Filed under: Measurements
I started this blog with the goal of losing 40 pounds as I prepared to run a marathon. Although I did not lose 40 pounds, I did lose 16, I did not lose my belly fat but I did reduce the size of my Phil Michelson’s. I did not break the 5:30 I had hoped to but I did finish a marathon.
One of the things I did so was lose some weight and some inches. As mentioned above, I did lose some weight and as noted below, did reshape my body. The one thing I did learn was that it took me man years to put my body in the shape it was and it was going to fight to keep itself in that shape, no matter how hard I work. O the other hand, maybe I have to work harder than I did to see my abs again and I just don’t think I can work that hard.
But on a positive note, the body shaping I did accomplish ended up as follows:
| 27-Sep | 8-May | Increase/Decrease | |
| Neck | 17.25 | 16.5 | -0.75 |
| Chest | 46.5 | 45 | -1.5 |
| Bicep | 15.5 | 15.75 | 0.25 |
| Flexed Bicep | 16.75 | 16.5 | -0.25 |
| Waist | 46.5 | 45 | -1.5 |
| Belt Line | 42.25 | 42.5 | 0.25 |
| Thigh | 27.5 | 26.5 | -1 |
| Calf | 19 | 18.5 | -0.5 |
Earlier in the week, I talked about all the things that occurred as I participated in the marathon. Recently, I though about all the things (Most of them bad things that could have happened that didn’t) that didn’t happen during the marathon and the fact that these things did not happen may indicate the marathon was a success as much as finishing did. A recap of what did not happen follows:
I did not:
Have Hemorrhoids
Have bloody Nipples, I did see them though
Get hungry
Have diarrhea
Have a back ache so bad I could not continue.
Have my solius ball up
Have my left leg act up
Have my plantar faciitis act up.
Need a second pair of shoes
Stop
Feel like quitting
Hit the wall
Sit down
Get rained on
See lightning
See someone through up
Chafee
Listen to my ipod the last several miles.
Finish last.
Need cold weather gear.
Cry when I finished (Bing Did)
Crawl across the finish line
Run much of the last 8 miles
Get a massage or eat any of the after race food at the race.
Wear the wrong clothing (Except my shoes)
Have to use my marathon shuffle.
Get passed by a senior female runner (I did get passed by a senior male)
Trip or fall
Think about work.
Run out of hydration.
Need to use my emergency cell phone.
Get blisters
Get black toenails.
Hurt my knee or ankle
Lose weight
Wear sunglasses
Become friends with anyone.
Decide never to run a marathon again.
Almost lose my bib (It happened on my first half marathon)
Filed under: Measurements
I have never been pregnant but I have been a father. I have never tapered before a marathon but I think my experience as a husband of a mother about to give birth has given me good preparation for tapering.
You ask yourself how being a husband to an about to give birth woman is helpful to tapering. In one word. Nesting.
My understanding is that pregnant women near birth go into nesting mode where they prepare for the birth of their child by cleaning house and performing other motherly functions. Well, since I have started to taper, I now have extra time and energy that I haven’t been able to enjoy for quite some time and now I am taking advantage of it.
Perfect examples might be the fixing the hand cart I broke three years ago prior to our move. Or adding digital cable boxes to two of our TV’s. These cable boxes have been sitting in our family room for over three months. Bing and I have also done some yard work. Yard work I probably didn’t do until mid to late May last year. A perfect example is that I have laid out around 24 bags of mulch on the front and side of our house.
Excess time and energy its a wonderful thing.
Today’s scheduled run was only three miles. I decided to take advantage of the less than desireable weather by running on the treadmill and continuing to break in my new shoes. My plan is to run the eight miles scheduled on Sunday and the few miles left on the schedule next week in the new shoes and then put them aside in case I need them as replacement shoes on race day.
My plan is to have one or two back up shirts, shoes and socks in case the inclement weather currently forecasts becomes a reality.
In addition, Bing and I bought a couple of ponchos for race morning. We will wear them on race morning as we warm up and perform prerace preparation in the rain.
