spreadsheets and working out

at the beginning of 2011 i started tracking the number of days that i worked out in a spreadsheet. i also held a strict regimen of recording my weight on sundays. i'd record my weight before eating lunch, usually before my shower, so that i could eliminate any weight variances that occur between the different hours of the day.

in 2012 i decided to keep the habit of tracking each workout, however the 1/week weigh-ins weren't doing me much good, so i decided to weigh-in when i felt like it, and record when i did. as far as 2012 is concerned, i've recorded 47 weigh-ins. unknowingly i've just about kept up with one weigh-in per week, as i compose this blog in the 49th week of the year.

so far i've worked out 119 days this year. today is the 340th day of the year.
that's 35% of the days. my goal of 3 workouts each 7 day week would equal 42% of the days.

i'm still shy of my goal, but i'm showing improvement as my 2011 workout count was 73 days, leaving me at a measly 20%

in january 2012 my average weight was 189 lbs. between late october and current day my average weight is 179 lbs. that's roughly a 10 pound loss in 11 months! i have never considered myself obese, fat, overweight, or any of the likes, however i have wanted to shed a few lbs off the gut for longer than i care to admit.

i've also changed my eating habits over the course of the last two years. eating too much is the worst. almost every meal i sit down to i tell myself not to over eat. i wish i could tell you that i've never failed, but that'd be the greatest lie ever told. yet, for each time i'm successful, my waistline has a small win. i have not put my eating habits on a spreadsheet like my workouts and weight. i used an iphone app to log calories for a month, and i now have a much better gage of daily caloric intake which has greatly helped.

i've cycled through different workouts this year. i get bored with any workout after 2-3 months. in the beginning of the year i was doing lots of running.  then i moved to kettlebell workouts. after that i started bike riding. it's been long enough since i ran that now i'm getting back into it. i guess i've found what works for me, my personal amount of required variation.

i love getting outside on a beautiful day, running or riding through the priceless streets of san francisco. i notice houses, people, shops, parks, dogs on walks, things that i wouldn't normally see if i weren't out just to be out and break a sweat. but not every day in san francisco is beautiful.

i mentioned kettlebells earlier, and i can't rave enough about the wonders of kettlebell workouts. i bought a 30 lbs kbell, which is pretty middle of the road regarding weight for someone of my size/age. there are unlimited workout moves and routines that work muscles that you never knew you had. i've read blogs, sites, watched youtube videos, and shared notes with friends to amass the kettlebell repertoire that i have today. according to this livestrong.com calculation, my personal kettlebell workout burns 456 calories in a 25min session, and always guarantees sore muscles the next morning.

the three things about kettlebells that make this workout a favorite of mine are: 1.) cheap to start, just gotta buy one kettlebell, which cost about $2 per pound 2.) always a new routine/move available 3.) doesn't take much space to store, or when working out.

as i think about 2013, and the things i'd like to accomplish in the upcoming new year this lifestyle of eating and exercising are up on the top of the list. i feel great and i look, well, less bad than i would if these things weren't a part of my life.