A short mention for Tuesday.

I set a goal to not go over 1500 calories yesterday and came in at 1520 total so not too bad at all, This morning my back feels about 70% better so I will give it the entire day and decide whether I will ride my bike later tonight when that time comes. 1.75 gallons of fluid went down the hatch yesterday and I am working on my first half gallon of tea for the day as I type so hydration is happening. With any hope my back will feel peachy by tomorrow and I can start in on the cardio again, I am slightly worried that the lack of movement this week will cause me to not lose but that is to be seen.

This morning I have some errands to run but I wanted to get an update post in before my day swallowed up all of my time so there it is. I am on the way outside to squirrel proof a bird feeder that we bought for my daughter over the weekend before I leave so make sure that you get that H2O into your day, I may be back later with more of a post but in case I can't this shall be it.

Keep on keepin on and all that.

As Ever
Me

Did I mention that I am sore?

Busy busy busy! that pretty much sums up my weekend, we decided that it was time to paint "the blue room" AKA "the rec room" AKA "the big ass mess" so that we did. We moved everything out of the room and into my sons room so that we could move around in there, we painted and repaired almost all day Saturday to the point where we did not finish. Saturday night we decided that we would have a bonfire in our yard and burn up some of the brush that we have been cutting down in our yard so we spent about an hour dragging logs, branches and brush up the back part of the yard where the fire pit is and a bonfire we had! roasted marshmallows and all. The intake for Saturday was very much less than stellar but I am cool with it, I don't know if it was all of the work from the day or if its just the fat that we were having a bonfire but I ate terribly. Breakfast and lunch went well enough but then dinner was bacon pizza which I had 4 slices of and a bottle of water, hey at least I turned down the soda and chose water right? I had about 4 marshmallows and 2 bottles of Guinness while sitting at the fire so Saturday was a bad day for intake.

Just a look at the green accent wall in the freshly painted rec room, you can still see parts of the floor were still drying when I snapped the pic.

The whole room is that gray color and then the one wall is green, the red arrow points at the baseboard heater cover that is still blue, everything but the floor was blue in this room! walls, trim, doors and baseboard heaters! I will paint the heaters at a later time.

Sunday went much better, I stayed well within my calorie range coming in at 1470 calories with a lot of veggies in there I figured I would take a page out of the calorie cycler's book and have a low day to compensate for the pizza and beer. I also drank a gallon and a half of water and tea Sunday and got lots of movement into the day with finishing up the rec room. Though I did not ride my bike all weekend lots of work was squeezed into both days, Sunday besides finishing up the paint & repair work in the rec room we repainted the floor in there, rebuilt the shelves in the closet in that room, moved all of the furniture back into there, moved many of the boxes that were being stored in that room to the basement or unpacked them, brought about 30 cans of paint and primers down to the basement, rearranged the room about 5 different ways along with rearranging our living room as well and that is just about half of what we did so movement did happen! Today I woke up sore in places that I forgot existed and my back hurts (at the injury point) so I am taking it easy for a couple days where exercise is concerned.

Today I will eat no more than 1500 calories, again to make up for the bad day Saturday and the fact that I am taking today off from exercise I will call it cycling again. I will consume 1.5 gallons of fluid at the least and probably more than that by the end of the day. I will not do anything in the way of exercise today as I mentioned because of my back, hopefully it will pass quickly because I have a feeling it was just a busy weekend and it needs a day to rest up then back to the bike I go.

The end has come to a Monday post and you know what that means, grab that big ol glass of H2O and check back in tomorrow for the next episode of as the fat guy turns! Thanks for reading along while I get healthy.

As Ever
Me

Weigh in and more feet! down the scale goes!

This week has been a decent one where exercise and intake goes, I ate within my calorie range every day besides Sunday when I had way too many Italian sausage sandwiches but because of that decided to up the workouts. When I stepped on the scale this morning the display said 345.2 pounds, then it was 345.4 pounds twice so that means a 2 pound loss exactly for the week. I am happy with that loss, and that makes a total of 10 pounds lost in the last 3 weeks, who could complain about numbers like that right? I am up to 189 total pounds lost which means that I am only 11 pounds away from having lost 200 total pounds! That's a pretty exclusive club right there, not exactly a club that someone might want to be a part of but even still. I have decided that I will from here on out post a photo of the scale on weigh in day, so get use to my feet on Fridays! Here is that picture along with some others of things that I have lost and something that weighs the same as me.

Feet made to stop stone vehicles I know but would ya look at that 2 pound loss!

This 1984 GSX250 comes in at 345 pounds like guess who?! that's right me.

This strapping young lassie is Ann Gardner, and her show weight is 189 pounds which is what I have lost so far.

I have 70 more pounds to lose to reach my original goal of weighing 275 pounds, a mere 70 pounds?! to some people 70 sounds like a lot, to others its a drop in the bucket and yet to other people it may even feel like an impossibility I guess it all depends on the frame of mind you are in. When I started losing the weight in Jan 2008 I would have loved for it to be just 70 pounds that I had to lose but it wasn't, it was 259 pounds so this last 70 feels like the home stretch to me! and honestly, I don't think I will stop at 275 pounds, like I mentioned previously I do want to get to 265 pounds so that I weigh the same as my father so I am already setting goals beyond my current goals. I also feel that I will continue down the path once I hit those weights as well and then there is the skin issue that I know will be there when I start hitting sub 300 pound ranges but that is a bridge that will have to be crossed when I get there.

My calories for Thursday came in at 1605 total and I rode my bike for 20 minutes, I had a gallon and a half of water and about 32oz of green tea because I forgot to brew some up the night before. I am planning to take today off as far as doing exercise but it rained last night and the sun is out right now and welp, it looks to be a perfect day for a walk so containing myself may prove easier said than done, and when 7:30PM comes around my body almost moves towards the stationary bike on its own lately, so we shall see if I do not exercise today. That about wraps up this weigh in and it was a good week all the way around, next week I expect the same thing and plan on sticking to what I am doing because its obviously working.

Thank you all who take the time to leave me some support and don't forget that H2O and try to make the best out of every day, a positive attitude will carry you further than you know.

As Ever
Me

An evening walk and some pictures on the eve of a weigh in.

Yesterday was suppose to be my day off from exercising, I try to have at least one day each week where I do not do anything just for a recovery kind of day but I couldn't stand it and went for a 2 mile walk after dinner @ just over 3.2mph. This was after I did the squat routine that I have been doing all week and now today is Thursday so that means I weigh in tomorrow so I have to workout today, maybe tomorrow will be an off day! I don't expect a huge loss this week but a loss should be there with all of the movement that I have put into the week, remember I did have one bad day last Sunday and I think that its going to hinder the amount of the weigh in tomorrow.

No matter what the scale says in the morning I am stronger than I was last week, I can remember over the summer being at my mother in laws house (she lives on the same lake that I do) and we took the same walk that I took last night and though I made the walk my feet and legs were feeling it bad. I now walk that same 2 miles and it feels like almost nothing, I think its a combination of being lighter and just getting more fit, either way its the right direction and that's what we are going for.