Filed under: Measurements
Measurements are hard to make exact. I have yet to have my body tattooed with “Measure HERE” so that we know each time where to measure. Bing and I have found that you can lose a 1/4″ one week and gain back 1/2″ two weeks later. In any case, the fact that I have lost any inches over the 7 month is a good sign.
I was hoping for dramatically better results but one has to be pleased with any results at all. It is easier to look at the beginning and last measurements to see the real benefit.
| 27-Sep | 17-Apr | |
| Neck | 17.25 | 17 |
| Chest | 46.5 | 45.5 |
| Bicep | 15.5 | 15 |
| Flexed Bicep | 17 | |
| Waist | 46.5 | 44.25 |
| Belt Line | 42.25 | 42.5 |
| Thigh | 27.5 | 27 |
| Calf | 19 | 18.5 |
Marathon Training: Today was only 4 miles. I can’t remember the last time I only had to run 4 miles on a weekend. Luckily for me, I have a schedule and it said I ran 3 miles on 1/9/10. Three months ago. Sweet. I ran the four miles at a 10:25 pace at 142 BPM. My various paces where 10:31 (1), 10:50 (2), 10(21 (3) and 10:08 (4). The run burned around 800 calories and made me very sweaty. The nicest part of the run was that It only took around 45 minutes and I was able to get some yard work done prior to the run. NExt week, only three Saturday miles . More yard work is planned.
Filed under: Measurements
Weight: 259.0 I have read that you lose approximately one pound for every 3500 calories burned. With yesterdays over 3200 calories burned and missing one meal due to the timing of my long run, it looks like I did lose that one pound. Not bad considering that I used to gain weight after my previous half marathons.
Measurements: These results are only as good as the quality of the measurements taken but if my results are comparable in two weeks to today’s, I will be happy. It looks like my waist and belt line may have decreased. Let’s hope for the best. Just think, some day, if I continue at this pace, I might actually be able to see if my shoes are tied. 
| 27-Sep | 16-Jan | 2/14/2010 | 13-Mar | |
| Neck | 17.25 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Chest | 46.5 | 45.25 | 45.5 | 46 |
| Bicep | 15.5 | 15.5 | 15 | 15.25 |
| Flexed Bicep | 16.75 | 17 | 16.5 | |
| Waist | 46.5 | 45.5 | 45 | 44 |
| Belt Line | 42.25 | 43 | 43 | 42.75 |
| Thigh | 27.5 | 27 | 27.5 | 27 |
| Calf | 19 | 18.75 | 18.75 | 18.75 |
Plantar Faciitis: Just a couple weeks ago, I read about Plantar Faciitis in the Chicago Tribune and determined (Although I am not a doctor, I have played one on TV) that my foot pain was different from that detailed in the newspaper. Today, I went to my Chiropractor to have her look at my left foot. I did not have bad pain but I did think it continued to be my one regular irritating part of my body.
Upon further review from the judges, Dr. Erin stated I do/did have Plantar Faciitis, although a mild case. She performed some Chiropractic magic, hurting me to the point of me screaming and told me I should be good as new.
Let’s hope for the best.
Measurements: Measurements lately are about as exciting as my weight. Although I feel like I fit in my clothes better, I am still a long run (Kind of interesting way to put it don’t you think? How many long run’s does one man need to run to get to where he is going?) away from looking like a runner. We all know what a runner looks like. They are the ones that can see their belt buckle while standing straight up. They can see that their shoes are tied or not. They look like they could eat a pizza or better yet, should eat a pizza. They don’t look like they weigh 264 #. OK, I am starting to wine aren’t I. Sorry, it’s just been a hard day. Mostly work is starting to play mind games with me.
| 27-Sep | 11-Oct | 31-Oct | 14-Nov | 27-Nov | 12-Dec | 3-Jan | 16-Jan | 30-Jan | |
| Neck | 17.25 | 17 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 16.25 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Chest | 46.5 | 45.5 | 45.5 | 45.5 | 45.5 | 46.25 | 45.75 | 45.25 | 45.5 |
| Bicep | 15.5 | 15.5 | 15.44 | 15.5 | 15.5 | 15.25 | 15.5 | 15.5 | 15.25 |
| Flexed Bicep | 16.75 | 16.75 | 16.75 | 16.75 | 16.5 | 16.75 | 16.75 | 17 | |
| Waist | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46 | 45 | 45.25 | 46 | 46 | 45.5 | 45 |
| Belt Line | 42.25 | 41.74 | 43 | 42.75 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 |
| Thigh | 27.5 | 26 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27 | 27.5 |
| Calf | 19 | 19 | 18.5 | 18.5 | 18.5 | 18.75 | 18.5 | 18.75 | 18.5 |
CARDIO: On a positive note, I had a good 6 mile run today. I sort of consider Saturday runs my speed day and I try to run the distance faster than I normally would.
