
I am eating 3 meals (+ 1 snack usually fruit) and staying under 1,406 calories (Low fat and choosing whole grain if possible.) I average about 1,000 to 1,200 calories per day. First week was kind of tough but I would make sure I drank large glasses of ice water at meal time to help fill me up. Now it’s pretty easy. I can even go out to eat now and make good decisions and leave food on my plate.
2. Peak Interval training.
Last time I lost a bunch of weight I noticed I would lose more in weeks where my training heart rate would peak and valley through out my work out (I thought I was building to get faster.) That is I would do 2-5 minutes of cardio at 108-120 BPM and follow that with 2-5 min at 150-162 BPM. So now I just put the Cardio time in (at this point 90 minutes a day) and I have had some great results.
Now that I am within 3 months of my race dates I have switched my training to long sustained work outs. On short days I still do Peak Interval training but for the most part I am running or riding for a couple hours at a set heart rate.
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I’m not fast, I’m indestructible!
GOAL MET on Sept 29, 2006 down 140.6 LBS!!!!!!
Weight loss this week: -3.8 lbs
STARTING WEIGHT = 362.2 LBS – (Jan 1st 2006)
CURRENT WEIGHT = 221.2 LBS
GOAL WEIGHT = 221.6 LBS – (achieved by Nov 4th, 2006)
LBS Lost so far: 141.0 lbs
LBS to Go = 0 LBS
Days to GO = 35 days
I am in week 39 of 44.
updated Sept 29,2006