This is a bit grainy but you get the point! the scenery is great where I walk.

I took my walk last night at dusk and snapped a picture of the lake down one of the boat launches so you can see that I have a beautiful place to get in my walks and soon to be runs, maybe that's why I just had to get out last night. I do in some ways miss my walks in a city environment but I think I will appreciate my little country road when I start running (at least at first) until I get over the awkward feeling of beginning running.

My intake for yesterday came in at 1760 calories so a bit above but not so bad either, Have a look at the menu.

03/25/09

Breakfast
7:30 AM
2 cups honey combs 220
1 cup 1% milk 110

10:00 AM
1 dannon yogurt 80

11:45 AM
1 banana 105

Lunch
12:15 PM
2 slices whole wheat bread 140
1 T peanut butter 95
1 T jam 50

3:15 PM
green salad 35
1oz light cheddar cheese 80
2 T Newmans own light honey mustard 70

Dinner
6:45 PM
4.5oz deli turkey breast 115
3 slices whole wheat bread 210
1.25 T miracle whip 45
lettuce/tomato 15
2oz mini pretzels 220

9:15 PM
1 apple 90
1 orange 80

Not too bad of a day intake wise and I did get 2 miles in even though it was suppose to be my off day for exercise, I am over all feeling good lately. We are expecting rain this afternoon so all of my exercise today will be on my bike, I will get in an AM ride for sure and then later this evening a second ride will most likely happen.

I will be happy with any loss this week and my guess will be under a 2 pound loss, I just have a feeling that it will not be a huge drop like it was the last two weeks, for that very reason. Any way its cut one pound or nine, I did all that I could this week and I earned whatever that number is going to be tomorrow. Tune in tomorrow to see the exciting conclusion to this weeks adventures of Fat man and Blobbin! Just don't forget to get yourself that big ol glass of H2O!

As Ever
Me

Making choices...

Making good choices along with being driven to accomplish a specific task is the formula needed to lose weight and it is as simple as that. The other side of that coin has the complete opposite effect where bad choices and unfocused health habits can cause extreme weight gain & the break down of a fit body. I don't know how the conversation came up but last night wify and I were talking about "old times" and how we would eat and my evening trips to Del Taco on the way home from work came up, as I was mentioning to her that I would grab 3 extra cheese burgers and devour them before I got home so that she would not know about them she said "Imagine just how many calories were in that meal" My response was "I don't want to know" but out came our calorie book. I was actually disgusted at the figure she came up with for my average take on a late night run to good ol Del Taco, without getting into the specifics lets just say I was consuming 3300 calories from a single stop on my way home from work almost every night, so 3 times per week on average at 9:30 pm I would stop and grab a big bag of fat ass for myself and willingly stuff it into my piehole.

The idea of eating that way now is so foreign to me that I honestly cannot believe that it was me, but it was. Lets look at me now, I eat an average of 1700 calories daily and can honestly say that I enjoy my food more now than I have in quite some time. I have always been creative with cooking and nine out of ten times that I cook something that someone has not tried before I get asked for the recipe, this has always been the case yet I chose to eat at fast food restaurants and or out of plastic packaged boxes. Last night I tried a little chicken recipe that I read on a forum but I changed it up a bit to fit how I would enjoy it and it was a big hit all the way around with my family. I took boneless skinless chicken breast and pounded it flat, I then mixed a wedge of laughing cow garlic & herb cheese with a bit of spicy mustard and spread it thin over the flattened chicken breast. After the cheese was on the breast I put 1.5oz capicola over the entire thing and I placed thinly sliced green bell peppers at one end of the concoction. Minced garlic and black pepper along with some other spices went on next and then I rolled it up and seam down placed it into a casserole dish, it was baked at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. I served rice with pueblo pepper sauce and light sour cream on it along with some green beans with the chicken rolls and was very pleased with how the whole meal came out, have a look I snapped a picture before I dug in.

This was a pretty good meal if I do say so myself, click it for a larger view.

My total calories for the day came in at 1705 and it was pretty balanced I think, I drank 1 gallon of green tea, about 12oz of coke zero (1 glass) with dinner and maybe 3/4 gallon water so Iwould say I was properly hydrated and I rode my bike for 22 minutes in the morning and took a 1.5 mile walk @3.1 mph roughly as well as my squat routine, so exercise was good for the day as well. Have a look at the menu from Tuesday.

03/24/09

Breakfast
8:30 AM
2oz capicola 100
2 slices whole wheat bread 140
1oz American cheese 110
1 T miracle whip 35

Lunch
12:15 PM
2.5oz ground chicken 105
1oz light cheddar 80
3 taco shells 150
tomato/lettuce/light sour cream 55

3:00 PM
small apple 80

Dinner
6:15 PM
7oz baked chicken breast 350
3/4 cup white rice 150
1 cup green beans 40
1 wedge laughing cow 35
1.5oz capicola 75
Bell peppers 10
light sour cream 20

8:15 PM
1 apple 90
1 orange 80

Tuesday was pretty much a perfect day where this weight loss regimen is concerned, I ate well, I exercised enough and I stayed hydrated. That's all I got for today, remember to stay hydrated and exercise is key, Thank you for following along with this fat dude getting thinner and know that you can do it too as long as you are willing to put in some hard work and take an honest assessment of how you are treating your body, 3300 calories worth of bad Mexican fast food is does not a good diet make. Grab that H2O and keep on keepin on, YOU are the one at the wheel, YOU are the one lifting fork to mouth and YOU are the one that has to make the choice to live healthy.

As Ever
Me

43 minutes, 1710 calories and some C25K.

I had a great day Monday where calories and exercise goes, I did go slightly over on calories having 1710 total but being over by 10 is no worries at all. I rode my bike for 22 minutes in the morning followed by a short routine of punching while holding weights and squats alternating between the two, this is something that I read is suppose to help with endurance and I will hold opinions until I do it for a week or three. Later in the day I rode for another 21 minutes on my bike so 43 minutes total for the day, I have to be happy with that until its warmer and more importantly less windy outside as it has been very windy here lately and with the mid 30's temps makes for unpleasant walking conditions, now that you have an idea of what I did for movement have a look at my menu from Monday.

03/24/09

Breakfast
7:30 AM
2 cups honey combs 220
1 cup 1% milk 110

10:30 AM
23oz watermelon 220

Lunch
12:15 PM
1 lavish bread 100
3oz cucumber 15
3oz tomato 15
1/4 T miracle whip 15
1/2 T Newmans own light honey mustard dressing 20

3:30 PM
1 can Progresso gumbo 210
1/2 oz American cheese 50

Dinner
6:15 PM
4oz ground chicken 170
4 small taco shells 200
1.5oz light cheddar cheese 120
lettuce/tomato/onion/light sour cream 75

8:15 PM
sliced apples 170

1710 Total calories and like I said I call that right where it should be, and the exercise is on par as well. I actually enjoy the exercise lately, its almost like I need it, if I don't get as much into the day or miss a day completely I feel guilty. I for the most part have replaced my urge to eat handfuls of chips or a piece of cake with riding my bike or going for a walk, that's not to say that I don't enjoy those other things now and again but when boredom strikes, or when I start thinking about what I want to do the first thing that comes to mind right now is to take a ride or a walk, not scope out the fridge! That is what they call progress folks.

