And We're Off!

Weigh In: 282.5
Five Day Average: 281.1

Well, it kind of sucked, but I had to rename the blog to a higher number. I made the mistake last week of getting too excited about losing the "100", so I jumped the gun and renamed the blog after one day's weigh-in instead of waiting to claim it with my five day average. I think the weight loss Gods weren't pleased, and punished me for that this weekend.

If anything, I'm going the wrong way. My last five weigh-ins were 283, 279, 279.5, 281.5, 282.5.

So, as frustrating as it is, I've probably talked about this 50 times in the past 7 months. Just suck it up, drink water, eat right, workout, and live strong. So, that's what I'll do.

======================

Ok, so the "Tuck's Big Challenge" is set up, and you can see it on the right side of my blog. For those of you who don't read this from my blogspot blog, you can find it here. I tried to set up the teams in the most even of ways, and tried to keep them fair. I took requests, so Kevin/Beck are put together, as well as Billy and Brian, and Gary and myself. Hopefully everyone's happy with their partner, because you've got a month with them.

This month's challenge is fairly simple. It's weight loss, and it's your body percentage. Basically, if you weigh 100 pounds and you lose 10, you will have lost 10% of your body weight. Your body weight % + your partner's body weight % = your total score. Highest score wins.

And remember, this is all for fun, and the goal is to cheer everyone on. I'm hoping that this just helps push everyone a little bit - when you're in the gym and you want to give up, give that little push. How much is that hot dog in the window? If this challenge gives you the willpower to keep on walking, then we've done our job.

So, what are you waiting for? Post your weight in a comment on this blog, and we're off and running. Wednesday will be weigh-in day - and we'll weigh in each Wednesday, and then again on August 31st. Good luck to everyone!

August Challenge Sign Up

Ok, we're going to use my blog this month to host the August Challenge. Hopefully that doesn't cause a stir, but Billy and I were talking, and I thought that we didn't utilize the Challenge Central site as much as we could - so I thought I'd offer to host.

So, this is what we're thinking.

2 person teams - trying to see who can lose the most weight in a full month, August 1 to August 31. Using the 5 day average method (if you prefer an actual weigh-in, that's ok too), we'll report in on August 1, which is a Wednesday - and then every Wednesday in August - and then a final push on August 31st.

The winning team will have the highest % of body weight lost combined.

So, if Billy weighs 100 pounds and I weigh 600 pounds - but we both lose 10 pounds, Billy would win because his would have a higher overall total % lost. Then again, if Billy weighed 100 pounds and lost 10, I'd have to set him up with Nicole Richie - but I digress.

So sign up in a comment - just let me know you're interested. On August 1st, I'll have a post set up in here, and I'll keep stats on my right hand side bar keeping track. Teams will be assigned before the August 1 start, but I want to make sure everyone who wants, gets in.

Follow The Bouncing Ball

Saturday Weigh In: 283
Sunday Weigh In: 279.5

So, check this numbers out. My last few weigh ins, recent last:

283.5, 280.5, 279, 283, 279.

My mental health has had quite the workout lately.

This is why I need to stop focusing on the individual day weigh in, and focus on my 5-day average. Of course that's not going to work because I'm already overly obsessed, but at least I know what I SHOULD do, right?

Anyway - some good numbers for the end of the July challenge. My goal was to lose 10 pounds for the month of July, but I did come up short. I lost 7.5 pounds which isn't too shabby. That counts a week where I was on vacation and ended up dead even. So, if you look at the other 3 weeks, that's 2.5 pounds a week - so I know in my head that if I wasn't on vacation and kept that same 2.5 rate, I would have my number. Minor victory, even if just in my head.

Also, I noticed on the final results page for the July challenge that I dropped 2% of my entire body weight in July. I never really thought of it like that, but that's a pretty cool thing to focus on. There's still a few days in July, but my goal in August is to drop that 10 pounds from August 1 to the end of the month.

So not much more to report tonight. Gary's back in town, so we'll be working out together tomorrow for the first time in two weeks. Definitely glad to have him back.

Ok, so not the most exciting blog of the year, but at least I got one in. Catch ya'll tomorrow. Here's to a great August.

I Heart Reality

Weigh In: 283
Calories Counted: 789

Weight loss is a roller coaster, right? A few months back, I posted a blog and for my picture, I put up a corkscrew roller coaster, with the track flipping over itself as it went by.

First off, I'm going to start by saying that I realize that by the time he gets this far, Billy is already cringing in his chair as he reads. He's looking at my consumed calorie count of 789 today. This isn't a typo - and no, I didn't miss the 1 before the 7.

The answer lies in the number above it.

Yesterday, I spent all day being proud of my 100 pounds lost. One year - 100 pounds - yeah, I'm the man, right? I got my props, I got my pats on the back, and I was feeling pretty damn good about myself.

And you know what that means - a reality check.

I can't even being to explain (yet I probably don't need to because we've ALL been there) how frustrating it is to lose the pounds, just to see them come back. I mean, I gained 8 unexplainable pounds in one night a few months back, and it took me 3 weeks to regain that ground. But this one - this one really nailed me. I was hanging onto that one simple weigh in of 279 like I owned it, completely ignoring the fact that one day to the other, weight fluxuates. I wanted to soak it in and enjoy it, right?

