I have't really been in the Christmas spirit this holiday season. Not exactly sure what it is, though. So to help me spread the holiday cheer, I'll let other animators do it for me.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Taking A Break For Now
Tis the season to get tangled up in a lot of things. So here I am between things I want to do and things I have to do. Here's what I got. I want to continue working out so I can reach my goal of breaking the 300 lb. barrier by the end of the year. It is difficult because now is the holiday season and nothing around me but food and temptation. I have my day of indulgence and it overlapped a bit into the following day. Those damn cookies were still on the table calling to me! But now the food is gone...until this weekend...Christmas Day. I will eat in moderation and will not go overboard. I did fine over the Thanksgiving holiday and lost whatever weight I had put on. The thing is right now there are other things that I need to get done in a certain amount of time.
I need to finish a couple of animation shots by the end of the year. I need to have them done and rendered and place on my reel no later than January 3, 2011. That is the closing date for applications for the apprenticeship at the Reel FX studio in Dallas. This is something I really want. This is something I really need to do if I am ever to have a careen in animation. Why am I wanting to devote so much time to a single studio? Because it's here in Texas and not that far from home. Plus I have friends and family in the area. Plus plus, I've seen their work and it is amazing.
So I think I am going to take a break from working out until I have my reel completed?
WHY?
Ok, here's my reasoning. On days when I have to go to work in the evening, I only have a small window of opportunity to do what I need to do. If I workout that will take away at least an hour or two of that time. That only leaves me with another hour or two to get anything done. But, if I had the entire four hours I could do a whole lot more. Plus with other things going on, family and social gatherings, I just run out of time. Not that I'm complaining about that, it's just that my demo reel is always in the back of my mind telling me, "you need to work on it and get it done NOW!"
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I need to finish a couple of animation shots by the end of the year. I need to have them done and rendered and place on my reel no later than January 3, 2011. That is the closing date for applications for the apprenticeship at the Reel FX studio in Dallas. This is something I really want. This is something I really need to do if I am ever to have a careen in animation. Why am I wanting to devote so much time to a single studio? Because it's here in Texas and not that far from home. Plus I have friends and family in the area. Plus plus, I've seen their work and it is amazing.
So I think I am going to take a break from working out until I have my reel completed?
WHY?
Ok, here's my reasoning. On days when I have to go to work in the evening, I only have a small window of opportunity to do what I need to do. If I workout that will take away at least an hour or two of that time. That only leaves me with another hour or two to get anything done. But, if I had the entire four hours I could do a whole lot more. Plus with other things going on, family and social gatherings, I just run out of time. Not that I'm complaining about that, it's just that my demo reel is always in the back of my mind telling me, "you need to work on it and get it done NOW!"
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Progress in Motion
I've been looking at my progression photos over the past year and decided to put them all together. I did some reading and found out how to do that in Photoshop.
And the winner is....
After the big speech Patrick gave about how much the money would be helpful to him and his family, he BETTER have won!
This was the winner, and my pick, of the "at home" prize: Mark!
Out of all the contestants this season, I think he had the most heart out of them all.
And here's a sneak peek at the upcoming Season 11 which starts January 4, 2011.
LOTS of new twists!! Once again THIS is now the heaviest cast. A former Olympic gold medalist is now a contestant. And now, for the first time ever, the cast will have a choice of to train with Bob and Jillian or TWO NEW TRAINERS at a secret location! Sounds like fun!!!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
One Year Later
Today marks the one year anniversary of my decision to begin a healthier and more active lifestyle. December 14, 2009, I weighed 435 lbs. Today, December 14, 2010, I weigh 305 lbs. So far I've lost a total of 130 lbs.
It has been a rough journey but I kept at it. To think, one year later and I am still working out. Granted, my regiment has not been as strict as it was in the beginning, but I am STILL working out. My diet has changed up quite a bit. I no longer frequent many of the drive-thru restaurants like I used to. Sorry Burger King, McDonalds and Whataburger. I knew thee well. We had some good times. I still stop by from time to time but now it's only once a month or less. Nowadays the only "fast food" restaurant I regularly frequent is Subway! They have some very delicious sandwiches.
The thing for me was not the eating out, but eating in. I knew when I started last year that I could do the exercise. I did it once before and lost about 60 lbs. But I was not eating right, plateaued and gained it all plus a whole lot more. I knew my cooking habits at home were going to have to change. Being that I am a fan of the TV show "The Biggest Loser" I picked up one of their latest books,
"The Biggest Loser: Simple Swaps" and read it cover to cover. I learned a lot of what to eat and how to make healthy alternatives. I even picked up a few new recipes. All great and helpful information.
As for the workouts, I knew I would have to do them at home. I really couldn't afford a gym membership and I'm not really a gym type of guy. I tried Gold's Gym once and it just didn't appeal to me. Plus it was all the way across town and took me about 20 minutes just to get there. By that time I would have been done with one of my workouts. So I picked up some weights from Academy, some of The Biggest Losers DVDs from Best Buy and Barnes & Noble, and started working out. In the beginning I even used the dreaded elliptical machine, until it broke on me. Then I switched it up to a punching bag out in the garage. (Thank you, Geoff). That really worked up a sweat, especially the way I train. When I workout I suit up. I put on shorts, sweat pants, shirt and a long sleeved zip up hoody. If after one workout that shirt is not soaked thru and thru, I zip it back up and do another workout. I don't feel satisfied until that shirt is completely drenched.
Another plus has been with my clothes. My wardrobed has doubled in size. I held on to a lot of shirts and pants that either didn't fit at all or were too snug. A lot of them are size XXL. At my heaviest I had to wear a XXXL shirt and pants size 54" waist. Now I've dropped an "X" from my clothing and my pants have gone down to a 46" waist! And the best part is that I can now buy clothes at normal retail shops! I had to buy all my clothes from Casual Male Big & Tall where a shirt and a pair of pants can run me about $75. Now I can buy Wrangler's jeans and a t-shirt at Wal-Mart and Target and spend $30 tops! Oh, this is so grand!! I can buy a plain t-shirt for $10 where Casual Male would charge at least $25. So long, Casual Male!! Hello Target and Wal-Mart!!!
The best part of all this has been hearing and reading all the compliments from my friends and family. My folks have been so proud of all I've done. My coworkers keep pushing me along and giving me new nicknames like "skinny" and "flaco". And thanks to facebook, I can keep in instant contact with all my friends near and far who I inspire and in turn inspire me. Some of them have been inspired to get up and get moving after reading my posts. One of my cousins in Houston asked me about my workouts because he like reading my inspirational posts. He said he started working out because I helped motivate him. Paying it forward like this is such an amazing feeling.
I will keep fighting this on going battle of the bulge. I will not give up until I reach my goal of at least 250 lbs. My resolution for 2011 will be to reach that mark by my next birthday on June 15. Thanks again to all who have supported me on this journey. I couldn't have done it without your kind and loving words of encouragement. Thank you and God bless!
It has been a rough journey but I kept at it. To think, one year later and I am still working out. Granted, my regiment has not been as strict as it was in the beginning, but I am STILL working out. My diet has changed up quite a bit. I no longer frequent many of the drive-thru restaurants like I used to. Sorry Burger King, McDonalds and Whataburger. I knew thee well. We had some good times. I still stop by from time to time but now it's only once a month or less. Nowadays the only "fast food" restaurant I regularly frequent is Subway! They have some very delicious sandwiches.
The thing for me was not the eating out, but eating in. I knew when I started last year that I could do the exercise. I did it once before and lost about 60 lbs. But I was not eating right, plateaued and gained it all plus a whole lot more. I knew my cooking habits at home were going to have to change. Being that I am a fan of the TV show "The Biggest Loser" I picked up one of their latest books,
 |
As for the workouts, I knew I would have to do them at home. I really couldn't afford a gym membership and I'm not really a gym type of guy. I tried Gold's Gym once and it just didn't appeal to me. Plus it was all the way across town and took me about 20 minutes just to get there. By that time I would have been done with one of my workouts. So I picked up some weights from Academy, some of The Biggest Losers DVDs from Best Buy and Barnes & Noble, and started working out. In the beginning I even used the dreaded elliptical machine, until it broke on me. Then I switched it up to a punching bag out in the garage. (Thank you, Geoff). That really worked up a sweat, especially the way I train. When I workout I suit up. I put on shorts, sweat pants, shirt and a long sleeved zip up hoody. If after one workout that shirt is not soaked thru and thru, I zip it back up and do another workout. I don't feel satisfied until that shirt is completely drenched.
Another plus has been with my clothes. My wardrobed has doubled in size. I held on to a lot of shirts and pants that either didn't fit at all or were too snug. A lot of them are size XXL. At my heaviest I had to wear a XXXL shirt and pants size 54" waist. Now I've dropped an "X" from my clothing and my pants have gone down to a 46" waist! And the best part is that I can now buy clothes at normal retail shops! I had to buy all my clothes from Casual Male Big & Tall where a shirt and a pair of pants can run me about $75. Now I can buy Wrangler's jeans and a t-shirt at Wal-Mart and Target and spend $30 tops! Oh, this is so grand!! I can buy a plain t-shirt for $10 where Casual Male would charge at least $25. So long, Casual Male!! Hello Target and Wal-Mart!!!
The best part of all this has been hearing and reading all the compliments from my friends and family. My folks have been so proud of all I've done. My coworkers keep pushing me along and giving me new nicknames like "skinny" and "flaco". And thanks to facebook, I can keep in instant contact with all my friends near and far who I inspire and in turn inspire me. Some of them have been inspired to get up and get moving after reading my posts. One of my cousins in Houston asked me about my workouts because he like reading my inspirational posts. He said he started working out because I helped motivate him. Paying it forward like this is such an amazing feeling.
I will keep fighting this on going battle of the bulge. I will not give up until I reach my goal of at least 250 lbs. My resolution for 2011 will be to reach that mark by my next birthday on June 15. Thanks again to all who have supported me on this journey. I couldn't have done it without your kind and loving words of encouragement. Thank you and God bless!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Almost there.....
With only one week until my anniversary date, I am so close to reaching my goal I don't want to stop now. I keep checking my weight every day and things are looking better and better. I started doing the P90X workouts on a more consistent basis. Six days with a one day break. I don't want to post any numbers just yet. Not until I have surpassed my goal by at least five pounds and maintained it for about a week. In the past I have seen the scale fluctuate back and forth by three to eight pounds from time to time.
On December 14, I will post new photos and new pics. I will show a side by side comparison which will be pretty amazing to see.
With 51 weeks down and one week to go, I'm feeling pretty confident that I will reach my one year goal. For 2011, I plan to reach my ultimate goal of 246 lbs.
On December 14, I will post new photos and new pics. I will show a side by side comparison which will be pretty amazing to see.
With 51 weeks down and one week to go, I'm feeling pretty confident that I will reach my one year goal. For 2011, I plan to reach my ultimate goal of 246 lbs.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The Final Stretch of 2010
I am now in the final stretch of my goal. I have set up many challenges and accomplished most of them, but this is the big one. I have one month to get under 300 lbs. My anniversary date is only two weeks away. It would be awesome if I reach it by then. Yes, I only need to lose about 5 - 6 lbs., but with my track record recently it is a bigger feat than you think. Thanksgiving has come and gone and I believe I only gained about a pound or two. I didn't gain it ON Thanksgiving day, it was the following weekend. On Thanksgiving I actually got up really early and did the Plyo X workout. Over the weekend, however, I ate junk and fast food and did not exercise at all.
So now it all comes down to this. I have plateaued around 305 - 308. Why? Because I have not been counting my calories and have not been exercising consistently. The exercise I KNOW I can do, it's the calorie counting that's going to hinder me. According to The Biggest Loser books, if you want to lose weight you need eat a certain amount of calories. To figure out that number you take your current weight and multiply it by seven. That is how many calories you are to consume in a day. If you weigh over 300 lbs. you stick to 2100 calories a day (300 x 7). for me to lose more weight I think I need to start consuming less than 2100 calories a day. Also, I need to kick up the exercise.
Today I feel I consumed under 2100 calories for the day. I do need to more consistent about drinking water, though. I haven't had much time at work, what with the holiday rush already upon us, to even stop for a drink of water. As for the exercise, I did three P90X workouts. I started with the Shoulders & Back workout, followed by the Ab Ripper X workout, and finished it all off with Kenpo X. I think I burned a few calories there.
Today is Wednesday, December 1. I am making this my "Day 1" of working out. I will follow the routine for the next four weeks and hope to achieve the results I am shooting for. If I get under 300 lbs. by the end of the year, great! If I get under 300 lbs. in two weeks, AWESOME!
BUT WHEN WILL I LEARN?! I cannot afford to stray from my diet at all if I am EVER going to beat this weight problem. I can't do three days of working out then throw it all away on a big, unhealthy meal in one night. I've done that before and regretted it the second I got home.
On last night's episode of The Biggest Loser, they showed how the voted off contestants look now. Mark started off at 421 lbs. Today he weighs 248 lbs. and the finale is only a few weeks away. THAT is what my target weight is! I'm only about 50 lbs. away from reaching that goal! I NEED to kick this in high gear. I want to get under 300 lbs. I'm tired of being this big. I want to drop another "X" from my clothing. I want to get down to a 40" pant size.
So now it all comes down to this. I have plateaued around 305 - 308. Why? Because I have not been counting my calories and have not been exercising consistently. The exercise I KNOW I can do, it's the calorie counting that's going to hinder me. According to The Biggest Loser books, if you want to lose weight you need eat a certain amount of calories. To figure out that number you take your current weight and multiply it by seven. That is how many calories you are to consume in a day. If you weigh over 300 lbs. you stick to 2100 calories a day (300 x 7). for me to lose more weight I think I need to start consuming less than 2100 calories a day. Also, I need to kick up the exercise.