I am hoping to start the C25K program on April 1st or there about, I figure if I start it on April 1st and can't complete it I can just say that it was an April fools joke and tuck my tail between my legs and call it a day, but then if you read regularly you know that's just not how I get down. I bought a micro SD card for my cell phone which has an mp3 built into it and loaded all of the C25K podcasts onto it so that I don't have to load them into Wifys Ipod. The only issue that I have with the podcasts is that I don't find any of the music on any of them very motivating but hey its the timing ques that I need, I wouldn't run with music normally anyways so I guess I can put up with the drab techno repetitiveness for a couple of weeks if the end result is me running 5k non stop. I may before I am through just make my own podcast with better music but we will have to see how this goes before I invest time into making a better play list, if anyone reading has a lead on some podcasts that have even slightly better music I am all ears and would greatly appreciate links or search terms for said podcasts.

Over all the week has started off well so the plan is to keep the momentum throughout the rest of it and keep the exercise at a level that is going to keep me wanting to get a little further each day. I also think that adding extra bike riding the 2 weeks before I start C25K will help me build up my endurance a bit as well because running IS NOT like riding a stationary bike! Now that I have a start date for C25K penciled in (yes its not in ink just yet) it gives me a bit of time to mentally prepare for the start of something new, I just hope that my body is able to handle the running without injury or pain because at roughly 350 pounds a runners body I have not, and with that I end my ramblings for today. Now that you have made it through the entire post hop on up and grab yourself a glass of H2O and know that I am doing the same.

Thanks for reading.

As Ever
Me

Weekend report and a challenge to myself.

Just when I thought spring was here it was 17 degrees when I woke up! the man in the magic box says that it will be back in the 50's by Wednesday so maybe spring weather is on the way and will stick around later in the week. Sunday I did not follow plan much at all and as much as I want to blame my in laws it was me that lifted the fork to mouth so its squarely on my shoulders. The day started off well enough, I had a capicola sandwich for breakfast around 9:30 am for just about 300 calories, then wify decided that we were heading to a flea market that comes around every year at a drive in movie theater with her mom so off we went. I did score a brand new still in the box hurricane lamp for 3 bucks so the trip was well worth it but then as we were packing up I am sitting in the car and I hear Wifys mom say "Friendly's?" wify looked at me I shrugged and we decided that it was Friendly's restaurant for lunch, this is not really a problem as I had 1400 calories left for the day and the meal that I get when I am there costs me 700 so it would have afforded me 700 calories for the rest of the day. When we were all done the lively waitress asked us what kind of sundaes we would like as all of the meals included one, I caved and got a cone which was not my best decision of the day but hey! I had 700 calories right? (that folks is thinking like a fat person through and through) but what is done cannot be undone and I figure that I will have a light dinner since such a hefty lunch went down, and home we went.

BUT...

Enter my Father in law, I had forgotten that later in the day Wifys pops was stopping by and I had picked up some hot Italian turkey sausages for the grill so I figured I would be going over my calories for the day and that I did. I had 2 of these sausages on light hot dog rolls with some spicy mustard, not so bad but then I found myself grabbing another one about 20 minutes later just kind of randomly as we were sitting around talking so 3 total! yep, not only was I thinking like a fat person (earlier) now I was acting like one! wify made corn with this meal (which I had none of) and her pops brought this roll of, um I am unsure what it was BUT it was good! it was some sort of pasta alternative that was made with corn meal and spices which was grilled along with the sausages and topped with caper, olive and hot pepper sauce, I had 2 servings of it and man was it good! 70 calories per serving so not too bad but remember the 3 sausages and rolls that I had so all together, well, not so good either.

This weekend the only exercise I got was some yard work on Friday (about an hour and a half of raking etc) Saturday we did our bulk grocery shopping so walking around shopping for 4+ hours (which is not exercise but it was movement so I will mention it) and then Sunday we walked around that huge flea market for a couple of hours and while grilling the sausages I shot some hoops with my son and wifys step father for about 20 minutes but nothing that I would call exercise this weekend was had. This means a few things to me, it first means that I let some old habits peek in on me over the weekend and for that my body shall be punished this week where exercise plays a part. I will ride my bike twice per day for no less than two 20 minute rides per day for 5 days. I will walk 1.5 to 2 miles once per day on every day that weather permits a walk (I have to bring my daughter in her stroller so too cold means no walkie) and I will strength train (with dumb bells, its all I got right now) every day, each day a different body part until Friday, and I will do one of wifys yoga routines 3 times before Friday. To some that sounds like a normal week of working out, to others it sounds like a week of hell, I fall somewhere in between that spectrum and this will be a challenge for me to complete all of that this week but its what I am going to do to make up for my lack of exercise Sunday and the binge, yes we will call it a binge .

Lessons learned this weekend, when someone says "friendly's?" with a big smile on their face, its not always the best idea to agree. Lesson two, just because the vibe in the room is all loosey goosey chit chat flying around and there is a plate of hot Italian sausages on the table does NOT mean you get to eat 3 of them when you weigh 350 pounds just because you are not paying attention. Lesson three, eat too much and do not work out all weekend means that its time to pay up over the next week with lots of hard work and exercise. Honestly, that last part I am fine with because is it really that wrong to when you eat a bit off track to up the intensity or amount of exercise that gets done that week to make up for the extra calories? see I thought you would agree.

Don't forget that H2O and tune in tomorrow to find out just how much exercise I got into today! I am off to start in on my first ride and possibly some yoga, and in the infamous words of Porky pig, Thats all folks!

As Ever
Me

The Lavish life, Salmon & fauxtatoes, pictures inside!

Today I ate like a king, well I am not sure how a king eats but it was a very good day with very good very healthy meals and I found a new item to add to my body fueling arsenal. Today was our "bulk shopping day" and that usually means that we get a nice piece of fresh fish for dinner, today was no different. Let me start with breakfast first as this will be a meal related post, I woke up late and had a bowl of corn chex cereal with 1% milk, bamn! the breakfast portion of this post has concluded, like a king you say? Ok, that was around 9am and we set out to get our shopping done and 1:00 pm came around and we had still not eaten lunch, yes yes, I know that's not a good idea! AND you said you ate like a king Mister Meatball! welp wify had bought some "honey wheat pretzels" so I grabbed a few 7 or 8 of em and it stopped the grumbling from the gut region, "hey now you said Very good, very healthy meals!?" yes yes we are getting there, while in the market I picked out a couple cucumbers and some nice ripe tomatoes and off to find some pita bread I went, while looking around I see something that says "Joseph's flax oat bran and whole wheat flower lavish bread" on it, 100 calories per whole piece and 3g of fiber to boot so into the cart it went. After getting home it was time to get a proper meal type food into my stomach and earlier in the day I remembered that someone on a forum mentioned cucumber sandwiches but made on wheat pita bread.

