My Fitness Journey
This is my personal fitness mini-blog as I slowly attempt to lose weight, build endurance, and get swole. Note: I always weigh myself at the end of a fasting period in order to reduce variables.
5/2/2026 (Saturday)
General: Had a bad back flare-up recently, put me out of commission in terms of my usual workout routine. Still recovering. I should be able to get back into my routine within two weeks, with some adjustments. From here on out, I have to set aside some time in my routine throughout the week or even each day for preventative maintenance. This flare-up was pretty scary to be honest, because my normal go-to treatments didn't touch it. I had to get on steroids and muscle relaxants. I am schedueled for physical therapy, but it's two weeks out. I am dipping my toes into exercises I am finding on YouTube in the meantime.
Weight loss: As of now I am officially at 170. Under the right conditions, I get close to 169 on the scale. Have started doing daily intermittent fasting. Began with 16:8 and have worked my way up to 20:4. Probably won't be as strict about it on the weekends.
4/22/2026 (Wednesday)
Running: Monday this week, I was feeling pretty good on the treadmill and ran 1-1/4 miles at my usual 8-minute-mile pace for a total of ten minutes of running. This is my first experiement with adding more distance. I did not feel up to it on Tuesday, but I plan to keep this up at least once a week.
Weight loss: As of today, I am switching from my once-or-twice-a-week 20-hour (or more) fasting strategy to a daily 16:8 intermittent fasting schedule with an eating window of Noon-8pm, with the possibility of moving that forward by an hour if needed. Will move from weighing myself every Friday to weighing myself every Saturday or Sunday, days I am more likely to be at home around Noon. If that does not work, I will loosen my approach and just weigh myself on any day, after my morning visit to the restroom.
2026: The Year So Far (April)
Weight loss: I began the year at ~180 lbs. I am on track to reach solid sub-170 by the end of this month. Progress has been frustratingly inconsistent, and I haven't lost jack in the past two weeks. I am working my way into intensifying my diet, exercise, and fasting regimen.
Running: I began the year with a self-imposed "Mile a Day Challenge." That challenge fell off about a month and a half in, but it wasn't a waste: it took me from "I'm not into running" to an eight-minute mile, and it got me started on a new habit of going to the gym. I can now run an 8-minute mile on the treadmill on a regular basis. Once I get dialed-in going to the gym three times per week every week, I will begin experimenting with increasing my mileage.
Lifting: Began a few weeks into the year benching 70 lbs x 20 reps x 2-3 sets (besides other workouts). Have been at 100 lbs for a while now. Actually felt myself get weaker this past week, had a bit of a breakdown mentally and physically, probably didn't get enough protein for how much I was fasting during Holy Week and the entire Friday after that (among other factors). Gonna hit it hard this week, Lord willing, both in terms of diet and consistency in going to the gym.
Diet: Been doing intermittent fasting all year and trying not to eat anything too crazy, avoid excess sugar for the most part, etc. Lately I've started learning about the intricacies of sugar spikes, how some foods affect the speed of digestion and why that is important, etc. Ideally I'd like to get on a proper keto diet but BOY is that easier said than done.