Today I feel I consumed under 2100 calories for the day. I do need to more consistent about drinking water, though. I haven't had much time at work, what with the holiday rush already upon us, to even stop for a drink of water. As for the exercise, I did three P90X workouts. I started with the Shoulders & Back workout, followed by the Ab Ripper X workout, and finished it all off with Kenpo X. I think I burned a few calories there.
Today is Wednesday, December 1. I am making this my "Day 1" of working out. I will follow the routine for the next four weeks and hope to achieve the results I am shooting for. If I get under 300 lbs. by the end of the year, great! If I get under 300 lbs. in two weeks, AWESOME!
BUT WHEN WILL I LEARN?! I cannot afford to stray from my diet at all if I am EVER going to beat this weight problem. I can't do three days of working out then throw it all away on a big, unhealthy meal in one night. I've done that before and regretted it the second I got home.
On last night's episode of The Biggest Loser, they showed how the voted off contestants look now. Mark started off at 421 lbs. Today he weighs 248 lbs. and the finale is only a few weeks away. THAT is what my target weight is! I'm only about 50 lbs. away from reaching that goal! I NEED to kick this in high gear. I want to get under 300 lbs. I'm tired of being this big. I want to drop another "X" from my clothing. I want to get down to a 40" pant size.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
The Last Challenge of 2010
This year has been an amazing year. I have accomplished so much over the past eleven months. I lost over 30 lbs. in two months. I got below 400 lbs. I got down to 310 and have managed to stay around that weight for quite some time. Yes, I did plateau at around 310 but I have not gone back up past 315. So getting down to this weight and maintain it has been quite an accomplishment. I have lost over 100 lbs, my pants size went from a 54" waist down to a 46" - 48" waist, and I dropped an "X" from my shirt size to a 2XL. Internally, I lowered my cholesterol considerably. My insulin production has gone down which took me out of risk of becoming diabetic. My vitamin D has gone up to within a normal range. I tell you I feel better about my weight and my physical appearance now than I ever have in quite some time. I can see the difference from how I look like now to how I looked like a year ago.
But there is still more that can be done. That is why I am putting together the final BIG challenge for 2010. My one year anniversary of weight loss is coming up on December 14. There is still one more milestone I have yet to cross. The one thing that I have not done in a long, long time. I have yet to get under 300 lbs.
So here is the challenge: I will be under 300 lbs. by January 1, 2011. I have eight weeks to accomplish this goal and only about 10 - 15 lbs. to lose. I know how to do it. I know what has to be done. I know I can do it. I need to get back into that rhythm of daily exercise and healthy eating. "Eight weeks to lose 10 lbs? No problem.", you say. Well, I am doing this challenge just before the two major food holidays of the year, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I started just before Christmas last year and was still able to lose weight. I know I can do it again. If I intend to indulge in the holiday festivities, then I need to compensate by either smaller meals or more exercise beforehand. Pictures will be coming soon with a new shirt that will help motivate me along the way.
The gauntlet has been thrown down! This is what I have to do!
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!
But there is still more that can be done. That is why I am putting together the final BIG challenge for 2010. My one year anniversary of weight loss is coming up on December 14. There is still one more milestone I have yet to cross. The one thing that I have not done in a long, long time. I have yet to get under 300 lbs.
So here is the challenge: I will be under 300 lbs. by January 1, 2011. I have eight weeks to accomplish this goal and only about 10 - 15 lbs. to lose. I know how to do it. I know what has to be done. I know I can do it. I need to get back into that rhythm of daily exercise and healthy eating. "Eight weeks to lose 10 lbs? No problem.", you say. Well, I am doing this challenge just before the two major food holidays of the year, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I started just before Christmas last year and was still able to lose weight. I know I can do it again. If I intend to indulge in the holiday festivities, then I need to compensate by either smaller meals or more exercise beforehand. Pictures will be coming soon with a new shirt that will help motivate me along the way.
The gauntlet has been thrown down! This is what I have to do!
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
I HAD to do it!
Ok, so I have not been sticking to this new workout like I wanted to. I have not been consistent six days a week. I have, however, been making up for it on other days. If I skip a day, I do twice as much the next day. Today was the prime example of that.
Yesterday I was off from work and did not do much all day. I really didn't feel like working out. Tuesday has usually been my off day from workouts so I took advantage of that. I didn't eat much all day. I never really had anything for supper. Then went to a friend's house to celebrate her birthday. I had chips, a couple of cupcakes and two Jagerbombs on top of all that. I didn't get home until after midnight and stayed up later goofing around on the computer. I finally didn't go to bed until around 2:00 a.m. I got up around 9:00 or 10:00 a.m., had some cereal and watched SportsCenter all day. I did get dressed in my workout clothes and kept saying I was going to workout starting at noon. That never happened. I finally gave up, went and grabbed some Burger King for lunch, and went to work. I didn't take a lunch, nor could I leave to go and grab some Subway, so I had to have a greasy sandwich from the Cafe. It was delicious but I knew it was not healthy at all.
The other thing that has been knocking me down has been that I have not seen the big results on the scale like I used to. I used to be able to do several workouts and drop three to four pounds in a week. Now I am doing P90X and I am not losing anything. I am still at 311 lbs. The one glimmer of light at the end of this tunnel is one of the other numbers on the scale. One of the readings tells me the weight of my body fat. Last time the scale read 122 lbs. of body fat. Now it's down to about 121 lbs. I did notice that, yes, I am down to 311 lbs. and that is TWO pounds less than two weeks ago. Okay, so I have lost a couple of pounds. I am proud of that. It's just that I was used to bigger numbers. I know my body is changing and adapting to the new weight. Now, to lose some more serious weight, I need to hit this hardcore. I'm talking serious calorie counting AND P90X workouts. I'm getting there. Right now it's just gonna take some time to find the right meals all over again. I need to find new meals that I can cook up in bulk and store them so I can take them to work.
I guess that's why I was in a grouchy mood all night. I didn't exercise when I knew I had to. And I really wanted to, too. So as I was getting ready to leave for the night, I told myself, "I have to workout when I get home." I knew it was something I wanted to do. I also knew I HAD to do it for myself. So I did. I popped in the shoulders and arms workout of P90X and followed up with Ab Ripper X. Feeling great! Great sweat! Now I feel better about myself. I don't feel like such a slob anymore.
As I was resting a bit in the middle of the ab workout, I was laying there and saying to myself, "I really needed this workout. Who would have thought a year ago I would be saying this." I know I would not have believed it myself, but it's true. If I don't get to workout I feel like crap. Not only physically but mentally and emotionally. I feel like I let myself down for not sticking to my commitment. I also feel bad for eating all the unhealthy food. And the way I make up for it is by doing these late night workouts.
I do what I have to do. I do what needs to be done. I am doing this for my health. I am doing this for my well being. I am doing this so that "future Rene" will be here a lot longer.
Yesterday I was off from work and did not do much all day. I really didn't feel like working out. Tuesday has usually been my off day from workouts so I took advantage of that. I didn't eat much all day. I never really had anything for supper. Then went to a friend's house to celebrate her birthday. I had chips, a couple of cupcakes and two Jagerbombs on top of all that. I didn't get home until after midnight and stayed up later goofing around on the computer. I finally didn't go to bed until around 2:00 a.m. I got up around 9:00 or 10:00 a.m., had some cereal and watched SportsCenter all day. I did get dressed in my workout clothes and kept saying I was going to workout starting at noon. That never happened. I finally gave up, went and grabbed some Burger King for lunch, and went to work. I didn't take a lunch, nor could I leave to go and grab some Subway, so I had to have a greasy sandwich from the Cafe. It was delicious but I knew it was not healthy at all.
The other thing that has been knocking me down has been that I have not seen the big results on the scale like I used to. I used to be able to do several workouts and drop three to four pounds in a week. Now I am doing P90X and I am not losing anything. I am still at 311 lbs. The one glimmer of light at the end of this tunnel is one of the other numbers on the scale. One of the readings tells me the weight of my body fat. Last time the scale read 122 lbs. of body fat. Now it's down to about 121 lbs. I did notice that, yes, I am down to 311 lbs. and that is TWO pounds less than two weeks ago. Okay, so I have lost a couple of pounds. I am proud of that. It's just that I was used to bigger numbers. I know my body is changing and adapting to the new weight. Now, to lose some more serious weight, I need to hit this hardcore. I'm talking serious calorie counting AND P90X workouts. I'm getting there. Right now it's just gonna take some time to find the right meals all over again. I need to find new meals that I can cook up in bulk and store them so I can take them to work.
I guess that's why I was in a grouchy mood all night. I didn't exercise when I knew I had to. And I really wanted to, too. So as I was getting ready to leave for the night, I told myself, "I have to workout when I get home." I knew it was something I wanted to do. I also knew I HAD to do it for myself. So I did. I popped in the shoulders and arms workout of P90X and followed up with Ab Ripper X. Feeling great! Great sweat! Now I feel better about myself. I don't feel like such a slob anymore.
As I was resting a bit in the middle of the ab workout, I was laying there and saying to myself, "I really needed this workout. Who would have thought a year ago I would be saying this." I know I would not have believed it myself, but it's true. If I don't get to workout I feel like crap. Not only physically but mentally and emotionally. I feel like I let myself down for not sticking to my commitment. I also feel bad for eating all the unhealthy food. And the way I make up for it is by doing these late night workouts.
I do what I have to do. I do what needs to be done. I am doing this for my health. I am doing this for my well being. I am doing this so that "future Rene" will be here a lot longer.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
P90X: Week 1 Update
Week 1 was a bit rough. It was difficult to get back into that mindset of working out hard six days a week. I only did about four or five days. However, on one day I did to two workouts. I started off with the Yoga X workout. I didn't really get the sweat I wanted so I did the next day's workout which is Kempo X. I have done the Kempo workout before. It is basically a lot of shadow boxing and kicking, which is what I have been doing for the past several months with The Biggest Loser DVDs. I really enjoyed that workout.
After one week of a few workouts and watching what I ate, I lost about a pound. Once again I am sore all over the place. Right now I am not able to do some of the exercises they do in P90X, but I do modify and give it my best. That is their motto they repeat all the time: "Do you best and forget the rest." That is what I am doing.
I came to realization yesterday. P90X is a 90 day program. If you stick with it for 90 days, you will see results. So I have to think of it as a 90 day challenge. I've stuck with a challenge before so I know I can do this. That is how I have to look at it if I am going to stay with this. It's only NINETY DAYS. Since I started in late August, three months from now will be towards the end of November.
I can do this.
I KNOW I can do this.
I WILL do this.
After one week of a few workouts and watching what I ate, I lost about a pound. Once again I am sore all over the place. Right now I am not able to do some of the exercises they do in P90X, but I do modify and give it my best. That is their motto they repeat all the time: "Do you best and forget the rest." That is what I am doing.
I came to realization yesterday. P90X is a 90 day program. If you stick with it for 90 days, you will see results. So I have to think of it as a 90 day challenge. I've stuck with a challenge before so I know I can do this. That is how I have to look at it if I am going to stay with this. It's only NINETY DAYS. Since I started in late August, three months from now will be towards the end of November.
I can do this.
I KNOW I can do this.
I WILL do this.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
P90X: Day 1
Today I did the first disc of the P90X workout. Today was Chest & Back with Ab Ripper X afterwords. The Chest & Back workout focused mainly on that with tons of push ups and chin ups. Since I don't have a chin up bar at the moment, I had to hold off on those exercises. As for the push ups, I had to modify at times and drop to my knees. In the beginning I did about 12 of the classic push ups. Then we started doing other variations. I tried to stay on my toes but soon had to drop to my knees. At the end of the workout he started to do dive bombers. Those were some of my favorite to do with The Biggest Loser workouts. But to attempt dive bombers after 20 minutes of push ups was virtually impossible. I was barely able to do one complete dive bomber. My arms were just too weak and tired.
Long story short, I think I did pretty good for my first day. I modified where I needed to but kept the pace up. Then we went into the Ab Ripper X portion of the workout. Uhm.....yeah....I'm gonna have to wait on that. I was barely able to do a few of them, even with my modifications. I'll have to slowly work my way into that one.
The one thing that concerned me about the workout was that I did not sweat as much as I thought I would. Granted, I did not suit up like I used to. I have on a pair of light shorts and a t-shirt. That's all. I figured I would need to be more flexible and comfortable for these workouts. In the middle of it I did feel a good sweat coming on, but nothing like the buckets I used to drop with The Biggest Loser workouts. But again, this was just Chest & Back. I'm sure I'll be sweating in the coming days.
Long story short, I think I did pretty good for my first day. I modified where I needed to but kept the pace up. Then we went into the Ab Ripper X portion of the workout. Uhm.....yeah....I'm gonna have to wait on that. I was barely able to do a few of them, even with my modifications. I'll have to slowly work my way into that one.
The one thing that concerned me about the workout was that I did not sweat as much as I thought I would. Granted, I did not suit up like I used to. I have on a pair of light shorts and a t-shirt. That's all. I figured I would need to be more flexible and comfortable for these workouts. In the middle of it I did feel a good sweat coming on, but nothing like the buckets I used to drop with The Biggest Loser workouts. But again, this was just Chest & Back. I'm sure I'll be sweating in the coming days.
Goodbye Casual Male Big & Tall
I am so happy to say that I have officially dropped an "X" from my clothing size. I no longer need to wear 3XL and 4XL shirts. I can fit comfortably in most 2XL shirts. That is such an amazing feeling. My entire wardrobe has started to open up for me. I'm glad I held on to all my shirts. I guess I always knew I would be able to fit into them someday. Well, that someday is now.