Here is where the good food comes into play and its such a simple little wrap for so little calories that I have to say that I wish I had come across the idea sooner! I skinned a whole cucumber and sliced it up diagonally with one of the tomatoes and that's pretty much all that goes into these besides the dressing, salt and pepper. I spread a tiny amount of Newmans own light honey mustard dressing across one end of the lavish bread and laid the cucumbers and tomato on top of it, then added salt and pepper rolled the veggies once into the bread. I added a tiny smear of Miracle whip between that and the end of the bread, rolled it all the way up and ate my new favorite lunch item. Each wrap was roughly 150 calories and that was counting high! two was more than filling and I have to admit that I ate too much and one would really have been enough but like I said they were awesomeness wrapped in lavish bread. 1 whole cucumber and maybe 2/3 of a medium tomato was used to make 3 wraps, wify really liked them as well and we will be making them again for sure, now onto dinner.

Dinner as I mentioned was fresh fish, we had grilled salmon fillets with mashed cauliflower and green beans and to say that I enjoyed this meal does not begin to say how good it was. I bought 1.5 pounds of fresh Atlantic salmon fillets and decided to cook it out on the grill, and the only prep was a light garlic rub, some black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and onto the grill they went, here is a look at them as they cooked to a perfect 135 degrees.

This is a shot as I turned them over after the non skinned side cooked for about 5 minutes.

and right as they were done and brought inside.

The mashed cauliflower was absolutely amazing and it was also a very simple recipe that I sort of just winged and made up as I went using my mashed potato recipe. I boiled 2.5 pounds of fresh cauliflower for about 7 minutes until it was soft but not falling apart, drained it and dumped it back into the pot where I mashed it up with a mixer after mixing in about a tablespoon of minced garlic, 1.5 tablespoons of Smart balance spread, less than 1/4 cup of 1% milk and some black pepper. Once that was as mixed as it was going to get I put about 2/3 of that into a food processor and blended it into a smooth mix and poured it back into the still lumpy mixed portion so that there would be some texture to it, fold in a bit of Parmesan cheese and into a casserole dish it goes. I then shook a bit of parm cheese over the top of the whole thing and into a 400 degree oven it went for about 7 minutes, I then stuck it under the broiler for a minute or two to brown the top and that's it! the fauxtatoes were done! Here is a look at my plate seconds before I dug in and cleaned my entire plate.

8oz grilled salmon steak, 1 cup green beans, slightly more than a cup of mashed fauxtatoes ala cauliflower, about 600 calories and quite filling.

If this had been served to me in a restaurant I would have given the chef my compliments, it was honestly that good! so as a king I was fed today as far as I am concerned and a couple more high quality low calorie options get added to my eating arsenal. That will conclude another post and I hope you got your H2O in today! I have had a gallon of green tea and about a quart of water so far myself and will have about another 1/2 gallon of water before I retire for the evening, keep on keepin on and remember there ARE options to fatty high calorie foods out there that will allow us to eat heartily and until we are full. Thanks for following along and check in tomorrow for the next episode of as the fat guy turns.

As Ever
Me

Weigh in! 13 more pounds until 200 pounds lost!

Hard work is paying off on the scale, who wouldda thunk? I again this week have stayed within plan almost 100%, I say almost because of the St. Pattys dinner but even that was only slightly off the beaten path, but its paid off again with another good weigh in. I woke up feeling good about this week because of all of the exercise that I have done and I stepped on the scale to see a 347.4 lb flash across at me, which was followed by another and that makes for a four pound loss this week. It is actually a 3.8 pound loss but hey! we will call it four because ships have not sailed since Wednesday night. My total weight loss to date is 187 pounds which means I am a mere 13 pounds away from dropping 200 total pounds and that is mind blowing to me. I can remember a conversation that I had with a friend of mine about 2 years ago when I moved back to CT where he said that his father had a weight loss surgery and lost 100 pounds and that number was absolutely amazing to me and still is! but I thought about how hard and how long a number like that would take to reach and it was daunting, here I am 13 pounds away from losing double that, Man am I glad I woke up and started losing the weight. Here is a photo of my scale this morning and some things that weigh as much as me as well as much as I have lost.

My feets and a 347 pound weigh in, I know I know thems is some beautiful dogs...for a Flintstone!

This 1986 Suzuki RG400 weighs in at 347 pounds like yours truly.

Jana Linke Sippi weighs 187 pounds which is how much I have lost so far, imagine carrying her around on your back all day!

If you couldn't tell I am very happy with my 4 pound loss this week, I have earned it! I plan on sticking to this program of riding plus walking every day as it seems to be doing the trick, I have had a good couple of weeks where losing pounds goes and well, I like it! My calories yesterday came in at 1700 and I drank more than 2 gallons of fluid, with one gallon being green tea and the rest water. Weather stopped me from getting a walk in but I did ride my bike so I am happy with that and today looks nicer out if not a bit colder so I may try and squeeze a walk into my afternoon.

Just like the way that I felt back a couple years ago listening to my friend tell me about his fathers weight loss I know that someone is reading this and thinking about how long or how hard it will be to do the same thing BUT it won't happen until a decision to do something about it is made. Even the longest journey starts with a single step and that's all that can be asked of anyone, but if that first step is not taken, chained to a disability we remain. Just do it, grab that tea or water and drink it down, hop on that bike and go for a ride or open your front door and take a walk, it really is that simple as far as exercise and the food is easy once the addiction part goes away.

Thats all I got for now, grab yourself a glass or 4 of H2O and make sure to get some movement in today. Thank you for the support that you leave me in my comments, it helps more than you know.

As Ever
Me

Run fatty run! oh my!

I had a great day yesterday in terms of this weight loss program, I decided that I was going to get extra movement into my day because of a heavy St Pattys day meal and that I did! I first rode my stationary bike for 23 minutes in the am followed by a walk with my daughter, we walked 1.3 miles in 22 minutes (me pushing her in a stroller) and back home for lunch. I did well with my calories for the day as well, I ended at 1695 total for the day and more than a gallon and a half of fluid including more than a gallon of green tea. My plan was to walk twice and ride the bike twice so while we ate dinner I asked wify if she would like to go on a walk after dinner, she agreed and off we went.

If you read this blog regular like you know that I am planning on starting C25K very soon (as soon as the weather stabilizes a bit) I have to do the C25K program outside so I want to make sure that I have the best chance of an uninterrupted program as possible but I have been getting anxious to start so last nights walk turned into a sneak peek at whats in store for me. If you are not familiar with the C25K program it is a running program designed to get anyone running a 5k in 9 weeks time and every person that I have talked to that has tried it loves it so I figure its a good place to start.

