Work in Progress IV

I told you I’d be back in a minute with a more in-depth update on my #finebyforty challenge and here I am. Like I mentioned in the last post, with Covid-19 happening, I haven’t been to the gym in over six weeks at this point, so my progress on bulking up has been delayed.

My fella and I have made sure to increase our activity level with daily walks, some jogging, biking and we’ve started hiking with friends on the weekends too. That effort has kept our cardio levels on-par or better than what they were, so we’ve both managed to continue leaning out through this gym hiatus. I’m happy about that, but frustrated that my progress on adding muscle mass to my upper body has been halted again (After hernia surgery last winter). It’ll happen in due time though; most important thing is that we all stay healthy.

Same Shorts, 65 Pound Difference

I realized over the weekend that my pajama shorts were the same red shorts from these “before” pictures you’ve seen several times, so I decided to do some side-by-side progress shots.

Left: the “after” shot for the front angle was taken Saturday morning and I’m bloated in my belly. We have a standing Friday night zoom happy hour with our friends, where we catch up, eat dinner and have drinks together. I woke up feeling (and showing) the prior night’s food and beverage choices in my gut.

Right: The “After” picture for the profile shot was taken this morning (Sunday) after a busy day with better dietary choices. The bloat is gone and you can see my baby 2 pack showing through (we’re working on it, girl).

Here are a couple mirror selfies for the week, to prove how extra I am ATM. No, I don’t shave my legs; I’ve just never grown a ton of leg hair and what I do have is blond. :)

The Details

As I always, I can’t really tell you what these numbers relay but I do know that ones that should be trending down are and the ones that should be trending up are at least maintaining.

Measurement	Starting	5/10/20	Progress
Height:	5'11"	5'11"	No Change
Weight:	265 lbs.	211 lbs.	Loss of 54 lbs.
Body Mass Index (BMI):	36.7%	25%	Loss of 11.7% BMI
Body Fat:	36%	25.2%	Loss of 10.8% Body Fat
Visceral (Abdominal) Fat:	19%	10%	Loss of 9% Visceral Fat
Muscle Mass:	130.5	161.1	Gain of 30.6 Muscle Mass
Bone Mass:	5.6	9.2	Bone Mass gain of 3.6
Max Push-up Count:	9	44	Gain of 35
Max Plank Interval:	25 seconds	110 seconds	Gain of 85 seconds
Max Bench Press Weight:	45 lbs.	195 lbs.	Gain of 150 lbs.

I'm back!

Hi friends! I’ve resurrected the site after a few months away and, MAN, am I glad to see y’all.

Why the time away and new domain? Life, man. Life.

Over the past year, I’ve been through some big changes and life has been a wild ride. I reached a point where I had too many irons in the fire, so I made a choice to slow my roll on the illustration and blogging front. I was bummed about it, but it was the right choice at the time. And, even better, I’m back now and I feel refreshed and energized and jazzed to the max.

WORK IN PROGRESS - CHECK IN

The last time we spoke (in January, y’all…sheesh) I gave you an update on the fitness journey I started last fall. Let’s start there.

I’m happy to report that I’m still on the grind. I’ll post a more thorough update later, but I’m currently weighing in at 212 pounds, which is a total loss of 53 pounds from where I started in the fall. More than that, I am in the best shape of my life and the strongest I’ve ever been.

There have been a lot of milestone over the past few months, but I’m gonna pause here and just share a few pics from my hiatus to document the journey.

These couple snaps are from today and, man, do I need a haircut.

And here are a few comparisons I’ve posted to social media, showing a current pic versus an older photo.

The left collage is from February 2020 and the one on right is a progress picture from March 2020.

This “after” pic is from this week. I went through my closet and dresser this past week to get rid of the clothes that are too big for me now as I was approach summer. I found this Level 3 tee from the 2010 Day of Caring in the back of a drawer. I had no idea I still had it. I remember that, at the time, I was super embarrassed because I couldn’t fit in the tee, even though it was a size Large. I had to run to Target the night before to find an XXL shirt that coordinated with the official event t-shirts. It fits now though - a decade later!

COVID-19 & LIFE

Obviously life has been different here lately. Before the Tulsa-area went on shutdown, my partner and I had already decided to practice social distancing to the max. By the time Tulsa tightened restrictions, we were already working remote and staying close to home.