The big revelation came around my birthday. One of my aunts gave me a shirt that was a size 3XL. I looked at and told her, "I no longer wear 3X. I'm a 2X now." I laid the shirt over my chest and she agreed that it was too big. So she took it back and exchanged it for a 2X. Now the shirt fits fine. It's now one of my new favorite shirts. I've already received several compliments on it at work. And I'm always eager to tell them the story behind it.
Shirts are not the only thing that has changed. My pants size has gone from a 54" waist down to a 46" - 48" waist. I can now buy pants at Wal-Mart where they are a lot less expensive than the ones at Casual Male. A LOT less expensive! At Casual Male, a pair of blue jeans would cost me around $45 - $50. At Wal-Mart, they were $19.99. A package of four boxer briefs at Wal-Mart are $9.99. Casual Male, $15 for a set of two. Undershirts: a package of five at Wally World for $9.99. CM: $10 for TWO! I am so glad that I can now say I like they way my Hanes look on me. And my new jeans feel great! I am so happy to have more than one pair of blue jeans that fit me properly. And I was also able to buy a couple of comfortable shorts, also by Hanes, that I can wear around the house. The only shorts I had were my sweat shorts with no drawstring and they kept falling down. The only pair I had that did fit comfortably were extremely hot. They were a thick material that made me uncomfortable every time I wore them. The only reason I bought those was because I was out with some friends at Old Navy and needed a pair of shorts fast. They were the first ones I found that fit. Maybe I'll use them just for my workouts.
The big revelation came around my birthday. One of my aunts gave me a shirt that was a size 3XL. I looked at and told her, "I no longer wear 3X. I'm a 2X now." I laid the shirt over my chest and she agreed that it was too big. So she took it back and exchanged it for a 2X. Now the shirt fits fine. It's now one of my new favorite shirts. I've already received several compliments on it at work. And I'm always eager to tell them the story behind it.
Shirts are not the only thing that has changed. My pants size has gone from a 54" waist down to a 46" - 48" waist. I can now buy pants at Wal-Mart where they are a lot less expensive than the ones at Casual Male. A LOT less expensive! At Casual Male, a pair of blue jeans would cost me around $45 - $50. At Wal-Mart, they were $19.99. A package of four boxer briefs at Wal-Mart are $9.99. Casual Male, $15 for a set of two. Undershirts: a package of five at Wally World for $9.99. CM: $10 for TWO! I am so glad that I can now say I like they way my Hanes look on me. And my new jeans feel great! I am so happy to have more than one pair of blue jeans that fit me properly. And I was also able to buy a couple of comfortable shorts, also by Hanes, that I can wear around the house. The only shorts I had were my sweat shorts with no drawstring and they kept falling down. The only pair I had that did fit comfortably were extremely hot. They were a thick material that made me uncomfortable every time I wore them. The only reason I bought those was because I was out with some friends at Old Navy and needed a pair of shorts fast. They were the first ones I found that fit. Maybe I'll use them just for my workouts.
A New Beginning
Nine months after starting my new, healthier lifestyle, and losing about 100 lbs., I hit a plateau. I have been maintaining a weight between 311 and 315 lbs. I have still been watching what I eat. I just drifted away from working out 4-6 days a week. Doing the same routines day in and day out finally became too redundant for me. So I quit working out. It has been about two months since my last series of serious workouts.
On June 15, 2010, my weight was 322 lbs. Today my weight is 313.5 lbs. That is pretty damn good for just maintaining a healthy diet and very little to no exercise. There were times when my weight fluctuated from 317 to 311 then back up to 314 all within a few days of each other. I worked out for a couple of days then blew it all on a big, unhealthy but ever so delicious dinner, and gained it back. I have not been doing that too often, unless once a week is TOO often. My eating habits have been very off considerably compared to a few months ago. I have not been eating my three meals a day. I have not been keeping up with my healthy snacks at work. I have had a soda from time to time but no more than once or twice a week, if that. I just don't crave it as much as I used to. I still drink plenty of water, especially at work. You see, everything is still in place except the motivation to keep up with the workouts.
I know in my last post I said that I was going to start working out. Well, I didn't start then. I'm starting now. I needed to change up my routines. So I borrowed the P90X DVDs from my best friend Roland. He bought them a while back and gave it a shot. He wanted to gain muscle and get in shape. He became a bit discouraged when he started losing weight and not building any muscle. So after working with them for a couple of months, he was ready to hand them over to me. Now it's my turn. I just did the first disc today for the chest and back. I did my best to keep up with him. The one thing I needed that I don't have right now is a chin up bar. I modified the push ups and kept up as best as I could. Let me tell you, my arms feel like jelly! Then I tried to do the Ab-ripper X workout. F U TONY HORTON! Good God, those were intense. There is no way I am ready for that kind of workout right now. Give me some time and I'll see what I can do.
So here's where I stand today, Day 1 of P90X:
Weight: 313.5 lbs.
Body Fat: 122 lbs.
Body Fat %: 39.0%
Body Water: 44.4%
Bone Mass: 9.3 %
On June 15, 2010, my weight was 322 lbs. Today my weight is 313.5 lbs. That is pretty damn good for just maintaining a healthy diet and very little to no exercise. There were times when my weight fluctuated from 317 to 311 then back up to 314 all within a few days of each other. I worked out for a couple of days then blew it all on a big, unhealthy but ever so delicious dinner, and gained it back. I have not been doing that too often, unless once a week is TOO often. My eating habits have been very off considerably compared to a few months ago. I have not been eating my three meals a day. I have not been keeping up with my healthy snacks at work. I have had a soda from time to time but no more than once or twice a week, if that. I just don't crave it as much as I used to. I still drink plenty of water, especially at work. You see, everything is still in place except the motivation to keep up with the workouts.
I know in my last post I said that I was going to start working out. Well, I didn't start then. I'm starting now. I needed to change up my routines. So I borrowed the P90X DVDs from my best friend Roland. He bought them a while back and gave it a shot. He wanted to gain muscle and get in shape. He became a bit discouraged when he started losing weight and not building any muscle. So after working with them for a couple of months, he was ready to hand them over to me. Now it's my turn. I just did the first disc today for the chest and back. I did my best to keep up with him. The one thing I needed that I don't have right now is a chin up bar. I modified the push ups and kept up as best as I could. Let me tell you, my arms feel like jelly! Then I tried to do the Ab-ripper X workout. F U TONY HORTON! Good God, those were intense. There is no way I am ready for that kind of workout right now. Give me some time and I'll see what I can do.
So here's where I stand today, Day 1 of P90X:
Body Fat: 122 lbs.
Body Fat %: 39.0%
Body Water: 44.4%
Bone Mass: 9.3 %
Monday, August 9, 2010
New Goal, New Motivation
It's been a while since I've updated this blog. The reason is that I have plateaued at around 315 lbs. I haven't worked out in quite some time. For the most part I've still been watching what I eat. However, my "off" days, my "splurge" days, have been a bit more frequent. I've been eating the "bad stuff" about 2-3 times a week for the past couple of weeks. The good thing is that my weight has stayed under 317. The lowest I've been down to is 310.9 lbs. I still have not cracked 310.
Well, NOW play time is over. I am no longer happy with how I feel. Yes, I have lost about 95 lbs., but now it is time to lose some more. One of the reasons I stopped exercising is because I was tired of feeling sore all the time. It got to a point where my elbows were aching so bad every time I tried to lift something. So for the time being I thing I will try to stick to mostly cardio exercises. I will mix in the "Last Chance Workout" every now and then. That one uses weights for strength building. I may downgrade to the 10 lb. weights from the 20 lb. ones.
Another reason I want to lose weight is for my sister's wedding. The wedding is coming up on September 17. The other day, my dad and I went to The Men's Warehouse to get fitted for our tuxedos. The one thing I noticed was that my waist was officially measured at 48". Granted, I was wearing my 46" jeans and a belt, BUT STILL, my waist measured at 48 inches! Compare that to my original pant size of 54" and that's six inches off my waist. So yes, I want to lose weight to look better for my sister's wedding. I will be one of the groom's men. This is going to be a big showcase in front of a lot of family members that probably have not seen me in quite some time. I want them to notice how much weight loss I have lost.
Starting today, August 9, 2010, I will resume my workouts. After the morning managers' meeting, and a trip to H.E.B. for a few groceries, it's back home to resume my workouts. I have been weighing myself practically every day now and I've seen the number go up and down a lot. Part of the reason has been my mental state. I'm just not completely happy with my position in life right now and it's been difficult finding the reason to get up in the morning. Well, that may be putting it a bit harsh. It's just life's problems have been piling up on me and it's just been a bit overwhelming lately. Compared to others, my problems probably don't seem that bad, but it's all relative. These are my problems and I have the right to feel how I feel about them. (See, this is part of the internal dialogue that goes on in my head all the time. What can I say: Gemini.)
I will be charting my progress more frequently as the wedding day approaches. My goal this time is to finally get under 300 lbs. That gives me six weeks to lose approximately 15 lbs. I KNOW this can be done. I just need to stay focused and stick with it. There was a time when I lost 3-4 lbs. every week for about a month. So I know how to do it because I have seen the results with my own eyes.
I had my "last meal" tonight, a double Whataburger with cheese and all the fixings. It was so delicious! I enjoyed every bite of that sucker! That will be the last time greasy fast food will touch my lips. It's time to get back on the right path.
Well, NOW play time is over. I am no longer happy with how I feel. Yes, I have lost about 95 lbs., but now it is time to lose some more. One of the reasons I stopped exercising is because I was tired of feeling sore all the time. It got to a point where my elbows were aching so bad every time I tried to lift something. So for the time being I thing I will try to stick to mostly cardio exercises. I will mix in the "Last Chance Workout" every now and then. That one uses weights for strength building. I may downgrade to the 10 lb. weights from the 20 lb. ones.
Another reason I want to lose weight is for my sister's wedding. The wedding is coming up on September 17. The other day, my dad and I went to The Men's Warehouse to get fitted for our tuxedos. The one thing I noticed was that my waist was officially measured at 48". Granted, I was wearing my 46" jeans and a belt, BUT STILL, my waist measured at 48 inches! Compare that to my original pant size of 54" and that's six inches off my waist. So yes, I want to lose weight to look better for my sister's wedding. I will be one of the groom's men. This is going to be a big showcase in front of a lot of family members that probably have not seen me in quite some time. I want them to notice how much weight loss I have lost.
Starting today, August 9, 2010, I will resume my workouts. After the morning managers' meeting, and a trip to H.E.B. for a few groceries, it's back home to resume my workouts. I have been weighing myself practically every day now and I've seen the number go up and down a lot. Part of the reason has been my mental state. I'm just not completely happy with my position in life right now and it's been difficult finding the reason to get up in the morning. Well, that may be putting it a bit harsh. It's just life's problems have been piling up on me and it's just been a bit overwhelming lately. Compared to others, my problems probably don't seem that bad, but it's all relative. These are my problems and I have the right to feel how I feel about them. (See, this is part of the internal dialogue that goes on in my head all the time. What can I say: Gemini.)
I will be charting my progress more frequently as the wedding day approaches. My goal this time is to finally get under 300 lbs. That gives me six weeks to lose approximately 15 lbs. I KNOW this can be done. I just need to stay focused and stick with it. There was a time when I lost 3-4 lbs. every week for about a month. So I know how to do it because I have seen the results with my own eyes.
I had my "last meal" tonight, a double Whataburger with cheese and all the fixings. It was so delicious! I enjoyed every bite of that sucker! That will be the last time greasy fast food will touch my lips. It's time to get back on the right path.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Play Time Is Over!
It has been a month now since I have done any serious, consistent workouts. I plateaued and I was fine with that. I knew eventually my body would reach a point where it just could not drop those huge numbers on a regular basis. Hopefully it has had time to adjust to its current conditions and realizes it still has a way to go before it gets into its optimum health.
Why am I talking about my body as if it's another person? It's not my body I have to worry about, it's me. It's MY mindset and MY determination. I guess I just needed some time off from having to worry about getting my workouts in every single day. Plus, I have been working in the studio a lot lately and making some tremendous progress on my scenes. (That post is coming soon on my other blog.) So that has been taking up quite a bit of my time. I have been on such a roll that making the time for the workouts has seemed like a big bother. I can either workout for an hour or so, shower, eat breakfast or lunch and THEN go about my day of studio work, OR I can jump into the studio RIGHT NOW and get to work on what I really love to do. Usually my work has taken precedence over my workouts.
But now it's time to get back into that routine. My current weight is 316 lbs. It has been fluctuating between 311 and 317. Luckily, I have not let it get too out of control that I gain 10 - 15 lbs. in one week. I have been splurging more, though. I have had fast food and other non-healthy meals a lot more often these past few weeks, but it's usually just one meal a day. To help balance the calorie intake, I would eat sensibly the rest of the day before any splurging.
There was one week where I did start to workout for a few days that gave me some interesting results. I weighed myself on Monday and the scale read 317 lbs. I worked out and ate sensibly that day. I weighed myself Tuesday morning and it said 314 lbs. NICE! Lost three pounds! Same thing, workout and sensible meals. Weighed in on Wednesday morning at 311 lbs.! AWESOME! Lost ANOTHER three pounds! I could not believe that I lost SIX POUNDS in two days! So what did I do? That night I had a huge Mexican dinner and apparently gained it all back the next day. I realized then that I was not ready to continue with the workouts. So I made a conscious decision to hold off on the workouts until I was ready.