Week one starts with a Brisk five-minute warm up walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes, well I got ambitious and after the 5 minute warm up walk I ran for the first 60 seconds and was pleasantly surprised that even with my 350 pound boyish figure I managed that trot with no ill effect. I was thinking about how easy that first 60 seconds was and decided to do a few more and ended up running for four 60 second intervals with the 90 second walks between them and by the end of my "test run" I had completed 15 of the 20 minute program and was not really feeling too bad, besides the small cramp in my ribs because I had eaten just 20 minutes before we set out on the walk. I was starting to get winded near the end and since I was cramping in my rib and had made it back to the same spot where wify was walking I decided to stop it there since it was really not something that I had planned to do, but as I said I was pleasantly surprised at how the "trial run" went which means that I am more anxious to start the program than ever.

Then it was time to get home to ride the bike a second time, as I walked up the driveway I stopped at the rear of our car and said "pop the trunk" so that I could slip the stroller back into the car and wify looked at me with a half of a grin and said "I didn't bring keys" so I said "yeah right pop the trunk" a short argument discussion followed and now I have to break into my own house! neither of us had brought keys with us on the walk, we both thought the other had them (I will not get into that too much) so we spend the next 30 minutes attempting a B&E on my own place. After successfully breaking in (with the help of wifys step dad who lives on the lake and a few screw drivers ) I fixed the "security flaws" that allowed me to get in, which just means I had better not forget keys again or else I will be kicking in a door! but it was too late for the bike ride as the kiddos needed to get to bed and my bike is next to my sons room, no worries there is always today!

The highlight of my day was the C25K preview and the low point, well the B&E of course but over all it was a positive day and I look forward to tomorrow to see how my hard work is paying off on the scale. Until then stay hydrated and grab yourself a big glass of H2O and I will be back tomorrow in the am to report what the scale says to me.

As Ever
Me

Going to burn lotsa calories today..

Just chugging along and bamn! invited to an Irish dinner of corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots and garlic bread not to mention the green cake and pints of Guinness last night. I saved myself 985 calories for the day because I knew that I was going to be eating that meal but I know that I managed to go over because just the food without the cake or pints came to 815 calories, the Guinness was 150 calories each so now we're up to 1115 calories and then add the slice of cake and I am probably over by about 400 or so calories for the day total. Because of getting home later than normal I did not get a chance to ride my bike either, so today I ride twice because I need to keep this momentum and having one meal that went over what it should have and drinking a few pints is not going to stop me, in fact it is suppose to be a gawjus day here in New England so I am planning on taking a ride on my bike this morning and then this afternoon I will take my wee lassie out for a walk around the lake, any way its cut I am getting extra movement into today.


Rather than sit here posting up a long post this morning I want to get this movement show on the road, here is the plan. After I click publish post I am going to finish my first glass (1/2 gallon) of Green tea and get dressed and hop on my bike for a 20 minute ride, after I stretch its out the door for a walk, I have a just about 2 mile route mapped out and I think that's the one I will do today. Then back inside for a few so that the little one can catch a few cartoons while I shower and do some house work and when wify gets home from work, I will attempt to coax her out for another walk around the lake after dinner and at 7:30 tonight I will take my regularly scheduled bike ride for another 20 minutes, and all of that just because I feel guilty for having 2 pints and some green cake!

With that said I'm off to get moving.

As Ever
Me

Day something and some quinoa.

This morning I am feeling good about what I am doing, I seem to have re-focused on losing some more weight and am thinking that I can still hit that 300 pound mark by the end of June if I continue to do what I am doing. Though I think that I will need to be on point the whole time it is not an impossible task in my eyes and is what I will be shooting for. Starting the C25K program is something that I am looking forward to starting soon, I mentioned in an earlier post that I wanted to try and make sure weather could not interfere with it once I start it so for now I am gathering info and downloading pod casts etc and am going to look to start sometime in the beginning of April with any luck.

I haven't posted my menus for a while so I thought that I would pop yesterdays up here, though admittedly its not the best menu in the world, meaning light on the fruits and veggies which is not the norm, I came in at 1705 calories for the day and at the recommendation of Dana (a fellow blogger) I made some Quinoa which was actually very good and will be added to my dietary battery from here on out, it is high in nutrients, amino acids and has pretty good protein to boot. I drank 1 gallon of green tea along with 3/4 gallon if water along with this menu, have a look.

03/16/09

Breakfast
8:45 AM
2 slices wholewheat bread 140
1 T peanutbutter 95
1 T jam 50

Lunch
1:00 PM
2 slices whole wheat bread 140
2.5 oz capicola 165
1/2 oz American cheese 55
1 T miracle whip 35
tomato/dill pickle 30

2:45 PM
2 dannon yogurts 160

Dinner
6:30 PM
8.5oz grilled chicken breast 425
1 cup quinoa 260
1 cup peas 140

8:15 PM
5oz raw cauliflower 10

Not real bad but not a great menu either and only because of the lack of ruffage, I did get my bike ride into the day, two rides actually! I did a 15 minute ride early in the day and than around 8pm another 23 minute ride, I am feeling good again and full steam ahead with this weight loss thang. Something else that I am keeping close is the fact that I am only 17 pounds away (as of Friday) from having lost 200 pounds, 200 pounds? that number was unfathomable to me when I started this and here I am 15 short months later and just about there, anyone that is reading this that has not started on a weight loss plan but wants to, think about that, if 15 months ago I said to myself "this is too hard it will never work" or "I won't be able to do this, I just have too much weight to lose" I would still be a quarter ton fella. You CAN do it, all you have to do is stay strong, stay determined and keep in mind that a little discipline goes a long way.

If you are reading this blog for the first time and are considering starting a weight loss plan, stop considering and start right now, not tomorrow or next week, right now. Put whatever you already ate today behind you and start making good choices now and don't forget that big ol glass of H2O that you earned for making it through this post.

As Ever
Me

Lazy is a state of mind not the size of a body.

Being lazy is not an attribute that belongs only to fat people, in my opinion its not something that is part of being overweight by default like many people think either. In my high school year book like in many high school year books there is a section for the most flirtatious, most helpful and most likely to succeed and the likes and in my year book some thoughtful person thought that putting most lazy person was a good idea and yep you guessed it, I got high honor. As one of if not the biggest or should I say "fattest" guys in my graduating class of course I must be lazy right? and the girl that was awarded this grandest of titles? yep you guessed it, the fat girl of the class so apparently whoever the person was in charge of knighting our class with these titles thought "Hmmmm fat dude, yep must be Tony! and now who's that fattest girl in the class? there we go most lazy" Surely the kid that was working on cars all day as well in all of his spare time and then going home to lift weights for more than an hour per day 5-6 days per week not to mention the camping trips with the boy scouts two weekends per month and hiking all over the woods on these weekend trips must be lazy right? I will admit to not being the star athlete which my boyish figure stated loudly and clearly but most lazy? It was obvious to me that someone that did not know me well thought that one up based purely on my rotundness.