My first mile really didn’t count because I had a wardrobe malfunction but my subsequent Garmin paces (Not fictitious I-Pod paces) where 11:11, 11:09, 10:49, 11:34 and 10:44 with a 11:22 total pace that included the 12:45 first mile. In that my average heart rate was 141 (mostly because the wardrobe malfunction gave me a 119 first mile average heart rate), thus I was pretty pleased with the performance. Lastly, my average pace was 5.3 miles per hour, which is actually faster than I run my three miles Tuesday Thursday runs on the treadmill but I really think my treadmill accuracy is way off.
The fact that it was 26 degrees out also made me feel good about my performance. Burning 1200 Calories was nice too. Those driving by me must have thought I looked like Nanook of the North but I felt good about the clothes I wore.
Weight: Just you never mind. Word on the street is that I am looking better so it doesn’t matter what I weight, does it?
Measurements: Ok, How do you quantify the above statement. My head knows that carrying less weight for 26.2 miles will make my job easier. My heart knows that my resistance training and multiple miles run will build up my muscles, adding weight since I am told muscle weighs 2.4 times that of fat. The only measurements my heart worries about are those provided by the scale and my upper body, i.e, chest, belt line and waist since they are the ones that I feel need the most improvement. I believe running 25 miles a week is starting to help support the goals of the heart, as shown below in the chest and waist improvements..
| 27-Sep | 11-Oct | 31-Oct | 14-Nov | 27-Nov | 12-Dec | 3-Jan | 16-Jan | |
| Neck | 17.25 | 17 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 16.25 | 17 | 17 |
| Chest | 46.5 | 45.5 | 45.5 | 45.5 | 45.5 | 46.25 | 45.75 | 45.25 |
| Bicep | 15.5 | 15.5 | 15.44 | 15.5 | 15.5 | 15.25 | 15.5 | 15.5 |
| Flexed Bicep | 16.75 | 16.75 | 16.75 | 16.75 | 16.5 | 16.75 | 16.75 | |
| Waist | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46 | 45 | 45.25 | 46 | 46 | 45.5 |
| Belt Line | 42.25 | 41.74 | 43 | 42.75 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 |
| Thigh | 27.5 | 26 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27 |
| Calf | 19 | 19 | 18.5 | 18.5 | 18.5 | 18.75 | 18.5 | 18.75 |
GEAR: We know I love gear and we know that my I-Pod is not the most accurate in that it uses a Foot Pod versus GPS but how accurate is it?
| 16-Jan | 17-Jan | |||
| I-Pod | Garmin | I-Pod | Garmin | |
| Distance | 5.3 | 5 | 6.46 | 6 |
| Pace | 10:07 | 10:43 | 10:55 | 11:36 |
| Calories | 1061 | 1047 | 1289 | 1236 |
| Heart Rate Avg. | 142 | 137 | ||
| Heart Rate Max | 154 | 169 | ||
I have heard that the I-Pod out of the box is around 90% accurate and I feel that I am closer to 95% accurate. Since my total miles are calculated with my I-Pod, I will often stop my Garmin when I hit my goal miles or after warm up and before the warm down, so the fact that the I-Pod is off is not a problem to me. The important # is the Pace. The fact that my GPS pace is actually 30 – 40 seconds longer is important in that you dont want to confuse the two. I dont want to be trying to run a 10:00 minute pace on my Garmin when I can hardly do that on my I-Pod.
I am pleased to see that the calories are similar. That means I probably did burn over 2300 calories this weekend. Sweet.