Well, I'm ready now! It's been a long enough break. I cannot let the hard work of the past seven to eight months go to waste. I have come too far to go back to my old habits and my old weight. Another thing that spurred me on was a recent photo I saw of myself. It was from a party this past weekend. I was standing at an odd angle and I wasn't prepared for it and I look HUGE!! I thought I looked like I did before I lost all this weight. I kept staring at that photo and realized I need to start up again. I am only six pounds away from my 100 lbs. mark. SIX POUNDS! Which means I am only 17 lbs. away from finally getting under 300 lbs.
Plus, there's someone I'm interested in and I want to look my best. Not that I'm trying to lose this weight because of a girl. I'm doing for me so I can have more confidence when I talk to this girl. We'll see how that goes. Right now it does seem promising. But that's another story...
Why am I talking about my body as if it's another person? It's not my body I have to worry about, it's me. It's MY mindset and MY determination. I guess I just needed some time off from having to worry about getting my workouts in every single day. Plus, I have been working in the studio a lot lately and making some tremendous progress on my scenes. (That post is coming soon on my other blog.) So that has been taking up quite a bit of my time. I have been on such a roll that making the time for the workouts has seemed like a big bother. I can either workout for an hour or so, shower, eat breakfast or lunch and THEN go about my day of studio work, OR I can jump into the studio RIGHT NOW and get to work on what I really love to do. Usually my work has taken precedence over my workouts.
But now it's time to get back into that routine. My current weight is 316 lbs. It has been fluctuating between 311 and 317. Luckily, I have not let it get too out of control that I gain 10 - 15 lbs. in one week. I have been splurging more, though. I have had fast food and other non-healthy meals a lot more often these past few weeks, but it's usually just one meal a day. To help balance the calorie intake, I would eat sensibly the rest of the day before any splurging.
There was one week where I did start to workout for a few days that gave me some interesting results. I weighed myself on Monday and the scale read 317 lbs. I worked out and ate sensibly that day. I weighed myself Tuesday morning and it said 314 lbs. NICE! Lost three pounds! Same thing, workout and sensible meals. Weighed in on Wednesday morning at 311 lbs.! AWESOME! Lost ANOTHER three pounds! I could not believe that I lost SIX POUNDS in two days! So what did I do? That night I had a huge Mexican dinner and apparently gained it all back the next day. I realized then that I was not ready to continue with the workouts. So I made a conscious decision to hold off on the workouts until I was ready.
Well, I'm ready now! It's been a long enough break. I cannot let the hard work of the past seven to eight months go to waste. I have come too far to go back to my old habits and my old weight. Another thing that spurred me on was a recent photo I saw of myself. It was from a party this past weekend. I was standing at an odd angle and I wasn't prepared for it and I look HUGE!! I thought I looked like I did before I lost all this weight. I kept staring at that photo and realized I need to start up again. I am only six pounds away from my 100 lbs. mark. SIX POUNDS! Which means I am only 17 lbs. away from finally getting under 300 lbs.
Plus, there's someone I'm interested in and I want to look my best. Not that I'm trying to lose this weight because of a girl. I'm doing for me so I can have more confidence when I talk to this girl. We'll see how that goes. Right now it does seem promising. But that's another story...
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
I'm Hitting The Reset Button
I feel I am committing one of the major sins of weight loss: use the same scale to weigh yourself so you get a consistent reading each and every time. After using the same scale at the doctor's office for the past 27 weeks, I am hitting the reset button. In previous posts I've explained how the doctor's scale always seems to be off by at least five pounds. Once it said I lost 30 lbs. in one week! The nurses even said that people have complained how their scale weighs people heavier than other scales.
From now on, I will be using my digital scale at home. I feel more comfortable with this scale and feel it is more accurate. I once checked the scale using my dumbbells. I place my two 20 lb. and two 10 lb. weights on the scale and it gave an accurate reading of 60 lbs. THIS is why I trust my scale more than the doctor's scale. Example #2: When I got up this morning and weighed myself here at home, the scale gave a reading of 316 lbs. When I went to the doctor's office the scale gave a reading of 321 lbs. THAT IS A FIVE POUND DIFFERENCE! A five pound difference is huge when you are are counting every pound. I am sticking with my scale which I have proven to be accurate. So starting today, June 22, 2010, my starting weight is 316 lbs. I will reread my books and look at this as a fresh start, a new beginning.
I have noticed many changes in my appearance lately. I have officially dropped an "X" from my clothing size. I no longer need to wear 3XL-4XL shirts. I can now fit comfortably in most 2XL shirts, depending on the manufacturer. My pants size has dropped from a 54" waist to a 46"-48" waist. Which means that I can now find clothes that fit at "regular" clothing stores. I no longer have to buy all my clothes at Casual Male Big & Tall, where ONE shirt and ONE pair of pants can cost me almost $80!! Now I can buy a pair of pants and a shirt at WalMart for $20. Thanks to a birthday gift card I received last week, I was able to go to Target and pick up three shirts and a pair of pajama bottoms (all size 2XL) for just over $20. I just wished I had the money to buy new clothes that actually fit.
From now on, I will be using my digital scale at home. I feel more comfortable with this scale and feel it is more accurate. I once checked the scale using my dumbbells. I place my two 20 lb. and two 10 lb. weights on the scale and it gave an accurate reading of 60 lbs. THIS is why I trust my scale more than the doctor's scale. Example #2: When I got up this morning and weighed myself here at home, the scale gave a reading of 316 lbs. When I went to the doctor's office the scale gave a reading of 321 lbs. THAT IS A FIVE POUND DIFFERENCE! A five pound difference is huge when you are are counting every pound. I am sticking with my scale which I have proven to be accurate. So starting today, June 22, 2010, my starting weight is 316 lbs. I will reread my books and look at this as a fresh start, a new beginning.
I have noticed many changes in my appearance lately. I have officially dropped an "X" from my clothing size. I no longer need to wear 3XL-4XL shirts. I can now fit comfortably in most 2XL shirts, depending on the manufacturer. My pants size has dropped from a 54" waist to a 46"-48" waist. Which means that I can now find clothes that fit at "regular" clothing stores. I no longer have to buy all my clothes at Casual Male Big & Tall, where ONE shirt and ONE pair of pants can cost me almost $80!! Now I can buy a pair of pants and a shirt at WalMart for $20. Thanks to a birthday gift card I received last week, I was able to go to Target and pick up three shirts and a pair of pajama bottoms (all size 2XL) for just over $20. I just wished I had the money to buy new clothes that actually fit.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
*OFFICIAL* Results
I went by the doctor's office today for a free MRI. It was to check the veins in my neck for any clots and such. I should be getting the results back in a week or so. Before I left I asked the receptionist for a copy of my lab results from December 2009. Now I can really compare the results of 26 weeks of healthy dieting and exercise.
December '09: Reference Interval
Cholesterol, Total: 211 100 - 199
HDL Cholesterol: 84 0 - 149
LDL Cholesterol: 136 0 - 99
Vitamin D: 15.8 32.0 - 100.0
June '10:
Cholesterol, Total: 121 down 90 points = 42.65%
HDL Cholesterol: 42 down 42 points = 50.0%
LDL Cholesterol: 64 down 72 points = 52.94%
Vitamin D: 51.4 up 35.6 points = 325.32%
My doctor was really impressed with the changes. All the numbers are so much better now. He kept asking me how did I do it. My answer was the same every time: "The Biggest Loser, healthy eating and exercise." To see numbers and results like this, it really makes me feel proud to know that I am making a difference in my health. Yes, I can see the changes on the outside, but to know that I am healthier INSIDE. That is a huge relief on my mind.
December '09: Reference Interval
Cholesterol, Total: 211 100 - 199
HDL Cholesterol: 84 0 - 149
LDL Cholesterol: 136 0 - 99
Vitamin D: 15.8 32.0 - 100.0
June '10:
Cholesterol, Total: 121 down 90 points = 42.65%
HDL Cholesterol: 42 down 42 points = 50.0%
LDL Cholesterol: 64 down 72 points = 52.94%
Vitamin D: 51.4 up 35.6 points = 325.32%
My doctor was really impressed with the changes. All the numbers are so much better now. He kept asking me how did I do it. My answer was the same every time: "The Biggest Loser, healthy eating and exercise." To see numbers and results like this, it really makes me feel proud to know that I am making a difference in my health. Yes, I can see the changes on the outside, but to know that I am healthier INSIDE. That is a huge relief on my mind.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
26 Weeks Later
The results are in. After 26 weeks of working out and healthy eating, I have lost about 88 lbs.! My weight as of June 15, 2010 is 322 lbs. No, I did not reach my goal of losing 100 lbs. by my birthday. BUT I did lose weight by my birthday and that is the important part. Yes, I WILL eventually reach my goal of getting under the elusive 300 lbs. mark. And YES I will reach my target weight of 250 lbs. It may take me the rest of the year but I do intend to keep going.
The outside changes are the most visible. What you cannot see are the changes happening within me. I got my lab results back from my doctor today. There have been many significant changes over the past six months. When I started back in December, everything was bad. I had high cholesterol. I was producing too much insulin. The doctor was going to give me medication for that but decided to see how it first went without any medication. My vitamin D levels were extremely low. I started taking 2000 units of vitamin D along with a multivitamin that contained 700 units of vitamin D. Three months later there were improvements all around. My cholesterol went from over 200 down to 162. My insulin production went down. My vitamin D increased from 12 to 36.5. The base level for that should be around 32. Jump to the present and it gets even better. My cholesterol dropped again down to 121. Previously my LDL cholesterol was 104. Now it's down to 64! My vitamin D went from 36.5 to 51.4!
So needless to say, I am feeling much better than I was six months ago. All my clothes are starting to feel looser. I was finally able to get into my "goal" pants. My pants size has gone from a 54 inch waist down to around a 48 inch waist. My shirts have gone down from 3X to a 2X. I wore one of my favorite shirts the other day and that sucker was HUGE on me. My friends at work said I was "swimming in it". I could not believe it, either. Now it feels like a tent.
It feels great getting these compliments. It is exactly what I need to keep me going.
Friday, May 21, 2010
5 Miles
I've picked out a route that seems like something I can do. I will start near point A at Ayers and Gollihar (which is actually under point E), go down Ayers to Holly, go down Holly to Kostoryz, down Kostoryz to Gollihar then back down to Ayers (my house). According to this map the round trip is 5.04 miles.
Most of these roads do have sidewalks along the side. The only part I am not completely sure about right now is down Ayers on the south side of SPID. I do not recall if there are any along that path.
This is something to look forward to.
The Big Prize
So far I have lost about 87 lbs. I am only 13 lbs. away from 100 lbs. AND only 24 lbs. away from finally being under 300. My current weight for the week is 323 lbs. That first goal is so close I can feel it. It is within my reach.
The more I think about it, the more excited I get. Last week I lost 7.5 lbs. I have four weeks to lose 13 lbs. to reach my first goal. But if I can lose 7.5 lbs. in a week, and 6 and 7 lbs. in recent weeks I am going for the 24 lbs. mark. I am really going to push myself these next few weeks to not only lose 100 lbs. by my birthday, but to be under 300 lbs. by June 15.
I want that feeling so bad. That feeling of accomplishment, that feeling of success, that feeling of pride. I have wanted this for so long and I finally believe I can do it.
Now I want to start walking. I want to start running. I want to get out there and start moving. I have to be reasonable about this. Yes, I am probably in the best shape of my life so far. That does not mean that I am ready to run a marathon tomorrow. I want to make a plan. I need to map it out. I want to look into the distance around my neighborhood and also down Ocean Drive. I would like to find out the distance from the TAMUCC parking lotto the art museum. I guess I could look it up online or go for a drive.
I am not sure how my knees are going to hold up, but I want to at least try. And with summer just around the corner, the weather will be intense. So take a cap and some sunscreen. I would also like to invest in a nice pair of running shoes.
So these are my new goals. I have been psyching myself up lately about going for it all. I've been telling friends at work that I'm not going to just try and lose 13 lbs. to reach 100 lbs., I am going for the big prize. On June 15, 2010, I WILL be under 300 lbs.!
The more I think about it, the more excited I get. Last week I lost 7.5 lbs. I have four weeks to lose 13 lbs. to reach my first goal. But if I can lose 7.5 lbs. in a week, and 6 and 7 lbs. in recent weeks I am going for the 24 lbs. mark. I am really going to push myself these next few weeks to not only lose 100 lbs. by my birthday, but to be under 300 lbs. by June 15.
I want that feeling so bad. That feeling of accomplishment, that feeling of success, that feeling of pride. I have wanted this for so long and I finally believe I can do it.
Now I want to start walking. I want to start running. I want to get out there and start moving. I have to be reasonable about this. Yes, I am probably in the best shape of my life so far. That does not mean that I am ready to run a marathon tomorrow. I want to make a plan. I need to map it out. I want to look into the distance around my neighborhood and also down Ocean Drive. I would like to find out the distance from the TAMUCC parking lotto the art museum. I guess I could look it up online or go for a drive.
I am not sure how my knees are going to hold up, but I want to at least try. And with summer just around the corner, the weather will be intense. So take a cap and some sunscreen. I would also like to invest in a nice pair of running shoes.
So these are my new goals. I have been psyching myself up lately about going for it all. I've been telling friends at work that I'm not going to just try and lose 13 lbs. to reach 100 lbs., I am going for the big prize. On June 15, 2010, I WILL be under 300 lbs.!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Marchin' On by One Republic (with lyrics)
This song was featured in the opening montage of last night's episode of The Biggest Loser. It played in the background as the final four contestants watched their journey to where they are now. It was amazing!
The Home Stretch
After 22 weeks I am now 87 lbs. lighter!