Stepping up and seeing 283 this morning - I swore at the scale. A big loud "What the F%&$" came unwittingly out of my mouth. I couldn't believe it.

So, I fasted. It wasn't intentional. I just couldn't even look at food - it competely disgusted me today. I had 3 liters of water today. I had a tuna packet. I had a chicken breast, a small roll and a pile of lettuce with some fat free italian dressing on it. I even had 2 cookies that my wife baked tonight. But that's it. I didn't eat anything from the time I woke up until the tuna packet around 3pm. I was hungry.. starving even, but just the thought of food was enough to turn my hunger into nausea, so I simply passed.

For anyone who reads this, you probably already know how stupid that was. Less than 800 calories in a day is simply just not enough. I can't go on 800 calorie binges. It'll hurt more than it'll help.

But, it is what it is, right?

Gym early tomorrow, and then mowing the lawn - and then a graduation party, the mother of all temptations. Eat healthy, workout, and live strong, right?

TGIF.

379-279=?

Weigh In Today: 279 (new low!)
Weigh In June 22: 292.0
Total Weight Lost from July 2006 to July 2007:
100 POUNDS!

Yes, the fish weighs 100 pounds. :)

Today's going to be a numbers day, because of one very obvious milestone in my weight loss journey. I was weighed by my doctor back last July - it was when I started trying to lose weight. Not to be confused with the date that I started this blog (which is what I'm basing my "100 pound goal" on), July 2006 was when I got that 379 staring back at me, the first time I had weighed myself in a long, long time. It was the day the doctor put me on the scale - I had gone to him because I blew out my back tying my shoes - and the scale didn't register, I was WAY too big. I had to go get on that "meat scale" that they have in the back. One of the most embarassing moments on my life.

So even though I've got 29 more pounds to lose for the blog's purposes, I'm officially 100 pounds less than I was about a year ago. That's a big deal to me, and it's something that I honestly thought that I would never see. A huge accomplishment.

That being said, I've got a long way to go. But, to be able to say to people that ask how much I've lost .. that I've lost 100 pounds - that's eye opening. A badge that I'll wear proudly.

But it's not over yet.

Also, since I'm in a number crunching mood, I thought I would review the past 30 days. Last month on this date I decided to start tracking my measurements. First off, I kick myself daily that I didn't start doing this at the beginning, I can only imagine what it would have said. So, this is how it looks:

June 06 July 07 Total Lost

Weight: 292lbs 279lbs -13lbs
Neck: 17.5" 16.75" -.75"
Chest: 49.5" 45.25" -4.25"
Bicep: 17.5" 17.0" -.5"
Gut: 53.0" 51.25" -1.75"
Waist: 47.25" 45.25" -2.0"
Thigh: 27.5" 27.25" -.5"

It's completely crazy to look at these numbers for me. If you would have asked me how I felt about this month, I would be completely frustrated. I feel like, up until these last few days, I've been treading water. But I've lost 13 pounds in the past month, over 4 inches of fat from my chest, 2 inches off my waist, almost 2 inches off my gut.. those are amazing numbers.

Remember what I said about "Weight Loss being the best motivator for Weight Loss"?

I'm pretty damn motivated right now. A few days left for the July challenge - and I'm 2 pounds away from achieving my goal of 10 pounds. If this month's challenge is a race, we're in the last 50 yards - let's SPRINT to the finish, and start up August strong.
To me, that's completely amazing.

The Snowball Starts To Roll

Weigh In: 280.5 (new low!)
Calories Counted: 2051

First off, if you haven't read the other blog I just posted, please do. I can promise you it's worth the read. Onto the news for today, there's a lot to say, so here it goes.

I'm thrilled with my weigh in today, obviously. Just like Jay, I stepped on the scale and read 283.5. I have been seeing the 283's for way too long. Things needed to change, so I went back to what was working, an old workout - and drinking a ton of water. The last two days, yesterday and today, I drank 4 liters of water a day. That's a lot of water, and the body has been pretty busy with the whole flushing thing. Can only be good.

So, when I stepped on the scale and saw a 280.5, I couldn't believe it. It was good to see the scale move, and the fact that I was 379 pounds just a year ago - I'm 98.5 pounds down from last July. Since I started this blog, I've lost 69.5 pounds. That's a big deal.

As I said, I did the same workout that I did back on January 31 - but I added the appropriate amount of weight to the bar to reflect my improvement. I've got to say - pretty impressed with a few of the increases. The bench press hasn't moved up that much - not to mention I haven't really focused TOO much on freeweights, and when I do, I've usually got a spotter, but this is what I did.

