Richard Ha writes:

I weighed 202 at 7:30 p.m., which is a half pound heavier than last week. But I normally weigh myself early in the morning when I weigh the least amount all day. So it’s okay.

I am feeling a lot better about my weight loss program. I should probably call it my “Exercise and Good Eating” program. In addition to lifting weights and cardio, my goal now is to make my meals two-thirds fruit and veggies, and one-third meat, fish and fowl.

Although I started this program to lose weight, it has the added advantage of being recommended by the American Institute for Cancer Research as a way to decrease one’s cancer risk.

Two-thirds/one-third is a simple goal that I can monitor on the fly. If circumstances find me taking in more than 1/3 protein, I simply adjust for it in subsequent meals. I don’t agonize over the details, I just lean toward 2/3-1/3 whenever I can. This way I can have my cake and eat it too.

Try AICR’s New American Plate approach to eating. Look at your plate every time you sit down to a meal. Your plate should hold two-thirds (or more) vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans. Only one-third (or less) of your plate should hold animal protein.

Instead of eating fast food, now I go to the natural food store Island Naturals, which has a nice, veggie-oriented food bar. Items are sold by the pound, so one can mix and match. I like that I can put it on a round paper plate to take out. That’s about the size of our plates at home and I can easily eyeball what I’m eating. Nice.

Since I separated the exercise component from the weight loss program, I can now exercise again in a way that makes me happy. I love exercising. When I had the exercise program tied to and responsible for weight loss, I got mentally tired if the exercise didn’t result in weight loss. Now I exercise for its own sake, and it has become enjoyable again.

My exercise objective is to improve the blood flow system of my whole body. Weightlifting causes blood vessels to grow, as one can see when looking at bodybuilders; they have vascularity that is mind-boggling. It is a simple concept. The body adapts to stress. Exercised (stressed) muscles need improved blood flow to move nutrients and waste in and out of working muscles. So getting into the weightlifting mindset takes care of all the details.

The heart is at the center of the whole blood flow system and the heart is a muscle. So I make sure to exercise the heart in a systematic manner as well. A low resting heart rate is an indication that one’s heart is in good physical condition. The lower the better. When I’m out of condition, my resting heart rate is in the mid-70 beats per minute. My goal is to maintain it in the mid-50s. This is doable, as I’ve been able to achieve this for months at a time. Recently it has been in the mid 60s. Doing cardio, combined with weight lifting, takes care of all the details.

Combining the weightlifting and the cardio into an exercise schedule and then working toward small improvements along the way is very enjoyable for me.

I went for a echocardiograph/treadmill test this past week as a check-up for a minor surgery. They took a reading with my body at rest and then after maximum stress. I asked a lot of questions because I want to beat the test next time.

I found out that the computer controls the speed of the treadmill. The treadmill is set to account for one’s height, weight and age. The session is 12 minutes long, broken up into four three-minute segments.

I asked what the expected maximum heart rate is for someone my age. The formula they used was 220 minus one’s age (220-62), which resulted in an estimated maximum heart rate of 158. So the computer program is set up to take almost everyone in this category up to the limit of his/her ability. After all, they have to challenge the most fit people too.

The first three minutes were warm up. The treadmill was set at 1.5 MPH and the incline was set midway. I don’t recall if my heart rate rose above 100. The next three minutes were below 3 MPH at max incline. I think my heart rate rose into the 120s. The next three minutes were at 3.5 MPH at max incline. My heart rate went into the 140s.

The last three minutes were set at a slow jog, at 4.4 MPH and max incline. My heart rate went into the 150s fairly rapidly and into the 160s in less than one and a half minutes. By two minutes it was over 170 and it settled at 172-174 for the next 40 seconds. I thought about going for the whole three minutes. It appeared to me that this might not be my max heart rate, but we wouldn’t know without increasing the speed. So I stopped at 2 minutes and 40 seconds.

The machine measures the heart under stress. The heart does not care if the work is caused by carrying a bag of rocks or body fat; stress is stress.

Now I have a goal. I’ll simulate this at home and be ready to beat the machine next time. Fun!

By the way, the doctor told me that I did great. I know!