A Week of Better Consistency
After a week where I saw better consistency at the gym and a little better portion control with my meals, I stepped on the scale this Sunday morning, March 8th, 2026.
The result:
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Weight: 273 pounds
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Waist Measurement: 48½ inches
Those numbers represent some early signs of progress, and at this stage that’s exactly what I’m looking for. Nothing dramatic. Just steady movement in the right direction.
The goal is still the same: arrive in Cancun in May lighter, stronger, and feeling comfortable walking around the beach or pool.
Progress starts with small steps, and this week had several of them.
Four Straight Days in the Gym
Last week started strong.
I made it to the gym four consecutive days from Sunday through Wednesday, which is exactly the type of consistency I need to build momentum.
Here’s what the week looked like:
Sunday
I started the week with a simple one-mile walk on the indoor track at the gym. Nothing fast or intense, just getting the body moving and setting the tone for the week.
Monday – Push Workout
This was a weight training session focused on push exercises:
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Chest
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Shoulders
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Triceps
Tuesday – Pull Workout
The next day I trained pull movements:
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Back
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Biceps
Wednesday – Incline Treadmill Walk
I followed the lifting days with 20 minutes of incline walking on the treadmill, which is one of my favorite forms of cardio. It’s simple, effective, and easy on the joints.
By Wednesday afternoon, I had four workouts completed. That alone felt like a win.
The Reality of Setbacks
Thursday felt like a good day to take a rest day, which was part of the plan. Recovery matters, especially as we get older.
My intention was to get back into the gym on Friday for a full-body workout, but work ended up getting in the way. That’s the honest answer.
Could I have still gone? Probably.
But the reality is that sometimes the day gets away from you.
Saturday morning I planned to make up the missed workout, but early that morning I had a lower back muscle spasmwhile bending over to grab something. If you’ve ever had one, you know how quickly they can stop you in your tracks.
Instead of pushing through it, I spent some time stretching and moving carefully to loosen things up.
As I write this, my lower back is still a little tight, so this upcoming week may involve more cardio, mobility work, and stretching until everything feels normal again.
One lesson I’m learning at this stage of life: staying healthy sometimes means knowing when to adjust.
Nutrition: Small Adjustments
My meals themselves didn’t change drastically this week.
What did change was how much I ate.
Instead of trying to completely overhaul my diet overnight, I focused on portion control and simple decisions:
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One sandwich instead of two
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Smaller portions of chips
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Fruit instead of chocolate when the sweet tooth kicked in
None of these changes are revolutionary, but together they add up.
One thing I’m attempting is to journal what I eat and track calories, but I’ll be honest — I’m not naturally drawn to writing everything down. It feels a little tedious to me.
Still, I know that awareness helps. Even if I don’t track perfectly, the act of paying attention makes a difference.
One thing I was particularly happy about this week:
No fast food meals at all.
That alone probably saved a significant number of calories.
The Plan for This Week
The focus for the upcoming week is pretty straightforward.
1. Let the Back Recover
I’ll continue stretching and doing mobility work so that the lower back fully settles down.
2. Stay Active
Even if heavy lifting needs to pause for a few days, I can still walk, use the treadmill, and stay moving.
3. Continue Portion Control
No drastic dieting — just smart decisions.
4. Reduce the Chocolate Habit
I’d like to have a day or two this week completely free of chocolate. That will be a small but meaningful win.
Looking Ahead to Cancun
My Cancun trip is still the motivation behind this entire 10-week push.
I don’t need perfection.
I don’t need to look like a fitness model.
But I do want to show up feeling like I did the work.
If I stay consistent with workouts, control portions, and keep my activity level high, I’m confident I can drop the pounds I want to lose over the next couple of months.
And when I walk out onto that beach or sit by the pool in Cancun, I want to feel good about the effort I put in.
One week at a time.
One workout at a time.
One better decision at a time.
And the progress will take care of itself.