=====================

Circuit One
Squats - 3 sets, 15 reps. 115 pounds in January, 225 pounds in July
Flat Bench Press - 3 sets, 10 reps, 110 pounds in January, 135 in July
Hammer Horizontal Row - 3 sets, 15 reps, 140 pounds in January, 270 pounds in July

Circuit Two
Lunges - 2 sets, 10 reps
Barbell Curl - 2 sets, 10 reps. 65 pounds in January, 75 pounds in July
Tricep Extention - 2 sets, 15 reps, full stack (150 pounds)

Abs & Lower Back
Medicine Ball Crunches - 2 sets, 25 reps
Quadruped (Yoga Stretch) - 2 sets, 20 seconds each - not done in July
Child's Pose (Yoga Stretch) - 2 sets, 20 seconds each - not done in July
Scissor Crunches - 1 set, 25 reps - July replacement

=======================

I couldn't do the Yoga moves because they require you to be on your knees, and my softball scabs are on my kneecap, so I did the Scissor crunches instead. Basically, you lay on your back, hold an 8 pound medicine ball above your head in your hands, and then meet your toes and fingers in the middle above you, as SLOW as possible. Total killers.

I was shocked at how tough this was. Even though I can attribute some of the exhaustion to the extra weight, I realized today that I haven' t been working as hard as I used to. I think that somewhere down the road these past few months, the workouts have gotten 'easier'. A little less of this, a bit less intensity, a shortcut here and there, and even though I'm IN the gym, I feel like perhaps I'm not utilizing it as good as I can.

And why? Failure of planning. I'd go in there, do this, do that, call it a day.

Back to following a plan. It works with the eating, and it works with the exercise.

No more shortcuts. 270 or bust.

Shaq's Big Challenge - Hitting Close To Home

I'm 30 years old. A year ago, I weighed 379 pounds. Today, I weigh in at 280.5 - 98.5 pounds less than I did last July. I'll talk about that in the next blog - but right now, I want to talk about a show on TV that every single person in this country should watch.

Shaq's Big Challenge is shown on ABC on Tuesday nights. It's a show about weight loss, but it's not some "Biggest Loser" competition type of show where the winner makes money. It's not a bunch of adults getting into a challenge where they have to vote each other off the show. This is the most pure show on TV - and for someone who has been battling weight his entire adult life, this thing hits home to me.

It's hard to explain, but to give you an idea about this show, I just spent the last hour watching this show on my DVR, and my eyes were welling up almost the entire show. You know that feeling you get when you are so moved that your body tightens up, and your eyes begin to water? It hit me pretty hard, and this is a show that has done that to me since I started watching the first episode.

The idea of the show is, there's 6 kids - all of which were in the obese category. I'm talking about a 14 year old who weighed 285. I'm talking about kids whose self esteem were non-existent, and they were afraid to show their faces. They were interviewing a kid that looked right into the camera and said that he'd felt like committing suicide because he felt so lost.

And it's not rehearsed. You can just tell how authentic it is. Shaq, his trainer, and a few others (a celebrity chef and nutritionist, for example) not only work with the kids, but they go into this school system and try to create change. School lunches full of deep fried chicken nuggets, pizza and tacos - they tackle some issues that frankly, should have been addressed years ago.

This show can't be explained in a paragraph. All I can tell you is that when I see these kids, working so hard, facing the same challenges that I do every day - the temptations of food, the realization that you are losing control of your life.. hell, even the glares and looks of disgust I used to get when I was walking down the street, it all hits home. It takes me back to the feelings that I had for years. I remember as if it was only yesterday where I was working in a pizza joint, eating pizza 3-5 times a day, drinking a 12 pack of beer every day, and I broke into a sweat doing as little as tying my shoe - yet I did nothing about it. I KNEW I was dying. I KNEW that I was destroying my life. I KNEW what I looked like in the mirror. But I did nothing. And why?

Because it was a lost cause. I was alone, I intentionally ignored the problem because I was so far away from the finish line that I didn't even know one existed.

This show "gets" that. Every week I sit there and watch it, and these emotions stir in me like crazy, it's hard to explain. As I said, I spent the last hour just completely moved. I had those tears in my eyes for most of the show. Then, when you look at these kids, they're accomplishing what they need to do. They're learning what we're learning - that a support system, the right plan, and a goal is all that you need to lose the weight.

Sounds a lot like the other aspects of our life, doesn't it?

http://shaq.abc.com. If you haven't seen it, you should. Give it a chance, and get over the fact that it's a "reality show" with an NBA basketball player. It's incredibly moving if you give it a chance.

I'll do another blog now with my regular update - I just really felt that this one deserved a spot of it's own.

Remembering Where I Came From

On January 31st, I weighed 330 pounds.

Today, almost 7 months later, I sit at 283.5 pounds - that's 46.5 pounds lighter than I was back then. I went on a tear at that point, once I was able to break my 330 plateau. Edmund Burke once said, "those who don't know history are destined to repeat it". So, I did what I knew I should do - I surfed through posts from back in the day to see what was working, and this is what I found on January 31st:

===========================
Circuit One
Squats - 3 sets, 15 reps. 115 pounds
Flat Bench Press - 3 sets, 10 reps, 110 pounds (no spotter)
Hammer Horizontal Row - 3 sets, 15 reps, 140 pounds

Circuit Two
Lunges - 2 sets, 10 reps.
Barbell Curl - 2 sets, 10 reps. 65 pounds
Tricep Extention - 2 sets, 15 reps, full stack (150 pounds).