Running Outdoors: I must admit before going on that I have never trained by running outdoors in the winter. Not once did I train when there was snow on the ground last year. I did run the Frosty 5 race (in under 49 minutes mind you) in February but there was not snow on the ground. Even though I bought cold weather gear over the last few years, I really did not have any intention to run in the cold. That is until I started feeling that pain in my Tibia again. Even though I try to run the corners in my indoor track in a large arc, I am still putting stress on my legs as I turn the corners so I really want to limit how much I run indoors so as not to give myself the potential for a stress fracture.
Running outside was easier than I thought but I made sure there was no snow or ice on the route. Saturday, as shown in the pace, was a much easier day than Sunday. Even though the run started and ended at 23 Degrees on Saturday and was 6 degrees warmer on Sunday, Sunday was much, much harder of a run.
The major difference between the two days was 1) I had run 6 miles on Saturday and not on Friday, and 2) I bought a better nose/mouth cover on Saturday night for the Sunday run. It is very possible that I was more tired on Sunday than I was on Saturday. I just don’t know what would have caused Sunday to be so hard but Sunday was REALLY hard for me. Bing mentioned that Sunday was 92% humidity. We blame the humidity for now.
I knew after the Saturday run that I needed something different to cover my mouth and nose. The wrap I had previously used was solid with no venting at all. When I wear glasses, they would fog from the warm air from my nose. When I run with my mouth covered, The breathing in would almost cause the wrap to be sucked into my mouth. It was just not working. Bing and I went to Sports Authority and tried all the options and I found one that had a whole for the nose and numerous little holes for the mouth. I was able to breath with almost no difficulty. It was a nice addition to my winter wardrobe.
To sum up the outdoor running, I was very happy I found a safe place to run, I felt good, had warm clothing, I enjoyed my I-Pod music and I met my mile goals. I will continue to run outdoor as long as the roads are ice-free. This week will be my lowest miles week for the balance of the training program. I am glad I tested the outdoor running in sub freezing temperatures because I would guess that the weather will only get better the rest of the year.
Nutrition: I am not listing most of my meals lately, mostly because I continue to eat well, not snack and stay off the types of food that don’t bring a benefit to your diet. I must note that Bing made me my favorite meal for my Sunday Birthday dinner. It’s called Chicken and Rice and I ate every bit of food that was available to me. Usually I try to not eat as much rice as I did tonight but dinner was so good, I wanted to reward myself for a good runs and for my birthday. Thanks for a great dinner Bing.
Measurements appear hard to understand. We actually try to take the measurements at around the same time of day but you really can’t unless you take them just after you wake up and I must have my coffee when I wake up, so taking measurements are not the highest priority.
Bing tries hard to take the measurements at the same location each time but, short of tattooing “Measure Here” on each spot, I don’t think we are 100% consistent. Really, how can my neck grow in just a few weeks. I will take the reduction in my chest as a possibility in that I think I have less a need for a Man Bra than I used to.
| 27-Sep | 11-Oct | 31-Oct | 14-Nov | 27-Nov | 12-Dec | 3-Jan | |
| Neck | 17.25 | 17 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 16.25 | 17 |
| Chest | 46.5 | 45.5 | 45.5 | 45.5 | 45.5 | 46.25 | 45.75 |
| Bicep | 15.5 | 15.5 | 15.44 | 15.5 | 15.5 | 15.25 | 15.5 |
| Flexed Bicep | 16.75 | 16.75 | 16.75 | 16.75 | 16.5 | 16.75 | |
| Waist | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46 | 45 | 45.25 | 46 | 46 |
| Belt Line | 42.25 | 41.74 | 43 | 42.75 | 43 | 43 | 43 |
| Thigh | 27.5 | 26 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 |
| Calf | 19 | 19 | 18.5 | 18.5 | 18.5 | 18.75 | 18.5 |
Nutrition: I had the standard breakfast and decided to make a new standard lunch. Since I have decided to cut out my four containers of Cottage Cheese and Beef Jerky a week as daily snacks, I thought I should add some more lunch so my standard lunch will now be two wheat bread sandwiches with four ounces of chicken each in lieu of one 5 or 6 ounce sandwich.
