The Life Ledger

Fitness is a way of life.

So part of the reason I’ve been silent recently is the fact I’ve been feeling a bit uninspired. Not for weight loss or living healthy, but putting things down in written form. But that doesn’t really help you, our readers. And then I had an idea. With my Google-Fu I searched high and hunted low. A number here, and a call there. Lo and behold I was able reach Luis Bruno and he was willing to take a few minutes to answer some questions for us.

The Life Ledger (Dave) : Mr Bruno, I would first like to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer a few questions for us. For those that haven’t read the Runner’s Worldarticle featuring your lifestyle changes, can you describe where you were in your life before your weight loss and what prompted the change?

Luis Bruno : My life was out of control and I couldn’t get a grip on it!!! I was sitting at 400 lbs. I was requiring 6 shots of insulin a day to control my diabetes. My weight also caused loss of feeling in my right foot, a damaged liver and sleep apnea. I also had the stress of running a restaurant and a new baby in my life.

Let me tell you, at that time the only thing in front of it all was my restaurant. I put it before my child, family or my health. I just did not care!

TLL : The article also said you were placed on an emergency diet of 800 calories a day. Can you describe what that consisted of? And what was it like eating that knowing what you could whip up in the kitchen?

LB : It was a liquid diet, and so I wished it had been a beer diet. Not!!! I had packs of powder meals to which you add 8oz of water to and BAM!!! You have a meal. It’s the truth!! It was bad… My choices for meals consisted of: chocolate, vanilla or strawberry shakes, chicken or tomato soup, and a vanilla or chocolate pudding for dessert. I came to enjoy them because of the chef that I am I was able to make some adjustments.

So of the things I ate, excuse me drank (HA-HA), for 5+ months were chicken soup and vanilla pudding. The soup I added more water to in order to stretch it out, as well as adding dried herbs, vegetables and spices. So it was very yummy. For the puddings I made them into a shake by adding extracts, fruit and non sugar syrups. I would do the diet again with no problem.

TLL : One of the things we like to look at here at TheLifeLedger are numbers. What metrics or methodologies did you use to keep track of your progress?

LB : I keep a log/journal on my workouts, food intake and feelings. I initially felt having a journal was a girly thing to do but I’ve come to discover that it works, and helps me a great deal!!! After I overcame the journal thing, I kept up recording in it since August of 2005. Some times I look back over past entries, because reading them makes me feel good about what I’ve been accomplishing.

TLL : Now that I’m so near my own goal, I’ll admit it’s hard to be motivated to lose those last few pounds to reach my target. How have your motivations and goals changed as you approached your goal weight?

LB : I give myself a 10 lb. window. I’m currently 205 and let myself go down to 200 and up to 210 to stay in that window frame of weight. And for exercise I set 6 month goals, so I’ll change my workout routine and not get bored and have that goal to reach for.

TLL : Have you reached your personal goals yet?

LB : Every day has a goal for me, with the challenge being not relapsing into old habits in a bad way. Let’s face it, Food is a drug for some. We need to have it every day to function but someone like me and others need more and can’t seem to stop! Now that I eat only 3 meals and 3 snacks a day I’m a happy camper.

TLL : What is your regular maintenance routine to keep the weight off?

LB : My routine for working out is 3 days of lifting weights and swimming, with the other 3 days of running. On my running days I might do some bricking (which means biking and some running one after the other). Then there is Tennis if I can get it in on the weekend as well as doing sports with my daughter. She’s into baseball, basketball, soccer & karate.

TLL : People usually have preconceived notions of what “good food” and stereotypical diet food consists of. Has the change in your lifestyle been an obstacle to you or more of an opportunity for bringing balance between “healthy” and “unhealthy” foods?

LB : My lifestyle has changed a whole lot, for the best of course, but there’s no obstacles in my diet. I just pay attention to what I put in my body. I guess I can say my life is finally in balance and it doesn’t get any better.

TLL : Any final advice and motivation you can provide our readers for healthy weight loss and exercise?

LB : Listen guys - Pay attention to your body, it does talk to you. Your body will let you know when its not feeling well or sad, in pain or just uncomfortable. Take the signs all in and realize when its telling you something.

If you are over-weight or have some health issues, you need to respect yourself and be strong. For you, family and friends. So take control of it, and do it right!! Get healthy, eat right, exercise…

Let me tell you it has taken me 36 years to face these issues and I’m winning this battle. I’m not going back to that uncontrollable lifestyle again!!!! Trust me, If you have a strong heart and mind you can do anything.

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Well you haven’t been hearing much from me this week. I large part of that is because I pulled back on my exercise. This past Saturday, I tried to do a little bit of speed work. Nothing crazy, just moving my feet faster on the treadmill. And about 10 minutes into the run, my knee started hurting. And was located where most runners blanch - in the IT Band, or otherwise known as Runner’s Knee.

Since the run was 14 days away, I cut back. Way back. In fact didn’t run on Monday specifically, so was able to have a 3 day break. Around comes Wednesday, strapped on my shoes and sweated out another 3.5 miles no problems. Mentally wiping my brow, I worked through the different machines for weight lifting. When I hit something called Thigh Adductor, there was enlightenment. And boy howdy was it sharp, right in my knee. Or more specifically, where I was hurting before. Apparently I’m just to tall for that machine to use properly. Keeping my feet on its rest it induces me to use my knees instead of my legs.