Abs & Lower Back
Medicine Ball Crunches - 2 sets, 25 reps (these things are NO joke)
Quadruped (Yoga Stretch) - 2 sets, 20 seconds each
Child's Pose (Yoga Stretch) - 2 sets, 20 seconds each

===================================

So, that's my workout tomorrow. I WILL warm up with a 15 minute warm up and stretches, and then off I go. You guys reminded me of one of the few truths that I've learned on this trip.

There's no better motivator for weight loss than weight loss itself.

In the past, I've always struggled through plateaus and then once a few pounds came off, I was the proverbial snowball rolling down the hill. I gain momentum. I mean, granted.. it takes a while for this big ball to get a rollin', but once I do, I pick up steam quickly. Reading comments today from both my blogs really helped today, so thanks for that.

Thanks for giving me that push that I needed. Now, the ball's rolling again.

It's Always Something

Weigh In: 283.5

Funny how I can go on vacation for a full week and not gain an ounce, but the moment I get back into town, I go up instead of down.

I feel like I'm in this major funk. It seems like there's ALWAYS something to keep me away from where I need to be. Yesterday was my re-entry into the real world after vacation, and I had a test in the morning at school, so I was all focused on that, went to the gym, and forget my freaking gym clothes. So, I weighed in, and that was that.

Today, I made sure to pack my clothes, so I go do a workout - hardly even energized, and then I go to jump in the shower and my towel's missing. I'm not sure if I left it at home, or if it got jacked, so I'm hoping it's sitting at the house. Drip drying at the gym just flat out sucks.

I just feel "out of it" when it comes to my routine. I know the cause of it - Gary's on vacation this week so I'm flying solo, and it's been over a week since I was actually in "MY" gym. I've done workouts, but it's not the routine, so I'm having a hard time getting back to it.

It's a mental issue, and it's something I have to get over. Even with my eating - I'm eating 'right', but I didn't bother keeping track of calories yesterday, and it's been a week and a half since I've done it.

I just need to get my head on straight. I get so frustrated when the scale doesn't do what I want it to do, yet I can't sit here and act as if I've earned the weight loss. Some of you have talked about this lack of motivation in the past - how have you gotten over it? I feel like I'm driving the car with four flat tires right now. Thoughts?

Return To Reality

Last Week's Recap:

7 days on the lake -

- Every morning but one (when Erin wasn't feeling well and it was raining) I went on a 1 mile run as soon as I woke up, prior to breakfast.

- Every day I went for a bike ride, ranging from 2 to 5 miles in length.

- Every morning but one I lifted weights, right after the mile run so I was POURING sweat while doing so.

- I swam, played tennis or golf most days, and was VERY active this week, up to and including someone there calling me the "resident health nut" (perhaps an insult to some, but a compliment to me).

Total Weight Loss: 0 pounds.
Weigh In: 283

When I woke up this morning, my first one in my own bed, I went right to the gym. I couldn't wait to weigh in and get a workout in so that I could see how much weight I had lost this week. I really thought that I was going to see two or three pounds come off - as I said, I had worked my ass off this week, made plenty of sacrifices, and I was ready to collect.

It was completely frustrating when I stepped on the scale and it was the exact same weight as I had seen the last time I stepped on the scale, 9 days earlier. I immediately felt like I had wasted my time this week. I was going to come right home and blog - bitching about the entire thing.

As the day has gone on, I've been thinking about this all day. There's a lesson that I have apparently not learned yet - probably the hardest lesson for me since I started. I've said it a million times - it's 80% food, and 20% exercise - at best.

See, when I posted my first blog on vacation, I was proud of how I was able to skip "Moosetracks" ice cream. I was eating super healthy. As the week went on, now that I'm looking back, the 'cheats' were sneaking in. First, it was a ice cream cone. Then, a smores. Just the little thing - even in hindsight they aren't really much. The thing to me is, I'm used to eating a BUNCH of this on this vacation we take every year. I always had these things. For me to have "less than last year", while still an accomplishment, isn't enough. I never thought about the calorie content in this stuff, and I only considered it good because it was "MUCH less than I had last year".

That says something to me, both bad AND good. Bad, because of something I already know - I'll be fighting this battle for the rest of my life. I like food, and it's always a temptation that I'll have to be conscious of. I'm not going to be the guy who automatically eats perfectly and never has to worry about it. It's always going to be who I am - so I better get used to it sooner or later.

However, it's good too. I made it work in a tempting situation - and I maintained. I may not have lost, and as frustrating as it is, I didn't gain either. A week on the lake, with food coming at me from every angle - and the biggest past time being sitting around and eating and drinking - and I came out without gaining a pound.

So, I'll call it a draw. It's not what I wanted, but I suppose it could be worse. I could be making up ground. I keep reminding myself how far I've come since this time last year - and how much farther I'll be next year.

In the meantime - back to the grind.

Hello from the Sticks

Just a quick update as I sit here in the tiny little library up here in Alpena. I'm pretty impressed with this place - it's got books, and two little computer stations, which would be two little computer stations more than a 50-mile radius around where I'm staying.