I had an unbelievable weigh-in yesterday! Walking into the doctor's office, my weight from last week was 330.5 lbs. I knew I had a good week of workouts. The night before around 12:30 a.m. I did a Last Chance Workout again. I did the 25-minute and 10-minute workouts. Talk about major sweat going on. I think that really helped out. And it did! When I left the doctor's office my new weight was 323! I lost another 7.5 lbs. in one week! I think that is the most in one week so far!
Over the last few weeks I have had some amazing numbers come up. Four weeks ago I lost 6.5 lbs., followed by 7 lbs., then zero one week, then 4 lbs. last week. When I didn't lose any two weeks ago I was disappointed but not discouraged. I knew it was not a big deal. I've seen it plenty of times on The Biggest Loser where a contestant loses huge numbers one week and loses zero to two pounds the next week. It's just my body trying to recover from that dramatic change. So I got back on track and worked out hard. The following week I was back with a 4 lb. weight loss.
I kept on going and working out hard. I monitored my diet and ate healthy. I did have a splurge day where I have something not usually on my menu. I had some tacos for lunch one day with my mom. It has been a while since I've had tacos from that restaurant. They were so good but full of grease. Later that day, and all through the night, I could still feel those tacos and the grease running rampant throughout my body. It has been so long that my body was not used to it. This caught me completely off guard! My stomach was hurting. My skin felt greasy the rest of the day. I just did not feel good. As much as I loved them before, they will never touch my lips again.
I am now closer to my goal than ever before. When I first started this I weighed around 410 lbs.* My goal is to lose 100 lbs. by my birthday. That day is four weeks away with only 13 lbs. left! It is within my grasp and I want it now more than ever! I need this! I want this! I will accomplish my goal! When I reach the century mark, my next goal is to be under 300 lbs. THAT goal is becoming more and more of a reality. I am only 24 lbs. away from accomplishing what seems to be a lifelong goal. I have no recent memory of EVER being under 300 lbs. The lowest I can remember being was hanging steady at 330 lbs. and dropping down to 310 lbs. where I plateaued and gained it all back. I get emotional thinking about how close I am to breaking the 300 barrier. I KNOW I can do it and I know HOW to do it.
The feedback and support from family and friends has been unbelievable. I am always getting compliments at work about how I am "wasting away" and "the belly is just gone!" My network of friends on facebook has really been an inspiration to me. Reading the comments and e-mails really pushes me to keep going. Without that support I don't know if I would be pushing myself this hard. The one thing I did not expect at all was how much I have become a source of inspiration for others. I always knew I wanted to help others but to actually be doing it is another thing. They are coming to me for advice. I really don't have any pearls of wisdom except to get up and start doing it. I am doing it for my own personal reasons: to be healthier and feel better about myself. You need to find your own reasons why you want to lose weight. When you find the motivation, grab onto it with both hands and hold on tight.
One of the best pieces of advice I've heard came from The Biggest Loser during week one. Ashley, who is now in the finale, asked Sherry, her mother and her teammate, "What if I go in there and I can't do it." Sherry paused for a moment, looked Ashley in the eyes and said, "What if you go in there and you can." Now Ashley is one of the top two finalists. Sherry had the confidence in Ashley before she ever did. That is how I have often felt when I first started.
"What if I start this workout regiment and I give up after a couple of weeks?"
"But what if you start working out and just stick with it?"
Well, it is now Week 23 and I am STILL going strong!
I had an unbelievable weigh-in yesterday! Walking into the doctor's office, my weight from last week was 330.5 lbs. I knew I had a good week of workouts. The night before around 12:30 a.m. I did a Last Chance Workout again. I did the 25-minute and 10-minute workouts. Talk about major sweat going on. I think that really helped out. And it did! When I left the doctor's office my new weight was 323! I lost another 7.5 lbs. in one week! I think that is the most in one week so far!
Over the last few weeks I have had some amazing numbers come up. Four weeks ago I lost 6.5 lbs., followed by 7 lbs., then zero one week, then 4 lbs. last week. When I didn't lose any two weeks ago I was disappointed but not discouraged. I knew it was not a big deal. I've seen it plenty of times on The Biggest Loser where a contestant loses huge numbers one week and loses zero to two pounds the next week. It's just my body trying to recover from that dramatic change. So I got back on track and worked out hard. The following week I was back with a 4 lb. weight loss.
I kept on going and working out hard. I monitored my diet and ate healthy. I did have a splurge day where I have something not usually on my menu. I had some tacos for lunch one day with my mom. It has been a while since I've had tacos from that restaurant. They were so good but full of grease. Later that day, and all through the night, I could still feel those tacos and the grease running rampant throughout my body. It has been so long that my body was not used to it. This caught me completely off guard! My stomach was hurting. My skin felt greasy the rest of the day. I just did not feel good. As much as I loved them before, they will never touch my lips again.
I am now closer to my goal than ever before. When I first started this I weighed around 410 lbs.* My goal is to lose 100 lbs. by my birthday. That day is four weeks away with only 13 lbs. left! It is within my grasp and I want it now more than ever! I need this! I want this! I will accomplish my goal! When I reach the century mark, my next goal is to be under 300 lbs. THAT goal is becoming more and more of a reality. I am only 24 lbs. away from accomplishing what seems to be a lifelong goal. I have no recent memory of EVER being under 300 lbs. The lowest I can remember being was hanging steady at 330 lbs. and dropping down to 310 lbs. where I plateaued and gained it all back. I get emotional thinking about how close I am to breaking the 300 barrier. I KNOW I can do it and I know HOW to do it.
The feedback and support from family and friends has been unbelievable. I am always getting compliments at work about how I am "wasting away" and "the belly is just gone!" My network of friends on facebook has really been an inspiration to me. Reading the comments and e-mails really pushes me to keep going. Without that support I don't know if I would be pushing myself this hard. The one thing I did not expect at all was how much I have become a source of inspiration for others. I always knew I wanted to help others but to actually be doing it is another thing. They are coming to me for advice. I really don't have any pearls of wisdom except to get up and start doing it. I am doing it for my own personal reasons: to be healthier and feel better about myself. You need to find your own reasons why you want to lose weight. When you find the motivation, grab onto it with both hands and hold on tight.
One of the best pieces of advice I've heard came from The Biggest Loser during week one. Ashley, who is now in the finale, asked Sherry, her mother and her teammate, "What if I go in there and I can't do it." Sherry paused for a moment, looked Ashley in the eyes and said, "What if you go in there and you can." Now Ashley is one of the top two finalists. Sherry had the confidence in Ashley before she ever did. That is how I have often felt when I first started.
"What if I start this workout regiment and I give up after a couple of weeks?"
"But what if you start working out and just stick with it?"
Well, it is now Week 23 and I am STILL going strong!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Week 18 Report
After 18 weeks I have lost around 68 lbs.! For week 18 alone I lost 6.5 lbs.! That brings my total for 18 weeks to 68 lbs.!
I was a little worried about my weigh-in at the middle of last week. I missed a workout and had Whataburger for dinner one night. However, that day I did not workout was not a complete waste. I ended up cleaning up my kitchen and living room and still ended up with a shirt soaked with sweat. So I still felt pretty confident that I would have a good number. Last week I also noticed that my goal pants are starting to fit a little better as time goes by.
Yesterday was a rough day for me. The night before I stayed up way too late cleaning house and putting away my laundry. I finally fell asleep around 3:00 a.m. Monday morning. I had to be up at 7:15 for my managers' meeting at 8:00. After the meeting I fully intended to workout, but as soon as I got home and sat on the couch I was out like a light. I was just going to watch Sportscenter for just a little bit when I started to get comfortable. That was all it took. My body was not going to let me go another step until it got the proper rest it needed. I got up a few hours later, had lunch, got ready for work and took off. As I was leaving work later that night around 10:30 p.m., a friend told me, "Enjoy your day off. Enjoy your workout." That's when the idea popped in my head that I could do a workout when I got home. I've never done a late night workout before. I know I've seen the contestants on The Biggest Loser do it before when they want a good weigh-in. That is what I wanted so that is what I did. I came home, changed, and did my Last Chance Workout DVD. Apparently, it paid off big time. Maybe that is something I will add to my routine from now on. I'll see what happens next Monday night. Let's see if the urge hits me again.
But or now, it's time to get some cardio work done!
I was a little worried about my weigh-in at the middle of last week. I missed a workout and had Whataburger for dinner one night. However, that day I did not workout was not a complete waste. I ended up cleaning up my kitchen and living room and still ended up with a shirt soaked with sweat. So I still felt pretty confident that I would have a good number. Last week I also noticed that my goal pants are starting to fit a little better as time goes by.
Yesterday was a rough day for me. The night before I stayed up way too late cleaning house and putting away my laundry. I finally fell asleep around 3:00 a.m. Monday morning. I had to be up at 7:15 for my managers' meeting at 8:00. After the meeting I fully intended to workout, but as soon as I got home and sat on the couch I was out like a light. I was just going to watch Sportscenter for just a little bit when I started to get comfortable. That was all it took. My body was not going to let me go another step until it got the proper rest it needed. I got up a few hours later, had lunch, got ready for work and took off. As I was leaving work later that night around 10:30 p.m., a friend told me, "Enjoy your day off. Enjoy your workout." That's when the idea popped in my head that I could do a workout when I got home. I've never done a late night workout before. I know I've seen the contestants on The Biggest Loser do it before when they want a good weigh-in. That is what I wanted so that is what I did. I came home, changed, and did my Last Chance Workout DVD. Apparently, it paid off big time. Maybe that is something I will add to my routine from now on. I'll see what happens next Monday night. Let's see if the urge hits me again.
But or now, it's time to get some cardio work done!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
17 weeks and new pics
This picture was taken in 2001 at The Disney Institute during a Disney Animation Event.
This is how the same shirt looks 17 weeks ago and today.
The #1 Question
"So what are you doing?"
That is the number one question I get from people when they find out about my weight loss. What I am doing is getting off my ass and working out six days a week. I am also watching what I eat. I am eating healthier, drinking plenty of water and cutting out fast food, sodas and teas. It's as simple as this: eat healthy and exercise. WHO KNEW THAT THE ANSWER WAS SO SIMPLE?! It IS that simple.
The hard part is determination. You have to make the decision that you are going to change and stick to it. You are not going to lose any weight until you are mentally prepared for the hard work. This week will mark the start of week 18. That is the longest that I have stuck to any type of diet and exercise regiment. One thing that keeps me going is to set little, attainable goals that I can reach on my to accomplishing my big goal. My big goal is to get under 300 lbs. When I started I was around 435 lbs.* My first goal was to lose more than 30 lbs. in under two months. I ended up losing 32 lbs. in eight weeks. My second goal was to get under 400 lbs. I accomplished that the following week. (check out my previous post to find out what really happened that week.) For a few weeks I just kept working out with no clear goal in mind. So I challenged myself up during week 14: to be under 350 lbs. in four weeks. My weight was 362 lbs.* so that meant only three pounds a week. I accomplished that goal in four weeks with a weigh-in of 348.5 lbs.
So what is my next goal? To be under 340 lbs. in four weeks. Lately I have been stuck around the 350 area. Some weeks I have to use the counterweight, others I do not. The scale maxes out at 350 so I want to be under that as much as possible. To accomplish this I not only have to increase my workouts but serious get a grasp of my calorie intake. I have been watching what I have been eating, but I really need to start counting those damn calories. According to The Biggest Loser books, I need to stay under 2100 calories a day. I have been guessing that I have been staying under that, but I do not know for sure. I seriously need to get this straight if I am going to lose anymore weight.
If I can keep losing at least ten pounds a month, by August I should have lost at least 100 lbs. That should put me under the 300 lbs. mark and THAT is my main goal. The closest I have ever been was plateauing around 310 lbs.about six years ago. When I started to plateau I started to give up. I was exercising but I was not eating right. I was still eating the junk I usually ate and just expected to miraculously lose that extra weight. That did not happen. I gained back the 60 lbs. I lost and gained a whole lot more. Not any more!
This is a whole lifestyle change for me. I am making these changes in small steps but I am sticking to them. I have been exercising 4-6 days a week FOR THE PAST SEVENTEEN WEEKS! When I skip a day, I feel sluggish and tired. That happened recently and I could not believe how bad I felt. My diet has changed up dramatically. I rarely eat out anymore. I used to have breakfast or dinner with my folks at a restaurant at least twice a week. Now it seems more like 2-3 times a month. I stopped snacking on candies and sweets. Except for maybe once a month, I have cut out sodas and sweet tea completely. I drink nothing but water and fruit punch to change it up from time to time. A typical breakfast for me used to be (1-2) potatoes and (3) eggs, a whole can of beans, 3-4 slices of maple bacon and about 6-7 flour tortillas. That was about twice a week and that would fill me up for the whole day until dinner rolled around. Now, I have a can of beans in my cupboard that has been there for I don't know how long. I cannot remember the last time I bought canned beans and that was a staple of every meal for me. I now make practically all my meals. I prepare them in advance so I have something healthy for my lunches at work. I make sure to pack a snack, usually an apple, to help out during my shift. I also pack some granola and yogurt for dessert.
I don't feel I have had my big "Biggest Loser" mental breakthrough / breakdown just yet. That is when you can honestly answer the really tough questions: How did you come to be so overweight? Who or what is holding you back? Why do you feel this way? Why are you trying to lose weight? When I can honestly answer those questions with confidence and pride, I will have broken through that mental wall that has been holding me back. I am chipping away at it right now. I do feel my confidence and self image is improving. I was telling a friend just the other day, "I know I am a big guy, but I don't feel like a big FAT guy anymore." And that is the truth. I saw my before and after pics today and I couldn't help but chuckle. I could not believe the difference. This past week I was wearing shirts that have not seen the light of day in years. I put on a shirt today that 18 weeks ago fit me very snug. It is now loose and comfortable that I would not feel embarrassed to wear it out in public. I put on the "new" old shirts and I laugh. I laugh because I know it has been so long since I could wear that shirt and not feel like it was choking me.