I previously ate two sandwiches but Tina and I talked and we decided to remove some carbs and move to one larger sandwich. I really liked eating two sandwiches, which I spread over an early lunch and later lunch (11:30 ish and 1:00ish) . It kept me full. My weekday lunch will continue to be an orange, two fruit cups, one small baggy of carrots/celery and my protein mix cup of tuna and cottage cheese. I usually spread this out from 9:00 AM through 2:00 ish.
Cardio: Today was an 8 mile run. I set my I-Pod on 90 minute run so that it would update me of my time on the track every 5 minutes. The updates are a really nice perk from the I-Pod Nike + system. I would also check my pace every five minutes or so using the Nike+. I started out at a nice sub 11:00 pace and ended up running the 90 minutes at around an 11:30 pace and consumed 1700 calories. With warm up and cool down, I moved my body over the track for 8.5 miles.
I ended up running the entire first 8 miles without stopping/walking or taking a hydration break. I did not feel the need since I knew I would only be running 8 miles. When I start training over 10 miles, I intend to plan hydration, energy gel and walk breaks more frequently but in my current world, 8 miles is a short jaunt.
I ended up cooling down a longer distance in that I got into a nice conversation with a newer runner who was impressed with my consistent pace. She was having issues with endurance and I suggested she slow down her initial pace. Most new runners feel that speed is critical but I like to ask if they want endurance or to run fast and most prefer endurance, so I tell them of my experience of running slower, longer.
I had mixed results on the pain front. My left leg “bone” was hurting for the first several miles but eventually dissipated but I might have put to many miles on my new shoes before breaking them in. Mind you that they are the exact same shoe as my heavy miles shoe of the last six months but these where hurting my small bone on the side of my right foot, just before the little toe the last two miles. The pain was getting severe toward the very end of the run but went away quickly when I started walking. Bing suggested that I had not properly broke them in so I will use them on some of my shorter runs for a while and use my old heavy mileage shoes for the sunday long runs.
For the week, I ran over 25 miles and burned over 5000 calories, and this is just the first week of the 18 week program. Oh My.
Weight: 266.5 (-7#) I have truly come to believe that the weight gain after a long race or training run is water weight gain. My weight after my 16 mile run and mid run potty stop was 259.5. For dinner, I had to drink at least 10 very large glasses of water and I had very little bathroom breaks the balance of the night and in the morning.
One would think that burning over 3000 calories in my Aerobic Heart Rate Zone would chew up the fat as fuel but the body needs water to burn the fuel and it wont give it up once it gets back what it lost. Thus, I am hoping that, as my body sees that I will continue to hydrate it during the week, I will see the benefits of my calorie burn.
Measurements:
| 27-Sep | 11-Oct | 31-Oct | 14-Nov | 27-Nov | 12-Dec | |
| Neck | 17.25 | 17 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 16.25 |
| Chest | 46.5 | 45.5 | 45.5 | 45.5 | 45.5 | 46.25 |
| Bicep | 15.5 | 15.5 | 15.44 | 15.5 | 15.5 | 15.25 |
| Flexed Biicep | 16.75 | 16.75 | 16.75 | 16.75 | 16.5 | |
| Waist | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46 | 45 | 45.25 | 46 |
| Belt Line | 42.25 | 41.74 | 43 | 42.75 | 43 | 43 |
| Thigh | 27.5 | 26 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 |
| Calf | 19 | 19 | 18.5 | 18.5 | 18.5 | 18.75 |
I am not very impressed with this weeks results. Of course, all the measurements may experience measurement fluctuations simply by not measuring in the exact spot every other week but Bing does her best and we sometimes measure twice but usually get the same results each time.
My increase in chest dimensions ould be nice if I was working to build up these muscles but, I am really hoping to lessen my “Man Boobs”. In reality, I think I am doing both. Tina’s resistance training is probably building up my pecks but the muscle is hidden by years or fat that wont go away without a fight.
Some might be said for the increase in the waist. I really feel like there is a six-pack waiting to come out from hiding but they say the man’s stomach is the hardest to get rid of, so maybe my stomach muscles are increasing and pushing out the stomach fat. Or maybe Pigs Fly and I am hoping for a miracle.
The opposite may be said for the loose of inches in the Bicep.