Nice little place, and you know the second I realized that there was computer access only a few miles away from where I was staying, you know I had to come and give you a quick update.

Obviously, no weigh in - but I want to record what I've done so far.

First off, I wake up EVERY SINGLE MORNING and run a mile before breakfast. Actually, it's more like .85 miles, but I get the extra .15 as extra credit since I'm on vacation. Then, I have 3 eggs over medium and dry toast for breakfast, and Erin and I usually go on a bike ride. I've been playing tennis, running, biking, and went and played 18 holes (trust me, LOTS of side to side walking therE) so far, and I plan to keep on going.

I've been making great decisions. I've been working hard, and I've been told by MANY people who are on vacation with us that I look like I've lost a lot of weight (96 since I was here last in July '06).

So, bottom line is that my goal was to lose 3 pounds this week - and as I've said before, the only way it's going to happen - either here on vacation or home during a regular week, is the EARN it.

So - leave some comments for me, and I'll be back on Saturday. I may or may not get access again before then, but I wanted to report that I've been going strong.

Oh, and I passed up Moosetracks Ice Cream tonight. A major milestone in itself.

Until next time!

First Place - and More!

Weigh In: 283.0 (new low!)
Calories Counted: 2417(ish)

A few things to report today, a pretty good day.

First off, notice the "new low" on the scale. Was quite pleased to see that. It's hard to believe I'm almost in the 270's.. that just seems surreal to me. I'll take it anyday, though.

Also, you'll see the trophy. Tonight, the Beavers - my softball team - won our division and are headed to the playoffs with the #1 seed. I won't be there next week (more on that later), so it sucks that I'm missing the playoffs, but I ended on a great note.

I went 5 for 5 tonight, with a single, two doubles and two tripes. The best part about it is, I stretched those triples and doubles. Last year, that was probably 4 singles and .. MAYBE a double. I just felt like I was flying through the bases, it felt great. And hell, any time you can go 5 for 5 and have two stand up triples.. again, a good day for the big guy. We were down 14-2 and made an amazing comeback, winning the game in the final inning.

Back to the weight loss thing, this next week is going to be an important one for me. See, I'm not going to be around from this Saturday until next Saturday - we're headed to Presque Isle, MI - which is just north of Alpena - which, if you're looking at your hand and pretending that it's the state of Michigan, it's at the tip of your ring finger. We'll be up in a cabin around the lake for a week, relaxing.

Now, last year, I read the first 5 Harry Potter books in one week. Keep in mind that the fifth book is over 800 pages. I did NOTHING but read. Relaxing as hell.

This year's going to be different.

This year, I'm bringing my barbells, my golf clubs, my swim trunks, a tennis racket, my bike, and my running shoes. I'll be running, biking, playing tennis, swimming, golfing, and lifting weights.

And I'll be 280 at the end of the week.

I'll post tomorrow, but you may not see me after tomorrow until next week. I'll try to check in from a small little library in Alpena, but I'm not sure how that's going to work. I'll definitely be checking in all day tomorrow.

Rounding the Bases

Calories Counted: 2022
Weight Reported in Previous Blog.

I got a pretty good compliment today. You guys are probably tired of hearing my softball stories, but tonight we had a doubleheader and I was playing with the "B" squad, which is a better team (higher level of competition) than the usual "C" team that I play with.

Because I play for "C" usually, I think some of the guys on "B" tend to think that I'm less of a player. And let's face it - last season I weighed closer to 400 pounds than 300 pounds, I was slow, I had no bat speed.. and I was pretty.. well, "C" level. Tonight, my first hit was pretty much garbage.. swung at the first pitch, and popped it up to the pitcher. Total crap.

Second time up, I ripped a good single. Felt solid.

Third time up, there was a guy on third and I had a pretty solid shot out to mid-center field, enough to get the runner home on a sacrifice. I was out, but I got the run in. OK, not great - but OK.

Fourth time, the defense creeps up on me, and I park it. Just cranked it - ended up with a double - could have been a triple, but I was the leadoff hitter, and why push the limits with no outs.

The cool thing was, I've always been known as the slow guy on the team. More than one person made comments about how I was getting around the bases, and that I've gotten a bunch faster. To me, those are the compliments I thrive on. To me, I'd much rather have a compliment on my improving sports performances rather than my 'appearance', but that's just the male ego talking. Either way, I'm taking it.

Oh, and for those of you who are on http://calorie-count.com, I've officially become a moderator of the Weight Loss forum there. I was highly recommended from a few others, and was offered the position. I took the position starting today.

So, all in all, a good day. Let's see how the scale treats me in the morning.

Train's On The Tracks!

Calories Counted: 1682
Tuesday Weigh In: 285.5
Wednesday Weigh In: 284.25

I meant to post this yesterday, but the MLB All Star Game was on, and it went down to the wire, so you know how that goes, right?

So yeah - the eating went well yesterday, I stayed low last night. As of last night, I was irritated that I had jumped up to 285.5 again, but I came back down due to solid eating yesterday and am holding at 284.25 today. My problem lately is that I eat really well, and see it come down, and then have a heavy-calorie day, and then I spend the next few days making up for it. Just doesn't make sense, yet I do it anyway. Seems that not every habit is a good one yet. We'll get there though.

