Guest Blog

Today, I thought I might surprise you with a guest blog from Manic, my jogging buddy. I would introduce him further, but he kind of does that himself. :P



My name is Adan Hinojosa. I am 25 years old and 275 pounds.

One month ago I was 285.

I am driven.

I’d like nothing more than to see if the grass genuinely is greener on the other side.

My whole life I’ve been the big guy. Up until I was 12 I was typically the tallest. However, I’ve always been the most massive. I’ve carried around a gut for as long as I can remember. Naturally when you’re young you have a thin skin and it might bring you to tears when someone called you fat.

Over time it became a mixture of apathy and acceptance. Somewhere around high school I stopped just thinking of myself as fat and started thinking of me as me. There was still the pseudo-self-consciousness about taking off my shirt in public, among other things.

I graduated high school, became an adult, started taking on some of life’s burdens. A year or two ago I looked at myself in the mirror and finally stepped on a scale for the first time in a long time. Back in high school I was 230-ish and I thought I was large. Come to find out I had gotten myself up to the upper 280’s.

It was strange. Somewhere all along I kept explaining it away. Even from the move from size 36 to size 42 pants. Even through the shirts changing from XL to XXL. I realized that I wasn’t about to let myself get any bigger than this. It wasn’t going to be this way. Something had to change.

Both of my grandfathers died of diabetes-related complications. Both were missing at least one leg. I have two uncles on my father’s side who are now missing body parts below the knee. I have an uncle on my mother’s side who has been fighting heart problems for at least 10-15 years. I see what they allowed themselves to become and resolved that I wasn’t going to make that mistake.

From the outside observer it’s quite the paradox. How can someone with a mind like mine be so “dumb” enough to just let his body go like that? I can play a musical instrument, I can write comedy, I can fix computers, I can fix cars, I have more than rudimentary knowledge about most subjects that people promptly forget about. What the hell was keeping me from taking the next step and getting my shit together?

I guess you could say I love food. I’d consider my palate wide. Not extreme like some foodies, but I can drop $50 on sushi without flinching. Big steaks with baked potato. Carne Asada Burritos. Cheeseburgers. The really bad stuff has a certain richness to it that can’t often be found elsewhere I became accustomed to it. In the end it was detrimental to my appearance.

It was a slow progression to get me to realize it. But I’d look in the mirror, remember my old weight, and study my features. I’d visualize what I’d look like without 10-20-30-60 pounds. I end up saying to myself in the end, “there’s one very good-looking dude hiding under that fat, and I’m going to go find him.”

So that’s where I started 7 weeks ago going for jogs and cutting the bad stuff out of my diet. No more breakfast fast food sandwiches. No more Jack in the Box tacos & cheeseburgers. No more KFC bowls. No more Sonic Chicken Dinners or shakes. No more Western Bacon Cheeseburgers from Carls Jr. No more fried shrimp. Down with potatoes. No more biscuits & gravy.

Fat had to be minimized. Carbs had to be minimized. Lean meats are in. My old favorite Mushrooms are upped. Breakfasts consisting of nothing but a big lump of scrambled eggs are in. Low-cal protein shakes will help to replenish me. Start slowly kicking that soda addiction, if only during my transformation. I have loved Dr Pepper for over 20 years, and will continue to do so. However, now is the time for us to take a break. It’s been good to me but not good for me.

More water, more iced tea, and sports drink no higher in calories than Gatorade G2. It’s a lifestyle adjustment that forces you to go left where you’d go right. Go up where you’d go down. It takes commitment. It takes effort. Count those calories, count those carbs, count those sugars. Stare at the nutrition label and plug every single thing on it into Wikipedia. Education is key.

Seven weeks and I’m down ten pounds. It’s not enough. It’s never enough. I’ve only broken a chunk off the iceberg. I’ve got another fifty to go. I’m always going to be a thick guy, but I can look lean at the very least. I want my XL shirts back. I want size 36 jeans. I want to look good in a plain white t-shirt again.