Today as I write this I weigh 351 pounds, I wonder how many people look at me walking down the street or through a department store and think "if only that guy wasn't so damn lazy he might not be so big" or probably closer to "fat lazy F...." I think it is a big misconception that all fat people are lazy, I think lazy comes in all flavors of the rainbow and my son come homework time or when its time to clean his room is proof of that! The lack of movement from many larger folks does not come from being lazy, it comes from the pain that dwells inside every stair that leads up, or to every step forward on a walk and then when an incline appears on the horizon the feeling that goes through that persons body so it is easier to just either make up an excuse or just plain old stop and that is not laziness, its pain, its humiliation, and its the inability to continue without risking injury or a day in bed recovering. Dramatic you say? well I can speak from experience when I say these things and it is close enough in my life that I can remember clearly the way it felt.

Ask my wife if I am lazy and you might get a mixed answer as the clean dishes sit in the strainer all day without getting put away, or I put off vacuuming the rug in the living room just long enough to get her eyes rolling but at the same time I am riding my bike 25 minutes per day and walking almost every night all after chasing a three year old around ALL day, and I don't think a lazy person would work out in the yard for 4 hours raking 2 years worth of leaves off of the ground (yes the previous owner of this house was a slob) and tearing up old shrubs etc and then hauling them all 75 yards up hill to dump them out in the compost heap out in the woods. My point is that just because someone is over weight does not mean that they are lazy, it could mean that the person could be eating incorrectly and or way too much, but lazy is not always the case, blanket statements are most times foolish.

I mentioned 4 hours of yard work and thats how I spent my Sunday, yep New England is finally warming up and I plan on taking full advantage of all of the space that we have around the house and getting some exercise all while making the place look better. I did go over on my calories yesterday but not by too much, I had about 700 calories left for dinner and we had BBQ Chicken breast on the grill with green beans and rice on the side, I had 1 cup of green beans and 3/4 cups of rice and one whole bone in chicken breast which I did not weigh followed by a weight watchers ice cream sandwich a bit later, I think that brought me over but not by much so I am not too worried about it. I did not ride my bike yesterday because of all of the yard work, I figured 4 hours of walking up and down the steep hill in my yard was enough to call that my exercise for the day and I do know that I did not get in as much fluid as I normally do but it was at least a gallon of water and maybe 20oz or so of green tea along with a diet mountain dew while in the yard, so all in all not too shabby of a day barring that mountain dew.

There it is, a long post for your reading pleasure, I am off to go on a walk so I will end it there, don't forget that H2O that you just earned and don't forget to tune in tomorrow kids, same bat time same bat channel to see what Fat man and Blobbin get themselves into next!

As Ever
Me

Big n' Fat...

Friday night I came to a realization while walking my sister in laws dog, there is no way I can run in jeans! this is no real secret, I don't think there are people running very far in their jeans on a regular basis but its not really something that I had put a lot of thought into and as you know if you are a regular reader I am planning on running a 5k race this year so I think its time to start thinking about buying something that I will be able to run in. Now how I came to the realization, My wife and I were out on a walk about and she says "Lets go run for 90 seconds" so I start running up the road and about 30 seconds into the running my jeans started falling, so now I am with leash in hand and a 140 pound dog dragging me attempting to pull my slipping ever more downward jeans up and I thought "wow I am going to have to go shopping" so I stopped running and walked the rest of my walk at the regular pace anticipating the trip to Casual male to buy some $35.00 per pair running shorts in the near future.

Lets talk about the little things that people take for granted for just a second, Buying clothing at a store that is not specifically for people of a large stature isn't something that I know a lot about. Usually buying clothing for myself means a trip to good ol Casual male and being limited to the selection in the store or risk that it doesn't fit correctly and order out of their catalog, no all clothing is not created equal! with big sizes you can get 2 shirts, same manufacturer, same size and have them fit completely differently and to this day I don't understand that phenomenon. So this morning wify and I decide its a run around and get some things done kind of day so off we went and I said to her that I needed to stop at "Big n' Fat" which is what we call the big man clothing store, so with a nod off we went driving around running errands. We get to Marshalls and she says she needs a few things and wants to look around, she then says "I bet you can find some stuff that fits in here" to which I of course say "No way" but I am thinking "are you out of your mind woman?!" so she says "lets make a bet, and if I win I can spend $50.00 on anything that I want to and you can't complain at all" to which I say meh and we head into the store.

Upon reaching the back of the store I see that they have some bigger sizes but usually, and all of you big guys out there will know this, the clothing is cut smaller in these types of stores, meaning that a 5xl is actually around a 3xl that is bought in Casual male. I start looking around and see some basketball style shorts, "Adidas performance moisture wicking" and low and behold they are my size! my new size anyways which I am not yet accustomed to, so I snatch them up to look at the price and bamn! $10.00! Ten bucks for a pair of shorts? what Bizarro world have I stepped into here exactly? and then my wife says "how about these?" and holds up a pair of Nike "Dri fit running shorts" IN MY SIZE! again I think "whats going on here?" and snatch them up $12.00 says the price tag so into the cart they go and off to my right is a clearance rack where I see yet another pair of running shorts which are my size and the price tag says $3.00, three bucks? are you kidding? so after a quick once over to see why they are only three clams and finding no defects they get added to my pile and I am in awe. $25.00 and I have not one but Three! pairs of shorts to run/exercise in and not from "Big n' Fat" but a normal people store.

Imagine that, a whole post because I found some clothing that fits, and fits well for a fair price and in a regular size people store to boot. These are just some of the things that being a fat dude brings, this is how do they say? a Non scale victory! I can't believe that $25.00 got me 3 pairs of workout shorts and now I have a few extra dollars in my pocket for something else because I did not have to shop at the only game in town AKA "Big n' Fat" and pay the inflated prices because of it. The beginning of normalcy has come, every day that I stick to my plan is one day closer to my goal of weighing 265 pounds, is one day stronger than I was yesterday and is one day further into a lifestyle of living healthy without having to struggle to do so.

A simple day of shopping to some is something foreign to others, I guess I will have to get use to it.

As Ever
Me

183 total pounds lost! weigh in time has come.

This morning I woke up and right to the scale I went because I had a good feeling that I would come in below my all time low of 352 pounds and I did! I dropped four pounds this week which brings me down to 351 pounds and that will make today the lightest I have been in a very long time, I have lost a total of 183 pounds to date and it feels good to be moving in a positive direction and actually being lighter week by week again, This weeks weigh in is proof positive that you get what you put into a weight loss program.