Anyway, so yesterday I played softball again, right? My leg was just healing up, I went without the bandage and wrap, and played wide open yesterday. Felt pretty good - was moving quickly, my stamina's way up - all's good, right?

In the 6th inning, I'm up to bat and hit a grounder to the left side. I'm sprinting full tilt towards first, and the first baseman basically breaks the cardinal rule of playing first base (I know - I'm a first baseman). As I'm coming in, the throw was a bit off, so he had to adjust to catch it. Instead of moving towards the ball, he slides to his left - right into the basepath.

So I had two choices. Plow him over and kill him, or do 4 barrel rolls, jump over him, rip up both my legs and both my elbows.

It's a church league, so I didn't kill him.

So the wrap is back on my left leg, I've got a good 2 inch rip in my right knee, and both my elbows are scratched, but not really a big deal. Last time it happened, it was this messed up version of a 'badge of honor' - a slide that was intentional and I was proud of it. This time, it just pissed me off. The guy couldn't get into position, and I end up flying through the air and bouncing off the gravel at full speed to save his wife the time of going to a funeral and finding a new black dress.

Not a big deal, it's not putting me on the shelf or anything, but it's highly irritating.

So if you're playing softball and you happen to be playing first base - here's one piece of advice for you:

If the train's coming, stay off the tracks.

PS: Doubleheader tonight, and another game tomorrow. I'm a glutton for punishment. ;)

The Dishwasher

Monday Weigh In: 284.5

Pretty non-eventful, yet busy day. Went to the gym this morning and did a full set of 400 pound leg presses, ran a mile in 9:04 (6.6mph) on the treadmill, and did a few other machines. Then, went to class, took a major test, went to work until 5pm, and then went to softball - at 95 degrees and muggy.

A year ago, I would have died in that heat. Tonight, I felt like one of the stronger guys. I can handle the temperatures much better than I used to.

Also, I adjusted the ticker at the top for the first time in a month - it's hard to believe I'm less than 35 pounds away from hitting 100 pounds lost. I've already got it in my head that once I get to 250, I want to get down to 220, but first things first.

Oh, and one thing - I'm pretty happy with the picture at the top of this page. That's me tonight, ready to do a pile of dishes. You know the rule - she cooks, I clean. I had a TON of dishes tonight, but Erin made an AWESOME pot of Turkey Chili, so you know those dishes were well earned. I actually like the picture - let's forget a second that I'm walking around in my boxers and a ripped up T-shirt, rated PG13 in a few countries - I'm starting to look leaner than wider.

Long way to go, but I thought I'd share the small victory.

Inner Fat and the Outer Perspective

Sunday Weigh In: 285.5
Calories Consumed: Pending

I've always worn my clothes a bit big. For as long as my memory stretches, I never remember wearing anything that actually 'fit'. The "inner fat" in me told me to hide my body - and for good reason. It was huge. It was round. It was embarassing.

I had an eye opening experience today. My sister-in-law (Melissa), my wife (Erin) and I went to JCPenny today to look at lawn furniture and the such. Apparently, the outfit I had on today sucked. I was wearing my size 44 cargo shorts (I used to be a 48 - keep that in mind), my 4x t-shirt, and I guess I looked like crap swimming around in the outfit. The good news is, I'm smaller than my wardrobe.

So, in the spirit of being women in a shopping mall, they decided to go clothes shopping - this time for me. I cringe at the thought, but it ended up working pretty cool.

So, the three of us are in the dressing room (sorry guys, this story ends up rated G), and I'm trying on different shirts and shorts. I went for a 2x shirt, but there weren't any. I saw a few of the styles (these are those t-shirts with the funny saying on them) that I really liked, but they were only XL. What the hell, right? Let's give them a try.

XL's fit. I'm wearing one as I type this blog. Only one X. That's the same number of X's as there is L's. Hell, only one more X than any other letter in the alphabet. VERY cool. You'll notice in the picture at the top of this post that I'm wearing this very shirt. Oh, and the one I'm throwing in the garbage? You probably can already guess - it's the 4XL I walked into the store wearing.

Oh, but there's more - I also walked into the store wearing size 44 cargo shorts. I started this weight loss journey in a pair of 48's.

I figured since the shirts went so well, let's try a size 42 shorts. They fit, and pretty well. Hell, they were even a little loose. Being the daring adventurer that I am, I sent my sister-in-law/fashion consultant out to get me some size 40's.

I bought those too.

So, I ate like crap yesterday, and my weight paid for it. I'm being super strict today, I'm drinking a ton of water, and I'll retrieve my old weight, minus some, this week.

Today's been good to me today. Great motivation for the upcoming week.

Bad Day, Good Day?

Weigh In: 284
Calories Counted: 2900(?)
Beer Pong Record - 1 and 0

Kind of a weird day for me mentally. First off, my eating couldn't have been better/worse than it was today. First off, I went to the gym this morning, and got my 284. The gym was pretty good to me. I did my mile run on the treadmill, and for the first time, I did it all at 6.5/mph without stopping, so my mile time came in at 9:14, by far my personal best. I thought I was going to die afterwards, but I didn't, so that's good news.

