Barracuda & Sharks

Went free diving again today. This time I planned ahead and got an underwater camera. I'm still not ready for shooting, especially in 40 feet of water. Diving was much easier today. I consistently made it to 30 feet - very close to touching bottom on a few dives, but the pressure was getting to me.

Two major hurdles today. I dove with a barracuda. I took some snapshots, but none came out well. Everytime he saw the camera, he smiled at me and moved in my direction. Guess he thought the camera was food. I also saw two sharks in the water on multiple occasions. I think it was the same two just running circles. At first it freaked me out, but I was able to get back in the water and scope them out again.

We saw a huge bait ball on one side of one of the wrecks. It was really cool. It was about 10 feet x 12 feet over this mound and about 2 feet thick. Very cool.

Free Diving Progress

I made it into the Gulf on Sunday. We dove 5 wrecks, and I consistently made it to 25-30 ft in 40-45 feet of water. I saw my first goliath grouper, and my buddies hooked up with two amber jack at the same time (34 lbs & 39 lbs). Very cool day!!

Under the Weather

Today was killer. I ran into two major pitfalls at work at 4:30. My frustration level was very high. I am also getting a sore throat and feeling worn down. The class tonight was rough, and I was suffering. I hit my peak for about 30 seconds, and it was great. Amazing and freing. All my stress was gone, and I never saw the bag swing so much. The class did what is needs to do for me. Releive stress and build confidence. I am practically dying now due to exhaustion and muscle pain, but I love it.

THANK YOU!!!!!

Progress Continues

Slight delay in the weight loss due to a major work change this week. I was pulled in to long hours and a ton of very intense thought exercises. I missed the gym twice, and I was not given time to get decent lunches. I should be back on track this week. Either way, I was able to maintain rather than gain.

As far as free diving, the weather refuse to cooperate. I am hoping saturday will get me in the water. So far the breath work is improving. I can hold one minute with no prep and little effort. I can hold 2 min consistently wih minor prep. My PB is still only 2:36, but it is an improvement. I beleive I will hit my goal of 3 min. by the end of the month.

Progress

So far the diet is going well. Not following the plan completely, but enough to show progress. This week, I will increase vegetable intake and reduce meats. This should help boost the metabolism. I plan on dropping below 200 this week. Started at 207, and down to about 201 as of a couple days ago.

I found that monitoring your weight everyday can be more demotivating than motivating. Your body fluctuates too much. The best diet and work out day could result in weight gain due to strained muscles, water retention, etc. Every few days will show progress or slips in the goal. Most importantly, if you have done this a few times, you know if you are on track or faltering. Step up - you don't need the scale to tell you that you have reverted to your old habits.

Free diving is still on the first steps. I had plans to dive this week end, but the weather didn't agree. Freezing temps and 6-8 waves. Cold is ok, but the waves make it too difficult on the boat.

Breath holds are going well. I started at less than a minute at Christmas time, and I can hold for 1:30 without really any prep. I can do over 2 with prep. My personal best (PB) is 2:20. I hope to break 3 minutes by end of the month. This will give me plenty of safety margin when typical dives are a minute or less locally. Only a few steps away from my goal of sitting on the bottom of the gulf watching the grouper and hogfish swim by.

Diet Sux

I hate dieting and being really strict on food intake. This is one of my biggest challenges. I will pull through this, but I really want to go to one of my favorite joints and have extra some fried food and a few extra drinks.

Weight Loss Again

Yep. It's that time again. I weighed in at 207 last wek. Terrible. I am targeting 185 again. It was a great weight. Much lighter on the feet - "float like a butterfly".

I have started eating better and exercising more often. I am planning to hit 195 by end of January and 185 by end of February. This should be easy as I have done it before, but it is very frustrating as I love to eat. I can gain wieght with no issues, but I really need to deprive myself to lose.

I will be at 185 by end of February. I'll keep you posted.

A New Start

Glad to hear something is resetting. Life has been hell...ready to pull it all together this year. The plan is to set some hard goals with real requirements to get healthy. I have been off my game due to many personal issues, but this year's goals will trump the personal catastrophes. I will win this year regardless of the fan and its problems.

I have several new hobbies in mind to make the journey more interesting. I have been researching them, and saving for the equipment required. I should be underwater, literally, by the end of January.