While this story shows my foolishness, its perfect for demonstrating what happens as you get into shape. Part of the whole process is breaking down your muscles to rebuild them stronger. So as you do things : run, walk, lift, bike, whatever, except to be sore. Heck even be ready to be hurt! But it’s important to listen where you hurt. There are two criteria I use. First if you have any pain in your joints, you’re doing something wrong. Using a machine wrong or putting tension where you shouldn’t it doesn’t matter. Stop. Ask a doctor or trainer. Look for more information on the internet. So being sore in your muscles are to be expected. But at the same time it should be a general sore, about the size of the heel of your hand. If its a sharp pain and the size of a finger tip, again get to the doctor. Most likely you’ve over exerted and torn something.

Becoming healthy is an important thing, but a gradual thing. Any attempts to instantly be there can cause lots of pain. And your body will know when you are pushing to hard, so listen. It will prevent you from getting hurt and keep you on the healthy path.

So today was my first run outside for awhile. Beautiful morning, when I prefer to run, and a nice cool 55 degrees out. The only “complaint” was that I was without tunes - My ipod wasn’t charged. So for most of the way I had to listen to the birds sing. If all off life’s problems were that Horrific. Laugh

But it was a good run, down around the Lake. Running on pavement is worlds different than running on a treadmill. While the health benefits are there for both, actually moving in the world and being able to see the distance you’ve traveled gives a better sense of accomplishment. It’s a more tangible thing, at least to me. Pull up google maps, and I would be able to trace it for you.

Another detriment to running on a treadmill is that the numbers fib to you. The speed setting might be set to 7.5 mph (8 minute mile) but given how you run, you can be moving quite a bit slower. Being 6′ 3″, I just lengthen my stride. And when both feet are off the ground the track just goes by underneath.

The last and most important difference, to me, is the texture. You can feel the difference when it comes to running on pavement, sand, “trail”, and even the treadmill. Each has its own give or softness, its own resistance which is something different. In fact someone who is used to running on pavement can be slower if they try to perform the same on sand, or trails. Your body has to learn. So to prepare for my race, I have to run on roads and pavement since it has been awhile.

Which leads me to today’s numbers. Didn’t wear a watch, but in feeling my pace the first 1.5 miles was cruising right along at an 8 minute mile. After that I slowed down to a 10 min mile. Which isn’t bad. But slower than my personal goal right now.

And in case anyone wants to donate, visit here to donate straight to Habitat, or follow the instructions here for me to donate in your name. Have a great day, and to those that run, waddle on!

So as I say elsewhere here, I lost most of my weight by running. And I was steadily increasing my distance. My longest distance was a little over 9 miles, I think, and averaging around 20 miles a week. Then I met my wife.

Heh, you know what? I didn’t notice, or care, that I was running less. My preferred time to run is in the morning, but now that time is put to better use holding my wife. Yes, I’m a bit of a romantic; what can I say? But the fact that she is such an amazing and health-conscious cook is why my weight was able to stay steady. So at the time I didn’t miss running.

Currently the only running I do is about 30 minutes before my karate class. And while that’s nice for general cardio, it lacks the ability to get me to that “cleansing place” where all of life falls away: just you and the road. After runs like that I get this sense of clarity that’s amazing. It’s very similar to a Nike commercial I saw just the other day(but I was unable to find it on youtube yet).

Now I’m looking to try and get refocused. And I’ve decided to do that by signing up for a race. It’s not a long race, only 5k(or 3.11 miles for us Imperialists) . I’m not usually competitive, and trying to run with about 500 more people is going to be interesting to say the least. At the same time, the money goes Habitat for Humanity, so that’s motivation right there as well.

In fact, tell you what. For each person who tags The Life Ledger as a Technorati favorite blog, I’ll add 5 dollars as an additional donation. Race day, I’ll write the names on my number or carry them some other way, and then post a picture of it afterward.

I could smell Sugar.

Didn’t know the source, and I really didn’t want to care. It’s a rainy day, so maybe someone brought in fresh doughnuts. That scent of the warm glaze spread through out the office, tickled my nose, made me hungry. No, that’s wrong because I had breakfast. It made me crave them. It was through concentrated effort that prevented me from tracking them down and eating like a starving man.

What’s funny is it’s not like I have great memories of doughnuts. Every Sunday morning, between church and Sunday school, I’d be able to get one and hot cocoa. It was like clock work, without fail. Being an outdoor lover, it was the only solace in having to be inside for 2hrs. And closer to present day, it was the only perk at my last job. We had limited 401k, no bonuses, no raises for 6 years across the board. But every Friday it was doughnuts. But that job was hell, and I’m very glad to be gone from there.

So what is it? Could it be that sub-consciously my body knows what that smell means? That if I was to eat one, or more, I could “feel good” for all the wonders that occur with change of blood sugar. The same could be said about my morning of coffee. Until I finish my first cup, my brain feels like mush. But sometimes even just smelling the coffee brewing, I become more alert and wired. So what is the connection? Am I nothing more that a human version of Pavlov’s dog?

At the same time man is a different animal, in that we can prioritize. Being able to control that impulse, redirect it or halt it completely in order to reach a higher goal. For me it’s fact that the past 3 days, I’ve been 203 and change. I’ve been on a hell of a plateau, and this is the closest I’ve gotten to my goal in awhile. So I said no. Prevented myself from that seductive snack, and was able to stay focused on the long term goal.

To wax abit poetic, the mind knows but the body remembers.