Changes are coming my way and I cannot wait to see the results.
That is the number one question I get from people when they find out about my weight loss. What I am doing is getting off my ass and working out six days a week. I am also watching what I eat. I am eating healthier, drinking plenty of water and cutting out fast food, sodas and teas. It's as simple as this: eat healthy and exercise. WHO KNEW THAT THE ANSWER WAS SO SIMPLE?! It IS that simple.
The hard part is determination. You have to make the decision that you are going to change and stick to it. You are not going to lose any weight until you are mentally prepared for the hard work. This week will mark the start of week 18. That is the longest that I have stuck to any type of diet and exercise regiment. One thing that keeps me going is to set little, attainable goals that I can reach on my to accomplishing my big goal. My big goal is to get under 300 lbs. When I started I was around 435 lbs.* My first goal was to lose more than 30 lbs. in under two months. I ended up losing 32 lbs. in eight weeks. My second goal was to get under 400 lbs. I accomplished that the following week. (check out my previous post to find out what really happened that week.) For a few weeks I just kept working out with no clear goal in mind. So I challenged myself up during week 14: to be under 350 lbs. in four weeks. My weight was 362 lbs.* so that meant only three pounds a week. I accomplished that goal in four weeks with a weigh-in of 348.5 lbs.
So what is my next goal? To be under 340 lbs. in four weeks. Lately I have been stuck around the 350 area. Some weeks I have to use the counterweight, others I do not. The scale maxes out at 350 so I want to be under that as much as possible. To accomplish this I not only have to increase my workouts but serious get a grasp of my calorie intake. I have been watching what I have been eating, but I really need to start counting those damn calories. According to The Biggest Loser books, I need to stay under 2100 calories a day. I have been guessing that I have been staying under that, but I do not know for sure. I seriously need to get this straight if I am going to lose anymore weight.
If I can keep losing at least ten pounds a month, by August I should have lost at least 100 lbs. That should put me under the 300 lbs. mark and THAT is my main goal. The closest I have ever been was plateauing around 310 lbs.about six years ago. When I started to plateau I started to give up. I was exercising but I was not eating right. I was still eating the junk I usually ate and just expected to miraculously lose that extra weight. That did not happen. I gained back the 60 lbs. I lost and gained a whole lot more. Not any more!
This is a whole lifestyle change for me. I am making these changes in small steps but I am sticking to them. I have been exercising 4-6 days a week FOR THE PAST SEVENTEEN WEEKS! When I skip a day, I feel sluggish and tired. That happened recently and I could not believe how bad I felt. My diet has changed up dramatically. I rarely eat out anymore. I used to have breakfast or dinner with my folks at a restaurant at least twice a week. Now it seems more like 2-3 times a month. I stopped snacking on candies and sweets. Except for maybe once a month, I have cut out sodas and sweet tea completely. I drink nothing but water and fruit punch to change it up from time to time. A typical breakfast for me used to be (1-2) potatoes and (3) eggs, a whole can of beans, 3-4 slices of maple bacon and about 6-7 flour tortillas. That was about twice a week and that would fill me up for the whole day until dinner rolled around. Now, I have a can of beans in my cupboard that has been there for I don't know how long. I cannot remember the last time I bought canned beans and that was a staple of every meal for me. I now make practically all my meals. I prepare them in advance so I have something healthy for my lunches at work. I make sure to pack a snack, usually an apple, to help out during my shift. I also pack some granola and yogurt for dessert.
I don't feel I have had my big "Biggest Loser" mental breakthrough / breakdown just yet. That is when you can honestly answer the really tough questions: How did you come to be so overweight? Who or what is holding you back? Why do you feel this way? Why are you trying to lose weight? When I can honestly answer those questions with confidence and pride, I will have broken through that mental wall that has been holding me back. I am chipping away at it right now. I do feel my confidence and self image is improving. I was telling a friend just the other day, "I know I am a big guy, but I don't feel like a big FAT guy anymore." And that is the truth. I saw my before and after pics today and I couldn't help but chuckle. I could not believe the difference. This past week I was wearing shirts that have not seen the light of day in years. I put on a shirt today that 18 weeks ago fit me very snug. It is now loose and comfortable that I would not feel embarrassed to wear it out in public. I put on the "new" old shirts and I laugh. I laugh because I know it has been so long since I could wear that shirt and not feel like it was choking me.
Changes are coming my way and I cannot wait to see the results.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Searching for the truth
I keep hovering around 350. Now I'm at 348.5. I'm afraid I may be plateauing. Maybe not. It's just been a rough couple of weeks. Time to fight through it and get to work.
The scale at the doctor's office is bonkers. Two weeks ago it said I weighed both 347 AND 357 with the counterweight. Last week it said I weighed 362 with the counterweight. So I'm guessing I actually weighed 352 if I go by the previous readings (+10 with the counterweight). Today, without the counterweight, I weighed 348.5. That's a loss of 3.5 lbs. This is good! However, with the counterweight I weighed 356. That makes it a six pound weight loss. Not sure which to believe. I think I'll stick with the 348.5. If I can just break 340 I'll feel better about what that scale is saying. On top of all that, the scale at home says I am at 349.2 lbs. The thing I don't like about that digital scale is that the reading fluctuates depending on where I place my feet and my balance.I lean forward: 347. I lean back: 352. I try to stay balanced and remain still for a few seconds. I did that today and it read 349.2 lbs., twice in a row.
So for this week I need to increase my workout intensity and really watch my eating habits and calorie intake. I did splurge on my free day this past Sunday. I had a Burger King Whopper for the first time in a long time. It was so delicious! My mouth was watering on the way over there.
I want to lose weight and I want to be below 300 lbs.!!
Ok, so here's the interesting part. When I first started all this, according to the doctor's scale, I weighed 435 lbs. According to THE EXACT SAME SCALE I now weigh 348.5. This means that I am 13 lbs. away from losing 100 lbs.!! Theoretically, of course. That's the part that cracks me up. I know that can't be right. That is why I now say my starting weight was around 410 lbs. because I do not feel like I've lost 100 lbs. yet. YET!
The scale at the doctor's office is bonkers. Two weeks ago it said I weighed both 347 AND 357 with the counterweight. Last week it said I weighed 362 with the counterweight. So I'm guessing I actually weighed 352 if I go by the previous readings (+10 with the counterweight). Today, without the counterweight, I weighed 348.5. That's a loss of 3.5 lbs. This is good! However, with the counterweight I weighed 356. That makes it a six pound weight loss. Not sure which to believe. I think I'll stick with the 348.5. If I can just break 340 I'll feel better about what that scale is saying. On top of all that, the scale at home says I am at 349.2 lbs. The thing I don't like about that digital scale is that the reading fluctuates depending on where I place my feet and my balance.I lean forward: 347. I lean back: 352. I try to stay balanced and remain still for a few seconds. I did that today and it read 349.2 lbs., twice in a row.
So for this week I need to increase my workout intensity and really watch my eating habits and calorie intake. I did splurge on my free day this past Sunday. I had a Burger King Whopper for the first time in a long time. It was so delicious! My mouth was watering on the way over there.
I want to lose weight and I want to be below 300 lbs.!!
Ok, so here's the interesting part. When I first started all this, according to the doctor's scale, I weighed 435 lbs. According to THE EXACT SAME SCALE I now weigh 348.5. This means that I am 13 lbs. away from losing 100 lbs.!! Theoretically, of course. That's the part that cracks me up. I know that can't be right. That is why I now say my starting weight was around 410 lbs. because I do not feel like I've lost 100 lbs. yet. YET!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
This or that
I need to find a more reliable scale!
I went to the doctor's office this morning, just like I have been for the past 14 weeks. There was that fiasco when I finally broke 400 lbs. Now I'm on the verge of breaking 350. Last week I weighed 362. I challenged myself to be under 350 in four weeks. That's three pounds a week, a very attainable goal. So I get there and set the scale to 362 and jump on. The pointer is still down which means I did lose weight.
I should preface this by saying that I did not have a very productive week. I skipped two workout days. I ate out once or twice. I went to a birthday party and consumed many alcoholic beverages and snacks. For all apparent reasons I should have gained something.
I start tapping the counterweight to the left, tap-tap-tap. It finally balances out at 357! I LOST FIVE POUNDS!! WHAT?! HOW?! HUH?! I can't believe it. I double check the settings and everything is where it should be. Then I remember week 8. So I take the counterweight off and set it at 350. I get on and the pointer is DOWN. I tap it over once and THE DAMN THING BALANCES AT 349! WHAT?! HOW?! HUH?! It's doing it again! This time however, the difference is only eight pounds compared to 30 pounds the last time. I am going to be sticking with the 357 for now. I will check it again both ways next week.
I went to the doctor's office this morning, just like I have been for the past 14 weeks. There was that fiasco when I finally broke 400 lbs. Now I'm on the verge of breaking 350. Last week I weighed 362. I challenged myself to be under 350 in four weeks. That's three pounds a week, a very attainable goal. So I get there and set the scale to 362 and jump on. The pointer is still down which means I did lose weight.
I should preface this by saying that I did not have a very productive week. I skipped two workout days. I ate out once or twice. I went to a birthday party and consumed many alcoholic beverages and snacks. For all apparent reasons I should have gained something.
I start tapping the counterweight to the left, tap-tap-tap. It finally balances out at 357! I LOST FIVE POUNDS!! WHAT?! HOW?! HUH?! I can't believe it. I double check the settings and everything is where it should be. Then I remember week 8. So I take the counterweight off and set it at 350. I get on and the pointer is DOWN. I tap it over once and THE DAMN THING BALANCES AT 349! WHAT?! HOW?! HUH?! It's doing it again! This time however, the difference is only eight pounds compared to 30 pounds the last time. I am going to be sticking with the 357 for now. I will check it again both ways next week.
Challenge #2
I need to set a new weightloss goal for myself. I just have not been feeling the desire to workout much lately. I skipped a couple of days and just did not do much.
So I decided what I need is a new challenge. As of March 16, I weighed 362 lbs. My next challenge is to be under 350 lbs. in four weeks. That averages out to three pounds a week. That is something I can do. The past few weeks I have been averaging about three to four a week. To be under 350 lbs. will be another big accomplishment for me. I have not been there in a long time, maybe eight years or so.
I know what it is like to accomplish a goal I have set. I am looking forward to reaching this next short-term goal in my life.
So I decided what I need is a new challenge. As of March 16, I weighed 362 lbs. My next challenge is to be under 350 lbs. in four weeks. That averages out to three pounds a week. That is something I can do. The past few weeks I have been averaging about three to four a week. To be under 350 lbs. will be another big accomplishment for me. I have not been there in a long time, maybe eight years or so.
I know what it is like to accomplish a goal I have set. I am looking forward to reaching this next short-term goal in my life.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
I don't know what to believe anymore!
(The following took place on February 16, 2010 between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.)
I have no idea what my actual weight is anymore!
For the past nine weeks, I have been using the same scale at my doctor's office. Nine weeks ago it said I weighed 435 lbs. As I have been losing, I've been using the same scale every week. I set it to the weight from the week before then scale it down to see how much I lost. This week was going to be tricky. The scale by itself only goes up to a max of 350 lbs. To weigh over that amout I have to use a counter-weight set at the different notches of 50 and 100. If I set it at the 50 notch, it means the weight is 350 plus the smaller pointer on top which goes from 1 - 50. I had to set it at the 100 mark, which meant 300 + 100 + (1 thru 50). I have been using it the exact same way every single time.
Today was a big moment for me because I was hoping to finally be out of the 400s. I only needed to lose four more pounds and I could move the big counter down one notch. So I set the scale to 403. I get on and it didn't move. I kept tapping it until it was all the way over to the left and it still did not move. Great!! I'm out of the 400s!! So I move the counter-weight down from 100 to 50. I move the small pointer all the over to the right. I get on and it still does not move. Awesome, I have to move it more to the left meaning I lost more than 4 lbs. I was hoping to lose more because this week I cut out a lot of pasta from my diet. So I start moving the small counter to the left. It still has not moved. Tap, tap, tap. Still not moving. The scale finally balanced at 372! THREE-SEVENTY-TWO!! According to this scale, it means I lost over THIRTY POUNDS IN ONE WEEK!! Something is definitely wrong with this scale.
The nurses recommend I go to the local H.E.B. and try the weight/blood pressure machine by the pharmacy. So I go over and give it a shot. I try it four or five tiems and it reads 363!! That's nine pounds less than what the doctor's scale said. WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!?!?!
So for now, I'm going to stick with the doctor's scale. I am also readjusting my starting weight to 410 lbs. So if I go with that, it means I've lost about 38 lbs. That is what I am sticking with.
I have no idea what my actual weight is anymore!
For the past nine weeks, I have been using the same scale at my doctor's office. Nine weeks ago it said I weighed 435 lbs. As I have been losing, I've been using the same scale every week. I set it to the weight from the week before then scale it down to see how much I lost. This week was going to be tricky. The scale by itself only goes up to a max of 350 lbs. To weigh over that amout I have to use a counter-weight set at the different notches of 50 and 100. If I set it at the 50 notch, it means the weight is 350 plus the smaller pointer on top which goes from 1 - 50. I had to set it at the 100 mark, which meant 300 + 100 + (1 thru 50). I have been using it the exact same way every single time.