I worked hard this week to stay within my calorie limits and to make sure that I was exercising every day and the results were very much earned this week. Now here is a recap, I ate no more than 1700 calories every day but one where I came in slightly higher than that but only by 20 or so if I remember right. Then there is the exercise, I rode my bike 7 of the last 8 days and have been walking a lot, maybe 5 of the last 8 days I got in an almost 2 mile walk and have to admit that I feel great for my efforts, it is very true that exercise makes us feel good. When I exercise I actually crave the movement, I feel like I am cheating myself out of a treat when I miss my exercise for the day. I have replaced cakes, doritos or a cheeseburger as a treat with the way that I feel after a good hard ride on the bike or a fast paced walk or even both! Imagine that, actually craving the exercise, replacing those bad habits with good ones, and its not as hard as you may think. I have not posted up my compare shots lately because I had not broken past the 352 barrier but this week I did so here are some pics for your viewing pleasure.

This Kawasaki Ultra 130 jet ski comes in at 351 pounds like yours truly.

This little scooter comes in at 183 pounds which is what I have lost so far, imagine carrying this around on your back all day!

Now to keep the momentum through this week as well and hit those 340's for next Friday will be my goal for the next weigh in day. Yesterdays numbers came in at 1635 total calories and I rode my bike for 20 minutes after a late night walk and felt good for doing so. IF you are not convinced yet that all that is needed for weight loss to occur is a little self control, a sprinkle of hard work and some discipline shaken not stirred together, pull up a chair and watch, I will prove it to you.

Get that fluid down the hatch and that movement MUST happen! Trust me, once it is a habit you will no longer think of it as anything but what you WANT to do, It will not be sugary treats or greasy burgers that consume your thoughts, you will instead crave a rapid heart rate and beading sweat, the burn that comes with a good workout will be the "treat" that drives your every second of the day and before you know it healthy living will happen right before your eyes, astounded and impressed with yourself victory will be yours.

As Ever
Me

Baggy clothes and weighing in..its all a matter of time.

Tomorrow is a big weigh in for me because I have worked hard his week to stay strict and I have gotten my exercise into 6 of the last 7 days in an attempt to try and come in under 350 pounds tomorrow. I do not think that I will come in that low but I am expecting a good number for the morning either way. My intake has been right where it should be hovering right around 1700 total calories per day, I am back in the game where being focused goes. Sometimes we have to look at whats happening and no matter what the stress level, no matter what else is going on we have to stay on track with some things in our lives not because we should but because we have to. If I take this weight loss as anything but a serious problem I am letting myself and my family down and thats just how I feel about it, 14 months ago I was actually afraid that I was going to have a life changing or ending problem related to the shape I was in physically and now I feel like I have given myself a chance. Bringing things back into focus has been a great thing for my mood and I do not think that is a coincidence, knowing that you are doing it right can have that effect.

I do have to admit though that I am in that "awkward" stage of weight loss, what I mean is that I have lost 180ish pounds (exact number TBA tomorrow) and well that changes the way a fella looks and in the colder months its easy to hide inside a hoodie. Spring is coming and that means walking around in tee shirts, though I think I look better and I definitely feel better I do have some skin thats looser than it should be and a lot of my clothing is not the right size. and fits a bit odd even if it is the right size, I am wearing mostly 4xl shirts and I now fit a 3XLT so there is a pretty noticeable difference in how they look from size to size and right now its ok because I toss on my hoodie and bamn! it looks ok, but when its warm out? and then there are my jeans, I do not know what size I truly am right now because I haven't bought new jeans in a long while. I am currently wearing mostly size 50 jeans with my size 58 belt all cinched up and full of new holes that I have poked so that I can keep using it on them when in reality I have a couple pairs of size 46 jeans that fit comfy to loose, I believe that I would fit a 44 waist right now but don't want to waste the money on clothing that will only last a couple months but then again I think it may be time for at least a few additions to my wardrobe. Don't take this in any other way than its something that I have been thinking about because I would rather have these problems than what comes with being 534 pounds, but none the less its something that makes me uncomfortable.

Tomorrow will show me how hard I have been working this week and I am anticipating a decent weigh in, I did peek at the scale so I have an idea of where I will end up. The clothing thing will work itself out because I have no other choice but to accept that there is an awkward stage to this weight loss thang not unlike when you go between haircuts or the mid stage of growing a beard where it just looks a little odd sometimes but the end product is worth that awkward middle section so all I can do is ride it out.

Intake for yesterday was 1680 total calories and I rode the bike for 24 minutes, I got in 1 gallon of green tea, 1/2 gallon water and some diet coke with my Subway that I had for dinner so I was well hydrated. Over all everything is back to what it should be and the weight seems to be retreating again and that is after all the point so I am happy. Now if you read regularly you know its time for you to down that glass of H2O that was earned for reading this far into my morning ramblings so get to it! in fact I will join ya this morning as I have had nothing to drink yet. Don't forget to check in on my tomorrow for the weigh in I have a feeling its gonna be a good one! and thanks for all of the support and comments, I enjoy reading them and they are always appreciated.

As Ever
Me

Here I come...

Motivation can come from many places, it can come from an image in a mirror or maybe it can come from wanting to impress a pretty girl, wanting to beat an old record time running a 5k race or perhaps its that way you feel when you add one more rep to a weight lifting routine, and then sometimes its as easy as having the right music playing.

The image in the mirror is working for me right now because I am starting to see Me looking back again instead of that other guy, you know the 500 pound fella! Impressing a pretty girl? yes I try to do that too BUT I am married to her so I have home field advantage there and I know that she loves me so I don't have to work so hard at it though I hope (and I think) that I still impress her, beating an old record for a 5k? yes indeed, BUT I just want to be able to run that 5k and that is driving me currently. Adding one more rep was HUGE for me when I was lifting weights so I look forward to getting that one back soon. Now lets talk about music for a minute, with me music can make me work harder and I would bet a lot of you are the same way and it is the easiest way to get/stay motivated sometimes, what kind of music gets a person motivated I would think has a little to do with what they like but more so I think that the beat or cadence means a lot as well, here are some examples of songs that get me moving and keeps me moving, no laughing at the Cristina Aguilera entry!

Prince "When doves cry"
Christina Aguilera "Ain't no other man"
The Roots "Here I come"
Ludacris "Move Bitch"
NWA "Express yourself"
Elvis Crespo "Sauvemente"
House of Pain "Jump around"
Sepultura "Bloody Roots"
Black Train Jack "Guy like me"
Run DMC "Tricky"
Control Machete "Instancias"
Drop Kick Murphys "I'm shipping off to Boston"
Limp Bizkit "Nookie"

That list is just off of the top of my head, actually its a CD that I burned yesterday when I was looking for some music to listen to while I ride my bike but all of those songs though totally different genres ALL make me want to move or keep moving so they make the cut. It is easy to trick ones self into movement with music, for me Salsa makes me move whether I want to or not, nothing like a 350 pound guy shakin his ass to get every eye in the room looking in that direction but hey! Music has this control over some of us that we just cannot control so as a motivator its great! I think back to my early 20's and going to Hardcore shows in New Haven and NYC and the wave of people ungulating almost as a single organism as bodys slammed into one another in the pit simply because the music drove everyone to do so.