Also, my eating hasn't been too great today, but I don't feel too bad about it. It was a strange eating day on top of it. First off, I think I had 70 calories total ingested before 3:30pm. I had about 7 slices of lean roast beef (deli meat) and that was it, and then I had a late lunch due to the busy day, a whopping bowl of Cheerios. Not exactly the most healthy way to go about it, or the best for the metabolism, but yeah, that's how it went today.

Then, this is where the question mark comes in when it comes to calories. Went to a Mexican joint with Erin tonight, and I had a Mexican sandwich. Basically, it's a flour tortilla, beans, another flour tortilla, more beans, a third tortilla, and you guessed it - more beans, and then some good shredded beef and the cheese that I couldn't scrape off - I told them no cheese - but it happens.

The good thing is, when I saw the meal, I saw how HUGE it was, so I immediately asked for a both and put half of it in the carry out. Should be a good lunch tomorrow. I'm pretty proud of myself for that, because in the past I would have just eaten the whole thing, just because it was served to me. Big step for me.

However, we split a deep fried cheesecake. Yup, not the most healthy thing on the menu, but I had a weak moment. And I only had 4 bites.

I can't lie - it was pretty damned good. And you know, I don't really feel bad about it. Sometimes you just have to have it, enjoy it, and move on. What's the point of a healthy lifestyle if you don't get to reward yourself? It just means that I'm back in the gym working it off tomorrow, and drinking a ton of water tomorrow.

Oh, and then.. my sister-in-law calls me while I'm writing this blog, I was only a few sentences in. She tells me that her boyfriend broke up with her (best news I heard all day), but that she could use some sister and brother-in-law support - so we went to the party that she was at. Her I am, old man sitting in my boxers typing out a weight loss blog, being invited to a party full of 22-25 year olds, right? So, since she needed that support system, I figured I'd go be around to help her out and talk to her if she needed. Lucky me, it turned into a beer pong challenge.

I won.

But, that'll explain why this blog is rambling on as much as it is, right?

So, check for typos, leave comments, and in the morning I'll see if anything I said tonight made sense. The bottom line really is, I didn't eat great today, but I feel like we all need to have 'that day'. Tomorrow it's back on the horse, I'm going to do my mile run and work out before church (that's the plan), and then it's my father-in-law's birthday, so we'll be busy all day.

I haven't had more than a single beer in a while. It'll be interesting what my weigh-in comes in at tomorrow. Sodium levels are probably through the roof after mexican food, tequilla and beer pong.

Motivation On The Lake

Weigh In: 286
Calories Counted: 2443

I'll give my body credit - it sure knows how to keep me guessing.

Just a few days after being stuck over 286, it surprises me and drops me a few pounds to 283.5. Then, as the saying goes, "What goes down, must go up", or something like that.

Today was a pretty good day. I'm starting to switch my workout up a bit. Instead of spending time on the eliptical to warm up, I'm turning to the treadmill - running 1 mile. It takes around 10 minutes, and I'm more than warmed up, I'm pushed to the limit. I've also switched over to Assisted Dips, which I'm hoping eventually down the line will turn into Unassisted Dips. I'm a long, long way from that, but it's a long term goal. Hell, getting down to below 300 pounds was a long term goal, and we see how that worked out.

Also, the male ego took over a bit the past few days, and I've been testing the limits of my leg press. I've been pushing 300 pounds on my leg press, 2 or 3 sets of 12. Today, I decided to see what my max was, so I set the machine at it's maximum, which is 400 pounds. I put it up about 3-4 times, so I feel pretty good saying that I can push 400 as a max. It was insane for me, that's a lot of weight to this guy, but it was a male ego boost, which is something I could use once in a while.

The crazy thing is, when I first started this journey, I was 379 pounds (before the blog started). In other words, I was 21 pounds away from my 'max' leg press - every time I stood up. That's one hell of a perspective, eh?

Another BBQ-style party tomorrow, and we're out on the lake. I can't help but keep pushing myself on my goals, because every time I get near the water now, it frustrates the hell out of me. I'm still the only guy that goes to the lake and has to keep his shirt on, and since I've been on this health kick, it's something that's really taken my focus lately. I mean, this time last year, I was almost 380 pounds, and I had pretty much accepted that I was a total fat slob with no self respect, so who gave a crap if I went in the water with a shirt on. I was fat and disgusting, and whoever was in the lake with me would just have to accept it.

My standards are obviously much higher now, but the bottom line is that the "Inner Fat" is still around and living strong. I know I'm not fooling myself. I've lost all this weight, but there's still no way in hell that I'm walking around topless.

Next year's a different story.

Long term goal #149.

Gaining Speed?

Wednesday's Weigh In: 283.5 (new low!)
Calories Consumed: Around 2400?

First off, the weight was down 2.5 pounds from my last 'new low', so that was pretty good to see. I had to step off the scale, reset it, and step back up on it to make sure. It was a nice surprise - one I'm hoping leads to a good string of weight loss. God knows it's long overdue.