Part of my jogging just came down to finding my stamina again, and slowly working up to it. Starting out I could barely do a mild jog for 30 yards before feeling like I got the crap kicked out of me. Now I’m jogging faster over five times the distance before needing a little break. I can power my way up hills. I can recover faster. I’m nowhere near where I used to be. I want to be able to jog a quarter mile. I want to be flexible. I want my 18-year old body back. It’s not some impossible goal. It’s something within reach. If you feel like something’s within reach you’ll always feel like you’re making progress.

Part of my training in the jogging was Couch-to-5K. My friend Christie had me do a couple days with her. It’s structured nicely and actually helped bulk my stamina up more than I thought it would. My training has moved onto other things, but I thank portions of Couch-to-5K for being able to get me there. I hope that by the end of winter I can look in the mirror and what’s staring back is not the same as the guy from a year ago. That mirror will show a person who feels the power coming from his body, and that power will drive everything else forward in life.

Week 2, Day 2 (Part 2)

Brisk five-minute warm up walk. The alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Five-minute cool down walk.

That's right! I've officially gone 2 days ina row! Even though technically, you are suppose to take a break in between your runs. My problem was all the Snickers that I ate yesterday. (What? They were the bite size ones)! Anyway, it made me feel fat(ter) or that I was going to get fat(ter) and I could stand it. I knew I had to work on it!

So, as soon as I got home (that is after I got back from my chiropractor) I went straight to go running. This way, I had no excuse and couln't fenagle (you like that word?) my way out of it. Afterwards I felt great! I was exhausted and sweatier than a pig in August, but I felt great!

The cheerleaders weren't there today, but the band geeks were and I had to play my music SOOO loud in order to avoid hearing the aweful music. Okay, I digress... I plan on going out again today, too! That way I can FINALLY start on Week 3. Week 3 is going to be HARD and crazy. A peek into the furture:

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
- Jog 90 seconds
- Walk 90 seconds
- Jog 3 minutes
- Walk 3 minutes
- Five minute cooldown walk

Okay, really? Jog 3 minutes! I can do it. Yup, I. Can. Do. It. At least I hope I can, and attitude is 90% right?

Mental Notes:

1. When you (steal) borrow water from work and put it in your car so that you don't forget to bring water... it helps when you actually take that water out of the car and too the track with you when you go running. Otherwise, you aren't going to drink it.
2. Start going stairs after you run, you can do it! Those 3 that you did yesterday weren't bad at all and you can't even feel it in your butt. You need to feel it in your butt, so that you can have a nice round formed butt. I want a nice round formed butt.
3. Arizona had its "winter" last week and now it is Fall, you don't need to swear a light jacket anymore. It's ARIZONA, what are you thinking!
4. Don't forget no carbs. (For some reason I think that if I keep telling myself this, then I wont eat very many carbs).

Week 2, Day 1 (Part 2)

Eventually, I promise, I will make my way to week 3. However, as I mentioned before (here and here) I'm anal, and HAVE to do things in order or by the directions to make sure it really works. In reality it is just this thing I do in order to critique people for their intelligence, or lack there of, in writing directions/instructions. See Dane Cook.

I almost didn't even go out last night. In fact, I had full plans to completely and utterly (not udderly) not go out and exercise last night. I consumed 2 grilled cheese sandwiches, a bowl of tomato soup, and washed it down with a Diet Coke (I know! Pepsi is better. Coke is cheaper.). But, someone on my Facebook reminded me that I was fat, and can do it. Actually, she only suggested music, but that fact that she cared, and tried to motivate me made me feel special and slightly guilty

Brisk five-minute warm up walk. The alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Five-minute cool down walk.

The skinny Bitch wasn't there, neither was the 50-60-70 year old. *sigh* No one to show up today. Damn. Well, I forgot how much I like to run to music! When you are running with other people (like Manic and Faffy) you can't listen to music, it's rude, you're suppose to converse with your company, not ignore them.

BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
RUN

That group of people must be the track team. OH! They are huddled together, they must be leaving. Guess I avoid that humiliation. (as I get closer) OH! It's not the track team, it's a bunch of cheerleaders, or wanna-bes.

BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
WALK

WOW! That swim coach sounds like a real Bitch (yea, capital B)! I can hear her loud ass over my music. I certainly wouldn't want to be on her team. Flyer (cheerleading turn, for the person who gets tossed in the air), are you a Rookie? Don't lock your knees, stay stiff, back straight, and PINCH A PENNY!

BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
RUN

Wait, where is the coach for the wanna-be cheerleaders? They don't have an adult there?! WOW! Umm, and they are practicing stunts. I remember those days,I would do anything to be able to practice stunts. I guess they are doing it really safely, like, safer than I did when I was a cheerleader.

BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
WALK

Where are my kitty cats? I don't see them! I hope that cat abuser didn't get them! That would be awful! Dang. I am much more tired now and here, than I was when I was running around the Kiwanis Park.What was I doing differently?

BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
RUN

Oh yea! Knees up. Maybe that will help. Man am I hot. This is horrible! I feel like a beginner, maybe I SHOULD have started back at Week 1. No, that doesn't make sense, Week 2 is where I belong. Plus, it is still Day 1.

BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
COOL OFF

Stay tuned for some guest bloggin by a couple jogging buddies and their journey to get into shape!

Mental Notes:

1. Steal... No that isn't the word I am looking for... Borrow (that's more like it) some water bottles from work and leave them in your car, so you will always have water and it wont matter when you forget
2. Consistency (I don't think I will ever learn!)
3. Buy better shoes (Psshhh! Like this is gonna happen!)
4. Cut back on carbs (I'm trying! I really am!)

Week 1, Day 2 (Part 2)

Workout Length: 31 minutes. Brisk five-minute warm-up walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Five-minute cool down walk.

It was back to the basics last night and a good thing it was. We had one more join Manic and I on the walk (I'm working on getting her permission to post her information*). She just started the Couch to 5K program and is on Week 1 Day 2, so that is the day we did. Maybe I can get her and Manic to guest blog about it one time instead of having me ramble on and on about it.

Anyway...

As I mentioned above, it was a good thing we went back to Week 1, because it was damn hard! I can only imagine the pain we would have been in had we continued with Week 2. Not that we aren't ready. BUT it was f'ing cold outside! My lungs felt frozen, my ears NEVER warmed up and I think it wasn't until half way through the program that the rest of my body started to feel like it should at body temperature.

Good thing was that I brought water this time! Yea, a half of a bottle that I forgot was in my car from my drive home from work (Wow, that was a lot of sentence).

While I thought I would be sorer than a turkey on Thanksgiving, my body is surprisingly not feeling that bad this morning. AND I think the whole running thing is helping me sleep better at night!

Great job team!

Mental Notes:

1. Whenever you get around to buying those good running shoes!
2. Still need more water, water is a good thing.
3. Stretch you dumb ass! Stretch! It really isn't that hard.
4. Always wear a sweatshirt now, aparantly Arizona CAN get cold!
5. Protein shakes. My body needs more protein and less carbs.

*Got permission, She will be referred to as Faffy from this point forward.

Week 2, Day 2

Brisk five-minute warm up walk. The alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Five-minute cool down walk.

You will be proud of me. This time, I kept moving on with Week 2, instead of going back to week 1. This probably would have been great, had I not technically done the Week 2, day 2 program twice. I mean, I completed it twice, last night. That's 1 hour of running/walking!

Anyway, I was lying on the couch after having ate a small amount of food. I was tired from the weekend and the night before. I was about 10 second away from sending out a text message to my jogging buddy (who I recently got permission from to exploit. Or something like that) and telling him that I wasn't going to make it. Then, I got up and changed into the neccessary attire. I left 30 mintues before our meeting time, because I knew that if I were to wait any longer before leaving the house, that text message would be sent!

Manicsocratic is my jogging buddy and he can be found on twitter, here. Also, I will now be refering to him has Manic in this blog.

Half way through the first time I did the program, I wanted to leave. Then at the end, when my Manic showed up I felt like I could go another hour. Yea, riiiight! I was beaten! I felt used and abused. My thighs felt like jello in the sense that they remained in one spot, but were shaky as hell! And my feet, my feet felt like I had been walking on iron for the last 10 years.

Yesterday kicked my ass.