Today was a big moment for me because I was hoping to finally be out of the 400s. I only needed to lose four more pounds and I could move the big counter down one notch. So I set the scale to 403. I get on and it didn't move. I kept tapping it until it was all the way over to the left and it still did not move. Great!! I'm out of the 400s!! So I move the counter-weight down from 100 to 50. I move the small pointer all the over to the right. I get on and it still does not move. Awesome, I have to move it more to the left meaning I lost more than 4 lbs. I was hoping to lose more because this week I cut out a lot of pasta from my diet. So I start moving the small counter to the left. It still has not moved. Tap, tap, tap. Still not moving. The scale finally balanced at 372! THREE-SEVENTY-TWO!! According to this scale, it means I lost over THIRTY POUNDS IN ONE WEEK!! Something is definitely wrong with this scale.
The nurses recommend I go to the local H.E.B. and try the weight/blood pressure machine by the pharmacy. So I go over and give it a shot. I try it four or five tiems and it reads 363!! That's nine pounds less than what the doctor's scale said. WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!?!?!
So for now, I'm going to stick with the doctor's scale. I am also readjusting my starting weight to 410 lbs. So if I go with that, it means I've lost about 38 lbs. That is what I am sticking with.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
I DID IT!!
I beat my first challenge: 30 lbs. in 2 months (8 weeks)!! On February 9, 2010, my weight was 403 lbs. That is a loss of 32 lbs.!! For week 8, I lost 4 lbs. That is a weekly percentage loss of .98%. After 8 weeks, that is a TOTAL percentage loss of 7.36%.
I can't explain how great that feels to beat a challenge like this. It really hasn't sunk in yet that I lost 32 lbs. I know I beat my short term goal, but I still have a long road ahead. I just need to keep on going if I'm going to lose 100 lbs. by June. My goal for next week is to lose another four pounds so I can once again be under 400. I no longer want to see a "4" in front of my weight. So I set small challenges for myself on a daily and weekly basis. During my workouts I try to push myself just a little bit more each time. With my meals, I try and find a healthy alternative for different items.
So what is the next challenge?
I want to keep going with this. I set small challenges for myself on a daily and weekly basis. During my workouts I try to push myself just a little bit more each time. With my meals, I try and find a healthy alternative for different items. For instance, in my salads, I've cut back on just iceberg lettuce and throw in some romaine and spinach. I want to lose another 30 lbs. in eight weeks. The past eight weeks, I have been averaging about 4 lbs. a weeks. These past two weeks I've lost exactly 4 lbs. each week. That is my weekly goal, to lose at least four a week. If I can do that, I will be golden. I am shooting for a total loss of 64 lbs. in 16 weeks. That will be a loss of over 14% of my starting weight, and only 36 lbs. away from my 100 lbs. goal. That is really something to strive for.
I am trying to change it up a bit this week. I read that you should only eat pasta maybe once or twice a week, and not after 3:00 p.m. It takes a while for the body to digest all those carbs. I have been eating wheat past for the past couple of weeks about five times a week. It's the simplest and easiest thing to make for my lunches at work. I can make a lot of it and I am set for four days of work. This week I made a meatloaf. I cut it up into four serving and am saving them for work. I also have some veggies on the side, corn and green beans. I also have been having a salad with every meal. I am hoping that cutting out all those carbs will give me a bigger number next week.
As for my workouts, I am trying to step it up. I am trying to push myself to go harder and longer each time. When I did my Last Chance workout the day before my weigh-in, I kept the weights in hand the entire time. I usually have to drop them for a second to catch my breath, but not this time. My reps may have been a bit slower than the pace, but I did not give up and did not drop the weights. When I did my "running" on the elliptical Tuesday, I ran for two minute sprints with a two minute rest. I did several sprints during the 30-minute run. Today, I increased the RPMs to stay above 63. That is a pretty fast pace for me right now. I may need to do some more maintenace on the machine because I've been hearing some bad squeaking from the gears. It also felt like the left pedal may be slipping off its groove. I just fixed the right pedal the other day and it was running smoothly again. I also need to get new batteries. I JUST bought some about a week or so ago and they are already giving out on me. Friday is time for another DVD workout. I think I will go with the bootcamp workout again, followed by my usual 30-minute run on the machine.
I am not happy with my workouts unless I see a shirt completely drenched in sweat. Only then will I know it was a great workout.
I can't explain how great that feels to beat a challenge like this. It really hasn't sunk in yet that I lost 32 lbs. I know I beat my short term goal, but I still have a long road ahead. I just need to keep on going if I'm going to lose 100 lbs. by June. My goal for next week is to lose another four pounds so I can once again be under 400. I no longer want to see a "4" in front of my weight. So I set small challenges for myself on a daily and weekly basis. During my workouts I try to push myself just a little bit more each time. With my meals, I try and find a healthy alternative for different items.
So what is the next challenge?
I want to keep going with this. I set small challenges for myself on a daily and weekly basis. During my workouts I try to push myself just a little bit more each time. With my meals, I try and find a healthy alternative for different items. For instance, in my salads, I've cut back on just iceberg lettuce and throw in some romaine and spinach. I want to lose another 30 lbs. in eight weeks. The past eight weeks, I have been averaging about 4 lbs. a weeks. These past two weeks I've lost exactly 4 lbs. each week. That is my weekly goal, to lose at least four a week. If I can do that, I will be golden. I am shooting for a total loss of 64 lbs. in 16 weeks. That will be a loss of over 14% of my starting weight, and only 36 lbs. away from my 100 lbs. goal. That is really something to strive for.
I am trying to change it up a bit this week. I read that you should only eat pasta maybe once or twice a week, and not after 3:00 p.m. It takes a while for the body to digest all those carbs. I have been eating wheat past for the past couple of weeks about five times a week. It's the simplest and easiest thing to make for my lunches at work. I can make a lot of it and I am set for four days of work. This week I made a meatloaf. I cut it up into four serving and am saving them for work. I also have some veggies on the side, corn and green beans. I also have been having a salad with every meal. I am hoping that cutting out all those carbs will give me a bigger number next week.
As for my workouts, I am trying to step it up. I am trying to push myself to go harder and longer each time. When I did my Last Chance workout the day before my weigh-in, I kept the weights in hand the entire time. I usually have to drop them for a second to catch my breath, but not this time. My reps may have been a bit slower than the pace, but I did not give up and did not drop the weights. When I did my "running" on the elliptical Tuesday, I ran for two minute sprints with a two minute rest. I did several sprints during the 30-minute run. Today, I increased the RPMs to stay above 63. That is a pretty fast pace for me right now. I may need to do some more maintenace on the machine because I've been hearing some bad squeaking from the gears. It also felt like the left pedal may be slipping off its groove. I just fixed the right pedal the other day and it was running smoothly again. I also need to get new batteries. I JUST bought some about a week or so ago and they are already giving out on me. Friday is time for another DVD workout. I think I will go with the bootcamp workout again, followed by my usual 30-minute run on the machine.
I am not happy with my workouts unless I see a shirt completely drenched in sweat. Only then will I know it was a great workout.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Almost There
I am now only TWO pounds away from my first weight-loss goal. On December 14, I took on a challenge at my doctor's office. My doc told me that one of his patients lost 30 lbs. in two months. I am happy to report that after seven weeks, I have a total weight loss of 28 lbs.! I lost another 4 lbs. last week making my current weight at 407 lbs. Not only am I 2 lbs. away from my first goal, but I am now SEVEN lbs away from getting out of the 400s.
So how did I lose the 4 lbs.?
I have to attribute it to increasing my cardio workouts throughout the week. My usual routine was doing a DVD 20-min. workout on Mon., Wed. and Friday, and 30-min. of cardio on Tues., Thurs. and Saturday. Since I only lost two pounds the week before, I knew I had to step up my game. So I did at least 20-min. of cardio every day last week. This week I have also incerased my cardio. I usually run a mile a day. Well, today I ran two miles for the first time. It took me just under an hour to do it. This is just the start.
So how did I lose the 4 lbs.?
I have to attribute it to increasing my cardio workouts throughout the week. My usual routine was doing a DVD 20-min. workout on Mon., Wed. and Friday, and 30-min. of cardio on Tues., Thurs. and Saturday. Since I only lost two pounds the week before, I knew I had to step up my game. So I did at least 20-min. of cardio every day last week. This week I have also incerased my cardio. I usually run a mile a day. Well, today I ran two miles for the first time. It took me just under an hour to do it. This is just the start.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Looking For New Recipes
I read that you should limit yourself to 2-3 pasta dinners a week. It takes a while for the body to process all the carbs. The thing for me is that it is so easy to make a big batch of pasta and save them for lunches to take to work. So I am now on the lookout for an alternative. I recently checked out a book from work that has a lot of simple, quick and easy healthy recipes. I am hoping to try some of them out pretty soon. I will post my favorites after I give them a try.
Mid Week 7 Report
Last week I lost another 2 lbs. That brings my total weight loss to 24 lbs. since December 14, 2009. That is a total loss of 5.52%. This also means that I am only 6 lbs. away from matching the record at my doctor's office. (I can't believe I have not written about it!) Ok, so at my last doctor's visit he told me that the record for his office is that a patient of his lost 30 lbs. in two months. I looked at him and told him "CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!" So I plan to lose 30 lbs. or more in two months. At the end of Week 6 I am at 24 lbs. lost. That means I have to lose at least 6 lbs. in the next two weeks. I did it before in one week. I'm hoping I can do it again. I KNOW I can do it again.
So once I hit that mark, it's time to keep going for the next challenge: 60 lbs in four months. I am still going for my ultimate short term goal of losing 100 lbs. by June 15, 2010. If I keep this up, I am definitely heading in the right direction.
So how am I going to accomplish this?
Well, for starters I started keeping track of my calorie intake. I started keeping a food journal of everything I eat. I already have a food counter book I bought a while back.
It is Corinne T. Netzer's The Complete Book of Food Counts. This book has just about everything I need. I did realize that it was published in 2003, so it may be time to get a new one. I'll check the next time I'm at work.
What is your calorie budget?
According to The Biggest Loser book I've been reading, for individuals over 300 lbs. they need to stick to a daily calorie budget of 2100 cals. Basically, it's your current weight x 7. So for me, in order to lose weight I need to stick to 2100 cals. or less. So far I have been on track. I did go over on Tuesday by 126, but I was still under the rest of the days. To be honest, it's been kind of fun trying to keep track of the nutritional value of everything that's out there. I love to learn and this is definitely a learning experience. More on calorie counting later.
RECAP:
Week 7 is looking pretty good. I've been working out really hard. I've been doing cardio every day so far. I did some work on the heavy bag in the garage. After four 3-min. rounds my arms felt like jelly! I've been drinking plenty of water, so I'm not worried about that. All my meals have been homecooked, except for the one time I had Subway for lunch. (Once my tax refund comes in, I'm hoping to get myself a $50 gift card over there so I KNOW I can have Subway from time to time.) My clothes are feelng looser. Everything is looking like I'm going to have a big number come the next weigh-in. I don't want to get my hopes up but I have a good feeling about it.
So once I hit that mark, it's time to keep going for the next challenge: 60 lbs in four months. I am still going for my ultimate short term goal of losing 100 lbs. by June 15, 2010. If I keep this up, I am definitely heading in the right direction.
So how am I going to accomplish this?
Well, for starters I started keeping track of my calorie intake. I started keeping a food journal of everything I eat. I already have a food counter book I bought a while back.
What is your calorie budget?
According to The Biggest Loser book I've been reading, for individuals over 300 lbs. they need to stick to a daily calorie budget of 2100 cals. Basically, it's your current weight x 7. So for me, in order to lose weight I need to stick to 2100 cals. or less. So far I have been on track. I did go over on Tuesday by 126, but I was still under the rest of the days. To be honest, it's been kind of fun trying to keep track of the nutritional value of everything that's out there. I love to learn and this is definitely a learning experience. More on calorie counting later.
RECAP:
Week 7 is looking pretty good. I've been working out really hard. I've been doing cardio every day so far. I did some work on the heavy bag in the garage. After four 3-min. rounds my arms felt like jelly! I've been drinking plenty of water, so I'm not worried about that. All my meals have been homecooked, except for the one time I had Subway for lunch. (Once my tax refund comes in, I'm hoping to get myself a $50 gift card over there so I KNOW I can have Subway from time to time.) My clothes are feelng looser. Everything is looking like I'm going to have a big number come the next weigh-in. I don't want to get my hopes up but I have a good feeling about it.
Just Passed A Milestone
As I have been losing weight, I keep having to tighten my belt a bit. I have been stuck on the second-to-the-last notch for quite some time. It has been that way for a couple of weeks now. Well, the other night at work I realized my pants were getting a bit loose and I finally had to go to the last notch. I had tried it before but it still felt a bit too tight. At the time I was not ready. But now I am. I noticed it again tonight, the same thing. I had the belt on the second-to-the-last notch and felt fine. I was walking around and working and felt comfortable. I knew the belt felt loose but it was manageable. Then when I had to put a PDT (Personal Data Transmitter) in my pocket, it felt like the pants were going to start going down. So I finally had to go to the last notch. I left it there for a while and felt fine. It didn't feel like it was choking me or anything. So now I am on the last notch. It's funny because when I wear jeans, I HAVE to take it to the last notch. It just took a while for me to get there with the work pants. They do have elastic in them and the pants' waist does feel a bit thicker.
Another great thing that happened was that I wore a shirt tonight that used to fit me pretty snug. It's the green shirt I bought at Wal-Mart I mentioned before. This time it felt really comfortable. It felt loose and everything. I even had a couple of ladies at work remark at how baggy my pants were looking. They did feel like there was a lot of room there. It felt like my legs were the clangers inside a bell.
