A new approach.....again!

Well I haven't posted anything for a few weeks here - not even photos, although I have been adding some to my Flickr page and getting some nice feedback.

Anyhooo, in the weeks that have passed, I'm continuing to fight the somewhat relentless battle of the impending bulge as my body seems determined to gain weight. Admittedly I can't be 100% sure whether the upward-creeping scales and tightness of my clothes - especially as I pull out summer clothes that fitted perfectly just last year but look positively shrink-wrapped on me this year - is down to the cancer-fighting, estrogen-zapping Tamoxifen that I'm taking, or whether it's the onset of that dreaded middle-age-spread....not helped any by my penchant for hoppy West Coast craft beers!

So, not in the least bit impressed that my bum and thighs have literally gone up nearly an inch and my summer clothes are all feeling awkwardly 'snug', I've decided to try another revamp of my workout routine plus I've added a few dietary supplements, to see if they help. Gaawd knows the whole Garcinia Cambogia and Raspberry Keytone thing was a big fat waste of time. The first time I've ever bought into the 'Dr. Oz' hype (and I don't even like that show). And, wouldn't you know it, there are many stories in today's news that even chastise him for it. I tried GC for about 9 months and the RK for about 6 months - religiously - to ZERO effect. Not one scrap of difference..... in anything; appetite, weight, energy, size - nothing! I'd say it was a complete waste of money too, except that I ended up being refunded for most of what I bought after taking legitimate advantage of the company's Money-Back Satisfaction Guarantee. Just as well, since both products proved to be nothing more than utterly useless and made not one ounce (literally) of difference!

But, I haven't quite given up on the supplement thing yet - I hear good things about Green Tea Extract, including it's cancer-fighting properties, and have also read up on how Tamoxifen can negatively impact the body's handling of calcium, insulin etc. and fat in cells. So I'm armed with about 90 days' supply of Green Tea Extract, Calcium Citrate tablets and a Magnesium supplement, on top of my usual Iron, B-Complex and Vitamin D. Bloody hell, it's a wonder I don't rattle from all these pills.

Added to that, I read a little more about how to improve my workouts in the face of Tamoxifen's potentially negative side-effects, of which weight-gain seems to be a common, though not quite medically proven, feature. In fact, for me personally, I'd say that's the only thing I've noticed, otherwise I've been fine so far (in the 18 months I've been taking it). But, like I said, even I'm not convinced the weight/size gain is down to the meds, it really could just be one more 'joy' of aging.

Because Tamoxifen is rumoured to affect your body's absorption - and processing - of fats and insulin and such, it's important to focus on weight-training exercises (to deplete fat storage) rather than putting too much emphasis on aerobic exercise. With that in mind (and on the recommendation of a couple of different websites), I've toned down my cross-trainer time to about 25mins, though I've made that time a little more intensive - working harder at it for a slightly shorter period. For my weight training, I've stepped up from two sets to three of 20 reps per machine/exercise. On a couple of machines I might tone down the weight slightly for the 3rd set (mainly due to dodgey, unpredictable shoulders - one of which used to dislocate frequently prior to surgery) and a continuously sore glute/bum cheek - which appears now to affect my left side more than it used to on the right. I'm at the point where I may even need to look into physio for my arse.....if I can just pluck up the nerve. Sitting all day at work doesn't help matters and, lately, really seems to be making it worse.

I was actually hoping to get back into running this summer and, on a gorgeous day a couple of weeks ago, I finally took the plunge and went for my first outdoor run in nearly 2 years. It started off well, despite the noticeably slower pace than I used to have, but I've had pain in my left bum cheek/hamstring almost every day since then, enough that I haven't been able to attempt another run. Maybe I pushed it by running for a full 35mins for my first time back at it, or maybe I have just completely knackered my glutes, since most exercise seems to aggravate the issue, even a short walk.

Anyhow, I'm determined to push through and get some of this weight shifted. And, like I've said many times before, I know it's not so much about the 'weight' per se, and there's every chance that will continue to go up with the boost to my weight-training, but rather it's about size and how I fit into my clothes. Right now my thighs and bum are definitely larger and my clothes are all fitting just a little too snug around those same parts, so this will be the best way to (hopefully) burn it off again.

I started the new supplements last week and boosted my two workouts (then we went away to Portland for a few days where I didn't exercise but ate plenty and took advantage of their fantastic beers - doh!). So basically I'm considering this week as my start, and I have 7 weeks to our vacation/Graham's wedding back in England, by which time I aim to be back down to my usual measurements. I have to give it my best effort anyway, nip this thing in the bud before things keep getting tighter and I feel more despondent. I have to say, the workouts are knackering but I'm excited to see the results. I really doubt the supplements will make any noticeable difference, although I can't decide if perhaps the green Tea Extract is actually helping to keep my appetite in check, but we'll see. I'm sure the combination of all these things is going to help - way more so than getting upset and fed up about it....which (many moons ago) used to lead to me eating too much out of frustration and resentment. And THAT's a road I do not wish to go down again, that's for sure!

So, let's see how this goes!