We’ve had a lot of pajama days around these parts and lots of puzzles, board games, card games, chess and video games to pass the time.

I’m lucky enough to work remotely full time, so there wasn’t much of a transition for me.

The kiddo is homeschooled through a local charter school, so this was also a pretty smooth transition for him, other than school was put on hold for a few weeks.

My guy has had the biggest adjustment professionally but has sailed through it like the pro he is.

This has been an incredibly stressful time for everyone. I feel fortunate that I’m surrounded by people who have been focused on supporting each other and making the most out of everything. Like I mentioned, we’ve had lots of family time and game nights.

But, when our respective gyms both closed, my partner and I needed to figure out how to adjust so that we didn’t derail our progress while we still maintained our safety and level of activity.

Enter: our new bikes.

In addition to taking longer walks as often as we can, we’ve been putting these babies to work, cycling all over town and the metro.

Between sensible eating, staying active with walking, jogging and biking, we’ve both managed to continue shaving off body fat during this epidemic, which is miraculous to me considering we haven’t been to the gym in 6 weeks and we’re home all day surrounded by food. That time outdoors, and burning off energy, has also helped us manage the feeling of confinement we’re all dealing with.

We can’t wait for life to get back to normal, but we’ve enjoyed the time slowing down and being together too. We are staying safe and taking care of each other. I hope you are too.

I’ll be back soon with a recipe that’s become a family fav through this quarantine; it’s so easy and so good!

Gobble Gobble

Guys! We are 19 days away from Christmas and I can hardly wait. I’m doing a bunch of illustration work right now but there isn’t much that I can share since most have been commissioned for gifts. So I thought I’d do a quick recap of the holiday and also a #finebyforty check-in, considering this is the hardest time if year to stay on goal.

Stuffed and Thankful

Despite the marathon of social gatherings, this Thanksgiving left me feeling recharged. It was a lot of time with the folks I love, just stuffing our faces, talking, laughing and playing games. As things wound down, I sat with my people and we talked about how slow and relaxed the holiday had been and how nice it was. Of course the hot apple cider spiked with Fireball probably didn’t hurt either. :)

This sweet old kitchen is tired, but she served a lot of hot meals over the holiday. It’s one of the crowd-favorite gathering spaces in my house and always feels cozy and inviting. It’s also her last Thanksgiving holiday; renovations start in early 2020 and she’s going to be a whole different lady after we’re done. It’s a little bittersweet because I already have so many memories in this space.

Stuffed and Focused

I made it known to everyone that I was going to EAT this Thanksgiving. Changing my habits and maintaining a sensible diet (with occasional cheats) hasn’t been that difficult. But there was no way I was going to count calories, carbs or cut back on Cool Whip.

And I ate. And I ate. I had everything I normally would - turkey, ham, steak, roast, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, stuffing, bread, mac and cheese, chicken and dumplings, pie. cookies,. cake, brownies, more pie. I ate what I wanted, when I wanted and I enjoyed the holiday with my tribe. I did eat less in general though because, after months of cleaner eating, I just don’t have the room to put it away like I used to.

And, after all of that, I’m happy to report that I lost a half pound. I didn’t gain a single ounce, even stuffing myself silly. And here is the reason I was able to stay on track with my progress, despite derailing my diet…

I worked my ass off at the gym. Every single day (or night).

Knowing that I wasn’t going to over-think my food choices during the extended holiday, I made a plan to compensate and remain on track:

• I drank a ton of water.

• I hit the gym 7 days a week instead of 5.

• Instead of doing a 10 minute cardio warm-up before lifting, I did 40 minutes every day on the treadmill, elliptical or bike and then lifted.

• I raised my active burn calorie target from 800 to 1,500, and then I surpassed it every day.

• I increased the difficulty of my lifting to keep the burn going.

• I didn’t make excuses. My friends left my house at 1:30 AM on Friday and I was at the gym by 1:45 AM, getting my time in.

This isn’t a short-term plan for me or a fad diet. I’m not looking to shed a few pounds quickly. In fact, weight loss has never been my focus. I’ve been working to increase muscle mass, flexibility and athleticism. My goal is to be stronger and healthier. Clean eating, practicing yoga and working out are part of my daily life now, like any other routine. I didn’t want to worry about what I was eating over Thanksgiving and I didn’t want to feel guilty for indulging. So I planned for it and adjusted accordingly to maintain my progress. It wasn’t easy, but I got it done.