So needless to say, I'm feeling pretty good right about now.
Another great thing that happened was that I wore a shirt tonight that used to fit me pretty snug. It's the green shirt I bought at Wal-Mart I mentioned before. This time it felt really comfortable. It felt loose and everything. I even had a couple of ladies at work remark at how baggy my pants were looking. They did feel like there was a lot of room there. It felt like my legs were the clangers inside a bell.
So needless to say, I'm feeling pretty good right about now.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Chick Cacciatore - Biggest Loser Style
I saw this recipe on Tuesday's episode of The Biggest Loser. It looked really good. I think I'll try it one of these days.
Calories 300; fat calories 60; total fat g 7; sat fat g 1.5; chol mg 65; sodium mg 470; total carb g 25; fiber g 4; sugars g 8; protein g 30
Recipe courtsey of the the Biggest Loser Club weekly newsletter.
Chicken Cacciatore
A Healthy Version of an Italian Favorite!
Aussie chef Curtis Stone whips up a healthy version of Chicken Cacciatore for the cast in Tuesday's episode. Here's the recipe!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
Four 4-ounce pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup onion, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, cut into medium dice
2 cups button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
¼ cup red wine
2 cups Muir Glen diced fire roasted tomatoes (sodium free)
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
5 kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1 cup steamed brown rice to serve
- Heat a large saucepot over medium high heat and add 1 teaspoon of oil to the pan.
- Season the chicken with pepper and sear for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Remove the chicken to a plate and add the remaining oil to the pan.
- Saute the onions for 3 minutes stirring constantly, then add the garlic and bell peppers.
- Cook the garlic and peppers for 2 minutes and add the mushrooms.
- Cook the mushrooms for 4 minutes stirring often.
- Add the red wine and allow to reduce until almost dry.
- Add the tomatoes to the pot and stir well.
- Add the thyme, bay leaf and oregano.
- Bring to the simmer and reduce heat to low.
- Add the chicken back to the sauce and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Stir in all but one pinch of the parsley.
- To serve, spoon 1/4 cup of brown rice onto the center of a serving plate.
- Place one portion of chicken on top of the rice and spoon some of the sauce and vegetables over the chicken, repeat with remaining plates.
- Sprinkle a little of the chopped olives and remaining parsley over each plate of chicken and serve.
Calories 300; fat calories 60; total fat g 7; sat fat g 1.5; chol mg 65; sodium mg 470; total carb g 25; fiber g 4; sugars g 8; protein g 30
Recipe courtsey of the the Biggest Loser Club weekly newsletter.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Week 6 - The Road Ahead
I just got back from the doctor's office. I did not have a dramatic weight loss like last week, but I did have a loss none the less. For week 5 I lost a total of 4 pounds for .96%. That brings my total weight loss to 22 lbs! That is a total of 5.06% weight loss. I am a little disappointed I did not lose more, but I have to remember that ANY weight lost is a positive thing. It's like they say on the show, one week you have huge numbers and the next not as much. It's because your body is trying to adjust to all the new physical activity.
So how am I going to try to get bigger numbers for next week?
For starters, Monday night before my weigh-in I did my version of a "last chance workout." It was pretty intense. I started off with the bootcamp workout from the Biggest Loser DVD. I then did about 18 minutes on the elliptical, 12 minutes running and a 4 and 2 minute warm up and cool down. I then went out to the garage and did four 3-minute rounds on the heavy bag. I then came back in and did three sets of 15 reps upright rows with a 20 lbs. dumbbell. This was followed by some triceps workout, three sets of 15 reps with 20 lbs. Finished of with some lower abdominal work, 1 set of 15 reps. I was exhausted by the end. My shirts were completely soaked with sweat. It was an awesome feeling!
As far as my meals are concerned, this is where I need to plan and be prepared. I already made my lunches to take to work for the week: one serving of wheat pasta with a low cholesterol sauce and beef. I also take a salad with a bit of shredded cheddar cheese and carrot sticks. I drizzle on a bit of a fat free Italian dressing and mix it all up. For snacks I usually take 1 - 2 apples, quartered and seeds removed. I made two batches of granola the other night so I take a bag (1 cup) and a fat free yogurt. I've been trying yogurt for a change to satisfy my sweet tooth. I'll sprinkle the granola in the cup with each bite. It is really delicious. Breakfast usually consists of one whole egg and 1 - 2 egg whites. I'll either put them on a whole grain English muffin or wrapped in a wheat tortilla. I also purchased some Jennie-O turkey bacon and fat free cheese. I'll either do two egg, bacon, and cheese muffins or three tacos of the same. I think I'll be cutting down to two tacos. That usually keeps me full and satisfied until lunch time. Dinner will usually be a cheeseburger with baked Lay's sour cream and onion flavored chips.
I would have loved to have seen a bigger number at the doctor's office. I cannot let the small number slow me down. I have to keep going and think of the bigger picture, the main goal I am trying to reach. I want to lose 100 lbs. in six months. I already have 22 gone. Only 78 lbs. more to go. If I can lose about 20 lbs. a month, I will definitely reach my goal. Keep thinking, "big picture, big picture, baby steps, baby steps. It will happen."
I am also not far from beating the self-imposed challenge at my doctor's office. The challenge was 30 lbs. in two months. I already lost 22 lbs. in 5 weeks. There is no doubt in my mind that I can lose 8 lbs. in three weeks. I can beat this challenge. I WILL beat this challenge.
So how am I going to try to get bigger numbers for next week?
For starters, Monday night before my weigh-in I did my version of a "last chance workout." It was pretty intense. I started off with the bootcamp workout from the Biggest Loser DVD. I then did about 18 minutes on the elliptical, 12 minutes running and a 4 and 2 minute warm up and cool down. I then went out to the garage and did four 3-minute rounds on the heavy bag. I then came back in and did three sets of 15 reps upright rows with a 20 lbs. dumbbell. This was followed by some triceps workout, three sets of 15 reps with 20 lbs. Finished of with some lower abdominal work, 1 set of 15 reps. I was exhausted by the end. My shirts were completely soaked with sweat. It was an awesome feeling!
As far as my meals are concerned, this is where I need to plan and be prepared. I already made my lunches to take to work for the week: one serving of wheat pasta with a low cholesterol sauce and beef. I also take a salad with a bit of shredded cheddar cheese and carrot sticks. I drizzle on a bit of a fat free Italian dressing and mix it all up. For snacks I usually take 1 - 2 apples, quartered and seeds removed. I made two batches of granola the other night so I take a bag (1 cup) and a fat free yogurt. I've been trying yogurt for a change to satisfy my sweet tooth. I'll sprinkle the granola in the cup with each bite. It is really delicious. Breakfast usually consists of one whole egg and 1 - 2 egg whites. I'll either put them on a whole grain English muffin or wrapped in a wheat tortilla. I also purchased some Jennie-O turkey bacon and fat free cheese. I'll either do two egg, bacon, and cheese muffins or three tacos of the same. I think I'll be cutting down to two tacos. That usually keeps me full and satisfied until lunch time. Dinner will usually be a cheeseburger with baked Lay's sour cream and onion flavored chips.
I would have loved to have seen a bigger number at the doctor's office. I cannot let the small number slow me down. I have to keep going and think of the bigger picture, the main goal I am trying to reach. I want to lose 100 lbs. in six months. I already have 22 gone. Only 78 lbs. more to go. If I can lose about 20 lbs. a month, I will definitely reach my goal. Keep thinking, "big picture, big picture, baby steps, baby steps. It will happen."
I am also not far from beating the self-imposed challenge at my doctor's office. The challenge was 30 lbs. in two months. I already lost 22 lbs. in 5 weeks. There is no doubt in my mind that I can lose 8 lbs. in three weeks. I can beat this challenge. I WILL beat this challenge.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
What A Difference A Day Makes
A while back I bought some shirts at Wal-Mart. The thing is I NEVER buy shirts from Wal-Mart or any other store except Casual Male's Big & Tall. I have been buying all my clothes there for the past 14 years or so. But this one time I went to Wally World and found some shirts that were of a reasonable price and were in my size, 3X-Large. I got home and tried them on. Much to my dismay, they were a bit snug. They fit alright, but were just a bit too snug around the belly area. So I put them in my closet and have not worn them since.
That is until yesterday. I was getting ready for work and saw the 3X green shirt from Wally World. I decided to give it a try and put it on, buttoned it all the way up and had a look. It was still snug but in a comfortable way. The buttons didn't look like they were being stretched out anymore. It finally fit! It fit well enough for me to be comfortable wearing it out in public.
As I went about my day at work I did notice some things about the shirt. It was a 3X but not the kind of 3X I am used to. When I had to raise my arms up I noticed it was a bit restricting in the shoulders. When I sat down, that was when the buttons were holding on for dear life. So sitting down and arm raising were not the best positions at the moment. But to be able to wear a shirt out for the first time and bragging about it was an awesome feeling. My wardrobe is finally starting to open up and this is only the beginning.
That is until yesterday. I was getting ready for work and saw the 3X green shirt from Wally World. I decided to give it a try and put it on, buttoned it all the way up and had a look. It was still snug but in a comfortable way. The buttons didn't look like they were being stretched out anymore. It finally fit! It fit well enough for me to be comfortable wearing it out in public.
As I went about my day at work I did notice some things about the shirt. It was a 3X but not the kind of 3X I am used to. When I had to raise my arms up I noticed it was a bit restricting in the shoulders. When I sat down, that was when the buttons were holding on for dear life. So sitting down and arm raising were not the best positions at the moment. But to be able to wear a shirt out for the first time and bragging about it was an awesome feeling. My wardrobe is finally starting to open up and this is only the beginning.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
DRAGO!!!
This one of the song that gets me pumped during my workouts:
"Heart's on Fire" by Joe Cafferty
"Heart's on Fire" by Joe Cafferty
Week 5 And Still Going Strong
I woke up this morning at 8:00 a.m. and decided I had to know how much I weighed. I had worked out all last week. I ate sensibly and healthy. I had to have lost something. So I got dressed in my workout clothes and headed over to my doctor's office. I was the first one there and STILL had to wait about 15 - 20 minutes. Typical.
So I finally get access to the scale. I set it to my last recorded weight of 425 lbs. Everything is in place and I step on the scale. I hear the "beep - beep - beep" from the Biggest Loser show playing in my head. As soon as I stepped on the needle moved. "Damn, it moved. I hope I didn't gain." But I didn't. The needle stayed down which meant I had to move the weight down. "tap - tap - tap" Stopped on 422. Still need to move down. Ok. "tap - tap - tap" Stopped on 420. STILL need to move down. "tap - tap - wait - tap" Stopped on 417 and the needle was right in the middle. That means I now weigh 417. I took a quick look at everything. "That marker is where it's supposed to be. That counter weight is where it's supposed to be. That marker stopped on 417 and the scale is balanced." I lost EIGHT POUNDS IN ONE WEEK! That's "Biggest Loser" numbers right there! I could not believe it. I got off the scale and had to take a long look at it. Yup, it said I had lost 8 lbs. It was one of the most amazing feelings I have ever had in such a long time. I did it. I AM doing it. I am losing weight! I updated my facebook status and received congratulations and words of encouragement all day long. I got home and jumped on that elliptical and ran for 28 minutes straight. I think I may have overdone it because my legs were hurting the rest of the day. I need to remember to start slow. I'm still in the early stages of this and don't want to over exert myself. My next cardio runs will be kept to about 20 - 25 minutes.
I was watching the latest episode of "The Biggest Loser" tonight. After the show their new weight, they get a percentage of how much they lost compared to what they weighed last week. So for me losing 8 lbs. from 425, that is 1.88%. So far I have lost 18 lbs. for a total percentage of 4.14%. Seeing these numbers and knowing the results only pushes me on and on. I know it is going to be rough but this is something I have to do. This is something I have to do for myself. No one is going to do it for me.
So I finally get access to the scale. I set it to my last recorded weight of 425 lbs. Everything is in place and I step on the scale. I hear the "beep - beep - beep" from the Biggest Loser show playing in my head. As soon as I stepped on the needle moved. "Damn, it moved. I hope I didn't gain." But I didn't. The needle stayed down which meant I had to move the weight down. "tap - tap - tap" Stopped on 422. Still need to move down. Ok. "tap - tap - tap" Stopped on 420. STILL need to move down. "tap - tap - wait - tap" Stopped on 417 and the needle was right in the middle. That means I now weigh 417. I took a quick look at everything. "That marker is where it's supposed to be. That counter weight is where it's supposed to be. That marker stopped on 417 and the scale is balanced." I lost EIGHT POUNDS IN ONE WEEK! That's "Biggest Loser" numbers right there! I could not believe it. I got off the scale and had to take a long look at it. Yup, it said I had lost 8 lbs. It was one of the most amazing feelings I have ever had in such a long time. I did it. I AM doing it. I am losing weight! I updated my facebook status and received congratulations and words of encouragement all day long. I got home and jumped on that elliptical and ran for 28 minutes straight. I think I may have overdone it because my legs were hurting the rest of the day. I need to remember to start slow. I'm still in the early stages of this and don't want to over exert myself. My next cardio runs will be kept to about 20 - 25 minutes.
I was watching the latest episode of "The Biggest Loser" tonight. After the show their new weight, they get a percentage of how much they lost compared to what they weighed last week. So for me losing 8 lbs. from 425, that is 1.88%. So far I have lost 18 lbs. for a total percentage of 4.14%. Seeing these numbers and knowing the results only pushes me on and on. I know it is going to be rough but this is something I have to do. This is something I have to do for myself. No one is going to do it for me.
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