Lesson learned. Don't take 4 days off and then expect to "make up" for it the first chance you get. 20 minutes in the hot tub didn't even help curb the pain my body was feeling. Today, I can STILL feel it. I sure did hand it to myself.

I think I might go out again today, and complete only ONE session, not one session twice. I am terribly exhausted, from staying up late and not getting any sleep, so I am not sure if I'll make it. I did just consume 78 carbs. It's funny how it kind of seems that excesising and eating healthy go hand in hand. Or did I get that backwards? Maybe, I'm just not there yet!

Mental Notes:

1. Don't forget your WATER! You can't keep relying on other people to bring you some.
2. Sweat pants seems to be eliminating that burning/itching feeling. I wonder if now that I am more active if I can go back to shorts and not have it at all!?!?
3. Still need new shoes (I might be repeating this for the next 9. No, 8 weeks).
4. Work on what you are eating. Try to elimiate the carb intake. *cough* fat ass *cough*

Week 2, Day 1

Brisk five-minute warm up walk. The alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Five-minute cool down walk.

I stumbled onto Weed 2 by sheer accident. I swear. I was going to do Week 1 again with my workout buddy so that he could adjust to the program, and THEN move on to Week 2. But, when starting the workout last night, I didn't move back and ended up starting Week 2 instead.

I remember after the first run, I was like, "Oh man! This seems like a LONG time." By the 2nd run, I looked at my phone and, "OH SHIT," We started Week 2! Well, by that time we felt like we were perfectly capable of continuing forward. MAN! Was that a great work-out! I felt great! I sweated my ass off, but I can really feel myself progressing! Despite the physical appearance of exhaustion, I really think that the workout is a little too short and that I can keep getting better and better.

That whole realization is enough to motivate me to keep going steady so that I do not fall behind. AND so that I can see if the program really works. because you can bet your ass, when this program is finished, I am taking my self back to the track and going to run, like it tells you too, and see if it is really 5K (about 3 miles!).

I am totally looking forward to Friday night, where I convinced Curtis that we should not go to Pappadeuax and spend $100 on a meal, and should instead save $100 and go for a run. That's the power of persuasion at its best. Maybe the Week 2 program will make him feel a little burn.

Mental Notes:

1. I fear that by the time I buy a decent pair of running shoes, I will be finished with the program.
2. Bringing water is a good thing.
3. Keep up the good work.

Week 1, Day 1 (Part 3)

Workout Length: 31 minutes. Brisk five-minute warm-up walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Five-minute cool down walk.

Look, I know. Back to Week 1 Day 1, AGAIN! I could have just advanced to Day 3, which is the same as Day 1 and Day 2, since they are in the same week. But, this time I have two excuses. One is really and excuse and the other is valid. So, let's concentrate and the more valid one.

First, it's been over a week since I've ran and I just can't bring myself to moving forward without "properly" following the program. Did it work? No, okay.

The OTHER excuse is that... I found a work out/jogging buddy and he is in the same shape as I am and has NOT done the program, so I figured I would start at the beginning.

This time, while the Couch to 5K program Week 1, Day 1 thing is only 31 minutes, we were actually there for over an hour. Oh, and I wasn't at the track this time. We met up at the park and jogged/walked around the pond.

I really think I am building some endurance. The sweats things makes me LOOK more tired, but I was did REALLY good. I think running with someone helps too, because it gives me someone to talk to and I don't have time to pay attention too how much air my lungs are really getting.

So, after the 31 minutes of the C25K program we did "hills." If I only knew what I was getting myself into BEFORE I went. I still would have gone. We ran up this steep as grass hill, and then back. We did three of them and while that doesn't sound like a lot, you try it, because it is!

It was a good thing that my buddy remembered to bring water, because I didn't. I think that is becoming a bad habit - not bringing water. Anyway, we are going to meet up again on Wednesday and get back on the horse. I am looking forward to it. :D

Mental Notes:

1. Buy one of those water back packs.
2. Blue tooth headphones would be awesome (thanks friend), but I'm not dropping that kind of cash on them.
3. I still need nice running shoes. Anyone have any suggestions?
4. I love the hot tub, my muscles felt like hard jello last night, but after dipping into the hot tub they feel great this morning!