In recap, I can only say that my body is changing. It’s not changing the way I want it to but it is changing. I hope that, over the next four months, it starts to take shape but I am not betting on it.
Filed under: Captain's Log, Measurements, Nutrition, Resistance Training
Weight: 265.5 (-8#)
I had a wonderful conversation with the two ladies I was running with in the Schaumburg Half Marathon. They where sharing with me their woes of gaining weight through running. They were ladies, so of course we did not get into specifics but, suffice it to say, they had experienced the same weight gain as I. OK, they where ladies, so we will say, conceptually, they gained the same weight. For them it was as depressing as my weight gain, only much less pounds.
Nutrition: Standard Breakfast and Lunch.
Resistance Training: Today, I start back on the Tina Dunn Resistance Training. My plan is to take the squats slow in that my knees still hurt so I am pretty sure I am doing them wrong.
Measurements: Not much change or improvement in the measuements taken before the race. Although the pounds and inches don’t show any benefits of my running and training, I feel good and my clothes are fitting better. Does that sound like someone with a half full glass instead of half empty?
| 27-Sep | 11-Oct | 31-Oct | 14-Nov | 27-Nov | |
| Neck | 17.25 | 17 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 16.5 |
| Chest | 46.5 | 45.5 | 45.5 | 45.5 | 45.5 |
| Bicep | 15.5 | 15.5 | 15.44 | 15.5 | 15.5 |
| Flexed Biicep | 16.75 | 16.75 | 16.75 | 16.75 | |
| Waist | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46 | 45 | 45.25 |
| Belt Line | 42.25 | 41.74 | 43 | 42.75 | 43 |
| Thigh | 27.5 | 26 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 |
| Calf | 19 | 19 | 18.5 | 18.5 | 18.5 |
Weight: 264 (-9.5#) Not much weight loss (OK, NONE) this last week. I can only hope this is a plateau and that my good weekend of running (16 miles in two days) will help kick start the weight loss again.
Measurements: I was semi-pleased with my loss of inches this two-week period. Because I did not lose much weight, I was hoping I lost in inches. One of my primary goals was to lose inches in my chest and waist and I did achieve slight success in those ares.
| 27-Sep | 11-Oct | 31-Oct | 14-Nov | |
| Neck | 17.25 | 17 | 16.5 | 16.5 |
| Chest | 46.5 | 45.5 | 45.5 | 45.5 |
| Bicep | 15.5 | 15.5 | 15.44 | 15.5 |
| Flexed bicep | 16.75 | 16.75 | 16.75 | |
| Waist | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46 | 45 |
| Belt Line | 42.25 | 41.74 | 43 | 42.75 |
| Thigh | 27.5 | 26 | 27.5 | 27.5 |
| Calf | 19 | 19 | 18.5 | 18.5 |
Cardio: My goal today was to run 10 miles and luckily for me, the weather was cooperating. It was around 45- 50 degrees and a 9 miles per hour wind. I wore a half zip long sleeve shirt, zipper vest and wind pants. The beauty of the zipper tops is that you can zip up into the wind and unzip away from the wind to control you body heat. I had forgotten to use nipple protection but, again, luckily for me, I had worn my Nike Fit Dry (Thats all htat is on the label)shirt and there was no abrasion between my nipple and the shirt so my nipples had zero effect from the running.
A funny story about the shirt. When I went to the Illinois Marathon last April, I assured myself that I would not buy clothes from every event I went to. The hotel, race entry, meals where expensive enought withou buying clothing. Then, I touched the fabric of this shirt and immediately changed my mind. Is was extremely soft. I later found out it did a tremendous job wicking sweat from the body as well as being comfortable. It is now my primary cool weather running shirt. I doubt I would ever have purchased it in the store, but I am glad I picked it up at the marathon.
But I digress. I was pleased with my training performance of 10 miles in 2:04:10. I burned 1922 calories and averaged a nice low 144 BPM. I ran 1:26:26 and 7 miles in the fat burning zone and 2.9 miles or 34 minutes in zone 4. My pace was 12:25 per mile. My goal was to stay in the fat burning zone as long as I could.
I wore my fuel belt and hydrated as I went along but I still lost four pounds from start to finish.
