Pull-ups put me in touch with my feminine side.

OMG: back boobz!

Damn pull-ups. Turns out I'm more like a chick than a dude. It's accepted "common wisdom" that women can not do pull-ups as well as men, due to gender-specific physical builds. Some scientists wanted to see if it was cultural, so they took a bunch of non-pull-upping ladies and trained them over a period of months, weight-training, dieting, assisted pull-ups, etc. They were surprised to find that after a 36% average strength increase and an average 2% reduction in body fat, only 4 of the 17 women in the study could do one measly pull-up.

But Vanderburgh said the study and other research has shown that performing a pull-up requires more than simple upper-body strength. Men and women who can do them tend to have a combination of strength, low body fat, and shorter stature. 

Simply put, yes, you can increase strength and lose weight, and that might help you do a pull-up; but, if you're large already (whether by fat or height and long-limbs), it'll decrease your chances of doing a damn pull-up. The ladies over at Jezebel have gotten their panties in a bunch, decrying the "lie" of the Presidential Physical Fitness Test because women can't do pull ups. Uh, but of course they can, but their physiological builds make it harder/less likely than men. I'm not sure why they're getting all angry over there. Women. Wimmin. Wymn.

I still haven't done a proper pull-up yet, but my assisted pull-ups are coming along nicely, and I recently discovered I can skip the stool and actually jump into the assisted position, so there is that. I think I may start an extra weight lift that just focuses on that damn muscle that connects the back of my arm to my back...

Pull ups that I can say, in all honesty, that I've mastered.

------

WEEKLY AVERAGE: 2,528

Ugg. Another not great week of eating. Feel good physically, starting to use 2nd hole of the belt, but I can't help but think my weight-loss has come to a halt. I guess I'll know sooner than later.

------

MONDAY COUNT: 2690
Woke up tired from the weekend, good time selling knishes at two different events, but was so wired actually drank a glass of whiskey on the rocks last night to wind down at midnight when I realized I couldn't fall asleep despite being over-tired. Served it with 3 ice cubes in a glass tumbler from my grandmother, used to have a set of them in college, this is the last one to survive, probably 1950's era. I'm not a drinker, and the first few sips were to alchy and gross, but as it watered down with the ice, the flavor of the wood really came through, and it became the drink equivalent of an old, wood-paneled library somewhere in New England, on a brisk fall evening, with a fire-place. This is probably the first time I ever actually enjoyed whiskey.

Got a good weight-lift in in the morning. After skipping it once last week, I upped the reps from 7 to 8, the assisted pull-ups from 3 to 4, the push ups and sit ups from 35 to 40. (When the reps are 10 for a while, I increase the amount of weight and go back to 5 reps) Fell asleep before 10pm.

BREAKFAST: 10am, smoothie, 350 cal
A lot of near-rotten bananas got frozen and thrown into today's smoothie, very mild but nice taste.

LUNCH: 12:30pm, almond butter and grape jelly on whole wheat toast, hummus on whole wheat toast, sauerkraut, water, 680 cal

PM SNACK: 5:30pm, cheese crackers, 150 cal

DINNER: 6:45pm, cheese tortellini in butter with teriyaki chicken meatballs, 860 cal

EVENING SNACK; 8:30pm, popcorn, +/-650 cal
Hurrrg. I think I was a victim of a misprint. The packaging of the popcorn kernels said "Serving Size 1/4 cup (132g)", but when I measured out 132g on the scale, it was about 3/4 cup. A quarter cup was only about 40g. But I made it with butter and oil, thinking the calories would be about 340. The next morning, while writing this up, I checked online and indeed, it' a misprint. Fuckers.

------

TUESDAY COUNT: 2525
I don't think I knew how tired I was yesterday. Woke up pleasantly sore in the chest from the weights, and my thighs are still sore from standing all day on Sunday....in a good way. Bike riding rarely makes my thighs sore anymore, so it's good it got a different form of exercise to get stronger.

BREAKFAST: 9am, steel cut oatmeal, 375 cal

LUNCH: 12:45pm, sardine and avocado on whole wheat toast, momma salad, sauerkraut, 2 macaroons, 900 cal

DINNER: 5:30pm, lentils and brown rice with yogurt and caramelized onions, a few sips of wine, water, about a cup of ice cream, +/-650 cal

EVENING SNACK: 9:30pm, 8 pork and chive steamed dumplings, +/- 300 cal

EVENING SNACK: 11pm, chocolate chips and peanuts, +/- 300 cal

------

WEDNESDAY COUNT: 2325
School went really well, and kept myself to small portions of the high-cal steak and mac n' cheese, and had a double serving of the brussel sprouts. Got a semi-healthy slice of pizza on the way home, and cut up the brownies I made for ice cream sandwiches this weekend, and ate some off-ends. Went to bed feeling almost hungry, so feel comfortable with the estimated numbers.

AM SNACK: 7:45am, iced green tea, 25 cal

BREAKFAST: 9:30am, organic whole grain cheerio with milk, 300 cal

LUNCH: 12:45pm, quarter pounder, fries, diet coke, 900 cal

PM SNACK: 2pm, momma salad, 100 cal

SCHOOL DINNER: 6:30pm, chimichurri flank steak, mac n' cheese, roasted brussel sprouts, water, +/-500 cal

EVENING SNACK: 8pm, slice of whole wheat pizza, a few brownie scraps, +/- 500 cal

------

THURSDAY COUNT: 2375
Successfully cooked for the PTA with my students, fed about 70 people chicken parm heroes, lemon broccoli and chocolate chip cookies. Chicken was really good, we made the breadcrumbs fresh, as well as the sauce, and the combo quick frying and then baking with the cheese made for hot, fresh sandwiches, much better than the pre-cooked day-old stuff you typically get.

AM SNACK: 7:45am, iced green tea, 25 cal

BREAKFAST: 9:45am, steel cut oatmeal, 200 cal
Wifey went and ate about half of my oatmeal. It takes upward of an hour to make, so I just ate the leftovers.

LUNCH: 12:30pm, two andouille chicken sausages, steamed string beans, whole wheat cous cous, a pickle, 7oz diet coke, 750 cal
Still feels weird how much more healthy food you get for the same calories as denser, less healthy foods. This was a relatively big plate of food for the calories.

SCHOOL DINNER: 6pm, chicken parm sandwich, chocolate chip cookies, diet coke, +/- 800 cal

EVENING SNACK: 9pm, homemade ice cream & brownies, +/- 600 cal

------

FRIDAY COUNT: 2725
Ugg, went nuts on some ice cream, got hungry before going out to a friend's house for a reasonable home cooked meal. Bleah.

AM SNACK: 7:45am, iced green tea, 15 cal

BREAKFAST: 9:15am, organic whole grain cheerios with whole milk, 300 cal

AM SNACK: 11am, pastrami, +/- 100 cal

LUNCH: 12:30pm, Stouffer's French Bread Pizzas, momma salad, 7oz diet coke, 960 cal

PM SNACK: 5pm, ice cream and chocolate syrup binge, +/- 600 cal

DINNER: 7:45pm, chicken, brussels, challah, farro, ice cream sandwich, glass of beer, +/-750