If the music doesn't or cannot keep me motivated, all I have to do is play with my little girl, being able to snatch her up and run around playing without feeling as if I am going to die in the middle of it all is priceless. Now mix the two? I can quite literally just go nuts playing and dancing with her for hours while we let the playlist scroll through and not only did she get to play with dad but I got to move and that folks is what they call a win win.

This post went a little longer than I thought it would and I haven't even mentioned my intake or movement for yesterday! I ended up at 1695 total calories and rode my bike for 22 minutes, almost 2 gallons of fluid went in consisting of 1 gallon of green tea and 3/4 of a gallon plain water and I am finding that if I ride the bike in the early evening like between 7:00 and 8:00 pm that the ride is faster and my heart rate is higher when I am done, I just plain work harder at night and I don't know why, more testing shall be had because I enjoy the ride earlier but if I am doing more at night it may make sense to shoot for later rides.

With that said I am off to get a ride in because I have some plans for later that may not afford me the time this evening to fit it in. don't forget that H2O and I am predicting a good week this week for my weigh in and maybe a challenge for Friday as well. Keep on keepin on and all that and remember kids, YOU are the only one holding yourself back..

As Ever
Me

Look! its a bird, its a plane! its a baby carrot??

Today is off to a good start, and I plan on making it a good finish as well. I have my food planned out for the entire day and am going to ride my bike when I get through with this post as I feel that I am on a roll again. Just settling back into the new way that I am doing things again is making me feel like I did back 6 months ago when I was just plowing through this weight and I have a feeling the next couple of months will be interesting.

I have to mention the lunch that I just made for myself because it was too good to not mention it. I made a sandwich with 2.5 oz of capicola, a couple slices of turkey bacon, some American cheese, lettuce tomato and black pepper with a dill pickle on the side, This sammie tasted so good, I'm tellin ya I will be making this again. I thought about how once upon a time that sandwich might have been two and with 5oz of capicola on each sandwich and a couple of table spoons of mayonnaise with a side of, oh I don't know maybe a half a bag of Doritos or something and how the flavor would have been drown in mayo and salt. Now the flavor of the tomato and cheese mixed with the hotness of the capicola and then the garlic in the dill pickle is what made it taste so good, when our pallets are not over run with strong offensive flavors the good stuff shines and all for the price of some good solid calories, nothing empty here.

The amazing thing about good habits is that they are just as easy to keep around as the bad ones once you get use to them being there, Don't believe me? try it out for yourself and I am sure that you will find yourself reaching into the fridge looking for a fruit or veggie instead of that piece of cake that you would normally have. When you get to the point that you say things like "Hey those baby carrots are really sweet!" and said baby carrots actually take care of the sweet tooth effect you know that you are getting somewhere. Perhaps its green peppers that you feel are sweet or you find yourself grabbing a head of cauliflower to munch on while you ride around around on a Saturday taking care of errands instead of a bag of chips, and these habits get into our childrens heads as well. My kids LOVE their veggies and I grin every time we walk through the supermarket and they ask for apples, broccoli, cauliflower, and get this one, Brussel sprouts! hopefully this behavior that they are seeing out of me and wify will mean that they will not have to deal with bad habits of their own where eating and nutrition are concerned as they grow up.

In the last 14 months I have learned a lot about myself and about eating correctly, living healthy and exercising regularly to maintain, well in my case get to a lifestyle that will support a long happy life. Anyone that is out there contemplating whether or not to start and or maintain a weight loss program and is having a rough time getting started, from one fat guy (or gal) to another, You owe it to yourself to put as much energy that is needed into a weight loss program right now! not in a week, or on the first, or on your next birthday, do it now! when you eat baby carrots and taste the sweetness and it is actually sweet to you and not just bleh you can come thank me for the push but until then start, start walking, start eating less or even just adjusting to better foods! whatever it is just do it now, not because I say so but because I wish someone had put it as plainly as I just have to me years ago.

As Ever
Me

Update mini post # 5 Uh huh thats right..

Today I came in at 1750 calories so just 50 higher than it should have been but the extra calories were from banana and an apple so I am not too worried about it, I got 25 minutes in on my bike and a gallon of tea as well as a half gallon water went down the hatch, not a bad day at all.

Short post

Just an update

Nothing more to see here move along ma'am..

As Ever
Me

Just do it! or shut up...

Every day that goes by I am learning that I waited way too long to do something about this weight problem that I have had for so many years. Every time that I walk and my back doesn't burn with pain, every time that I run and then half way through my stride realize "Hey I am running" I get this little smile that I can't do anything about and get a feeling of accomplishment. Just think, because my back doesn't hurt, or because I am running and not worrying about shattering my ankles is enough to bring a smile to my face, these are things that someone that has not been over weight takes for granted and should! Dropping this weight has made me appreciate small things that most people would never think could be taken away simply by gaining weight.

Imagine waking up multiple times per night because of discomfort or limbs falling asleep and tingling you awake, or having to sleep with a bottle of Tums next to the bed because of the heart burn that comes almost every night, all because of weight. Then there are the simple things like just being able to walk around the block with your son or daughter when they get a new bike and having to say things like "Daddy will be right here on the porch when you get back, Mommy will take you" or never going to a movie because the seats are just too uncomfortable, yeah that's just part of the daily life of a 500 pound guy.

I get emails sometimes and a lot of times they say things like, "How do I start? how did you just start the way that you did?" "How do I just stop eating enough for 3 people and start exercising?" "I am 500 pounds its hard to just do those things!" "but I am always hungry" and to those things I can only say what has worked for me, just do it, just make the decision and start eating less, start moving more and the hunger will go away on its own, I have said it before and I will say it again, aside from an athlete that burns through thousands of calories in a day working out no one NEEDS a 2500 calorie breakfast! no one NEEDS to feel stuffed after EVERY meal, no one. "but I can only make it 10 minutes before my knees start hurting" then do it for 10 minutes and work your way up its what I did. "But I don't like the way *insert excuse food here* tastes" You will! when your body adjusts to eating things that are good for you instead of 3/4 pound burgers with melted cheese and bacon on them you will, in fact I despised wheat bread and stated so back on Day 10 of this blog and here I am the fella that won't eat anything but whole wheat bread now!

I was that guy that could not walk for more than 10 minutes and now I can walk 3 miles without batting a lash, I was that guy that woke up multiple times per night with discomfort of one kind or the next and now sleeps through the night contrary to popular belief unlike a baby! I was that guy that thought about how hard it was to eat correctly and moderately when the drive through window was so easy and accessible and I was that guy eating thousands of calories per day for no reason more than the love of the taste of it, I AM the guy that changed his entire life by eating better and moving more. That other guy is gone, if I have something to say about it, and I do, he will never be back.

That will end another bone chilling episode of as the fat guy turns kids and now you know that Nike was right, Just do it! You have also just earned a big ol glass of H2O for reading this post! and its time for me to get a ride in on the good ol stationary bike as we have a mixture of snow and rain coming down right now as I type there will not likely be a walk today. I will resume the mini update posts tonight so look out for that.

Carry on...

As Ever
Me