Pumpkin is a Fruit

What also helped? Knowing Pumpkin is actually a fruit, guys. So, when you eat an entire pumpkin pie in a day, you’re basically doing a fruit cleanse. Add a whole container of Cool Whip to the top (for dairy) and you’re cleansing while strengthening your bones.

…and that’s science, folks. #themoreyouknow

I’m thankful so many people are following along on this journey with me (and even checking in on my progress). Y’all are the sweetest and I promise to keep you updated! I want to also thank my friends and family who kept asking if I was sure I needed that 4th slice of pie. I was and I did. But that was was really helpful :)

I hope you guys had a hashtag blessed Thanksgiving! I have a couple non-surprise illustrations that I’ll be back to share with you next week. Talk to you soon!

#10yearchallenge

This #10yearchallenge tag has been all over my instagram and Facebook the past few days. When I opened my Timehop today, and saw the picture below, I figured I’d jump on the wagon!

Here’s me on November 21, 2009 (left) and today, November 21, 2019 (right). Still love a vest moment, still love my autumnal colors and still hate having sleeves around my wrists.

Oh, the things I’d say if could go back in time and talk to that chubby goober on the left.

Things like…Why are your glasses so small? Undershirts are for old men and heavy sweaters; it doesn’t make it better just because it matches.

We’ve kiki’d about my focus on fitness (my bestie dubbed it “Fine by Forty” this week) and this kind of dovetails in there. I see these older pictures of me and I see someone who needs to take better care of himself in many ways. I still have a long way to go, but I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. I’m rolling into 2020, and year forty, as the best version of me yet.

Life is good.

Work in Progress II

Hi friends! Time for another progress check in. I published the first kick-off post on October 26th and progress has remained steady. I’ve kept on schedule with my 5 day a week workout plan. Diet has also remained (mostly) dope, although I did indulge in some Halloween and birthday party-related cheats.

I’ve been increasing the difficulty and complexity of my movements this week with my trainer. I’ve left feeling destroyed every day. Here’s the post-gym selfie from 11/10/19. And, yes, my glasses do have flowers on them.

Follow me on Snapchat @RCArrowsmith for more d-bag gym selfies.

And a quick pic from tonight. Like I mentioned in my last post, I don’t always notice the changes because I see myself every day. It’s always fun running into people I haven’t seen in awhile and seeing their reaction though. Tonight I ran into an old friend at Target who was beyond sweet and flattering (and a little handsy). :) I’ve still got a long way to go but y’all know how to make a guy feel purty.

No shirtless pics this update because I already feel douchey enough. :) I promise more nipples in my next progress update.

Milestones

Again, don’t ask me to explain what all of these numbers mean. :) . I just know that they’re all trending in the direction we wanna see them go.

Measurement	Starting	10/26/19	11/12/19	Progress
Height:	5'11"	5'11"	5'11"	No Change
Weight:	265 lbs.	231.4 lbs.	228.1 lbs.	Loss of 36.9 lbs.
Body Mass Index (BMI):	36.7%	31.5%	30.2%	Loss of 6.5% BMI
Body Fat:	36%	29%	28.2%	Loss of 7.8% Body Fat
Visceral (Abdominal) Fat:	19%	13%	12.3%	Loss of 6.7% Visceral Fat
Muscle Mass:	130.5	160.3	161.1	Gain of 30.6 Muscle Mass
Bone Mass:	5.6	8.9	9.2	Bone Mass gain of 3.6
Max Push-up Count:	9	28	44	Gain of 35
Max Plank Interval:	25 seconds	63 seconds	110 seconds	Gain of 85 seconds
Max Bench Press Weight:	45 lbs.	125 lbs.	195 lbs.	Gain of 150 lbs.

In other fitness news:

• I signed up for two 5Ks over the next couple months with friends. I don’t love running but I’m excited to see if I can improve on my time with each run.

• I also agreed to try out for the local Rugby club in the spring, which seems terrifying. Luckily I have a few months to practice and continue bulking up.

Lessons Learned:

• PR gains won’t happen every week, despite your best efforts.

• Don’t tell your trainer no. It never ends well.

• There will always be someone with something shitty to say. Put it into your workout.

• Don’t drop the dumbells when doing the green mile; they’ll make you start over at rep one.

That’s where we stand today. I’ll check in with you guys in another couple weeks.