The Fourth of July can be such a trap when it comes to losing weight, but I did pretty well. We had the BBQ at my parent's place, so he had plenty of the 'side' dishes floating around - those are my complete weakness. Knowing this, I stuck to the bean dip, which is pretty much beans and salsa blended up, and a light layer of shredded cheese and olives. I had about 8 chips full of dip, which is MUCH less than I would have usually had. I was able to avoid all the other stuff, and then when I realized that I was starting to load up on the bean dip, I switched over to grapes. Not a bad choice.

For dinner, there was cheeseburgers, hot dogs and this funky beer-brewed chicken that my pops made. To really describe it, you wrap an entire full chicken around an open can of beer and it cooks it all the way through. It made the MOST AMAZING chicken I've had in a long time. I only had chicken for dinner, along with 1 deviled egg and a small scoop (seriously, like 3 bites) of my wife's cheesy potatoes, and I called it a day. I also had the equivalent of about 4 bites of this banana cream pie.

Sounds like a lot of food, but where my success lied was in my moderation. I also knew that this meal was coming, so I planned accordingly. I'm not sure what my numbers were - it's so hard to count those types of calories, but I know I did pretty well on the long haul. Having that 283.5 to start my day served as a bit of motivation.

Also, I didn't get to bed until like 3am last night, so the 6am gym didn't happen. I really hate that, because I wanted to see if the 283.5 would stick, but I'm going to head to the gym after work. I'm going to take the weigh-in with a grain of salt, because it's such a different time of day to weigh in, but that's what Friday morning is for.

So, hopefully you all are still doing OK after BBQ season last night, and I'll catch ya'll in a bit.

Happy 4th of July

Tuesday Weigh In: 286 (tied the old "new low")
Calories Counted: Estimated 2600

I'm not sure about my calories because there was a few things I had tonight that I had no clue on the calories, so it's not worth going exact today. I know 2 bites of chocolate and some animal crackers, and then ice cream (only 140 cals worth) doesn't help the cause, so I'm not going to sweat it - I'm just going to have a SOLID Fourth of July when it comes to my eating.

Worked out again this morning, warmed up with a mile run. Got it done in about 10 1/2 minutes, had to take a 20 second walk-break but pretty much fought the whole thing off, ranging between 5.5mph and 7.5mph. Beck and Kristen, not sure how you keep above those high numbers, I felt like the treadmill was going to throw me RIGHT off.

So, as you note at the top, I'm back to 286, the last weight I was before the leg injury. I'm pretty much about 90% back, so I've just got to keep going. When the leg got busted up, I didn't work out or see a gym for almost a week, and the next weigh-in was 292, and I had to spend another week getting back to where I am today.

So we know the rules - work hard, eat right, life strong.

Happy 4th of July, folks. Don't just let it be about barbeques and parties. Remember why we celebrate this special holiday.

Sneaky Sodium

Weigh In: 287.5
Calories Counted: 1668

Nutrition Report

Fat - 23.1% (43 grams) Protein - 31.3% (130 grams) Carbohydrates - 41.6% (173 grams) Alcohol - 0.0% Other - 4.1% Daily Sodium Intake - 3,910 mg Daily Cholesterol Intake - 133 mg Daily Fiber Intake - 18 grams

Nutrition Grade B

I'm actually surprised today at how much sodium I took in. I ate pretty stellar today. We went to Chili's for my dad's birthday today (Happy Birthday Dad!), and I had cajun salmon (off of the Guiltless Grill menu) with black beans and broccoli. I had about 10 chips and some salsa, but according to the calorie-count.com guide, there's only 450 in an ENTIRE basket of chips. I had less than a 5th of it, so about 500 mg of sodium there.

The thing that really surprised me is that between my 8 ounces of grilled salmon, a cup of black beans and broccoli, there was over 1000 mg of sodium.

Either way, it could definitely be worse, but now that I've got a secondary focus on my sodium intake, I'm surprised at where I'm finding high sodium levels. Just something to think about.

Until tomorrow - I've got to hit the hay.. getting up at 5:30am comes way to quick when I'm not hitting the hay until after 11pm every night. Catch you tomorrow.

Onward!

July 1 Weigh In: 287
Calories Counted: 2301

Nutrition Report

Fat - 30.1% (77 grams) Protein - 17.6% (101 grams) Carbohydrates - 46.2% (266 grams) Alcohol - 0.0% Other - 6.1% Daily Sodium Intake - 4,415 mg Daily Cholesterol Intake - 305 mg Daily Fiber Intake - 38 grams

Nutrition Grade A

Hard to scale my calories today, because I had dinner at my wife's grandparents house today. We had meatloaf, salad and baked potatoes - so I'm thinking I'm 'close', although not precise.

Exercise-wise, I hit the gym today and did 30 on the Eliptical - which is a good step with the leg and all. I also did 18 holes of golf, albeit on a cart for time issues, instead of walking how I would have preferred.

I also came in low on my weigh-in today, which means I'm only 1 pound away from my all-time low, so now's the time to really buckle down and go.

So, another weekend flies by. With the 4th of July on Wednesday, at least it splits the time up a bit for me. Enjoy your holiday week, folks. Next update tomorrow, per usual.