Weekend Warriors - the ULTIMATE Edition

Weigh In: 276.75
Calories Counted: Pending

Going to be a short one - my buddy's in from Oklahoma (it was a surprise to him, so I didn't mention it before now), so we're all getting together this weekend. A ton of eating out, lots of drinking, and a ton of traps that can doom a Weekend Warrior.

I did well last night - I had a few beers late last night, so I'm hoping that's what the higher weigh in is reflecting, but I just got back from the gym where I had a workout that even Billy would be proud of, and I had a healthy breakfast. We were going to go to a pizza joint for dinner, but we worked it out where we're going to Fuddruckers. A better decision where I can get a much healthier meal.

I'll also be trying to work on diet cokes tonight instead of beer (although I'll probably have one or two), and I'll make sure that dinner is stellar. This group of friends is the same group I've had my entire life, and let's just say that most of my 'past eating habits' evolved in this group. It's no one's fault by mine what I put in my mouth, but as we've talked about before - the group that you hang out with is usually VERY influential on how you eat, what you do, and who you are.

So, instead of them influencing me, I'm turning the tables. I'm influencing them tonight.

So here's to a strong weekend finish everyone. If I don't have time to put a blog up tomorrow morning for the final Tuck's Biggest Challenge weigh-in, go ahead and post your weights in this blog.

Also - we'll be doing something for October - I just haven't been able to get to it yet, so it won't start October 1. It'll happen though.

March on, Weekend Warriors!

Impatient

Today's Weigh In: 276.5
September 1 Weigh In: 277

Because we all understand that this weight loss journey is a roller coaster ride, I expect to deal with frustrations and fluctuation. I know it's coming, I know how to deal with it, and I already know that it's something that is going to happen anyway, and there's nothing I can do about it.

That all being said, it still just pisses me off when the weight goes up for no good reason. When it goes up when everything I've been doing warrants it going down - it just blows my mind.

I've been hovering around this 275 for more than week now, and that's fine. I had a day that wasn't so great, so I deal with that. But, for the last three days my calories have been perfect, hell - way below perfect. The last 3 days have been: 1317, 2001 and 1641.

My weight has been completely out of what, I've been all over the place. From 277, to 275.. and then today, right back up to 276.5.

Now, before the comments fly - I know. I need to expect this, but I'm just tired of being in the 270's. It's a good problem to have, because it beats the pants off of being in the 280s, 290s, and especially over 300. But it's still frustrating. I'm ready to move onto the next stage - the next decade, and it seems as if my body is fighting as hard to keep it as my mind is trying to lose it.

So - it's even more important to be a Weekend Warrior this weekend. I guess I don't know what I expect to get out of this blog - support, a reality check, whatever.. I think this one is just to vent. Let's have a great weekend - remember that Tuck's Big Challenge ends this weekend - and just keep this momentum rolling. It'll come off eventually - I'm just a bit impatient today.

Run, Forrest, Run!

Weigh In: 275.00
Five Day Average: 275.7
Calories Counted: 1641

I've been famous for having 2 hours to do something that takes an hour, and then spend an hour and a half wasting time - therefore leaving myself with not enough time to complete my task. It's just how I operate. I don't know why, but it must be something with that Bachelor's Of Procrastination degree I have up on my wall.

That happened today when it came to my workout. I woke up early, was all ready to go, but then knew I had a bit of time so I was going to watch the Biggest Loser on my DVR this morning. I figured it's an hour long show, and skipping commercials it'd be about 45 minutes. Plenty of time for the gym before work.

Well, Biggest Loser was a "Special TWO HOUR EDITION!", so I ended up watching the entire thing. Thankfully for me, DVR cuts out about 30-40 minutes right off the bat. So, I figured that instead of wasting time driving to the gym, getting changed, working out, showering there, getting changed again, driving home, etc.. I just would go for a run.

Now, I've never ran more than 1 mile non-stop before. I've done 2 miles before, but it was like "walk the first one, walk and run in spurts - mostly walk the second one). Today, I did 2 miles in 19 minutes - non stop running for 2 miles straight, not counting about a 10 second break when I readjusted my headset.

So, 2 miles non-stop for me. When I was done I was pouring sweat harder than any of my workouts the past few weeks. Felt pretty proud of that.

Oh, and us Weekend Warriors have another challenge in front of us. For me, this weekend's going to but nuts. I'll go into more details later, but let's just say that there's a ton going on, and restaurant/bar food is going to be a-plenty. It's good decision time yet again. TGI(A)F!

This Guy - 1, That Guy - 0

Weigh In: 275.75
Five Day Average: 275.4
Calories Counted: 2001

So, a funny thing happened at the gym tonight.

I was working out, doing my regular deal. I had hit the bench, curls, you name it - and I noticed this guy.. actually, let's call him "That Guy" - the guy who is always at the gym more concerned about how good he looks than his workout. We all know "That Guy", right?

So, "That Guy" is walking around the gym, watching others work out. He's got his tight white shirt on, chest all puffed out, hovering around people, grinning. I'm not making this up. Joe Pesci type of grin. He'd literally just stand there with his hands on his hips watching people work out.

So, the dude goes and does his squats. He puts 2 45's on and 2 35's. The bar weighs 45, so he's got 205 on the bar. Apparently, he's proud of that. He does the whole flexing in the mirror thing before he drops into the squats, and knocks out about 8. He puts it back on the bar, flexes again, and turns around to see who is looking at him. Lucky for him, I was waiting patiently for the bar, so I'm a few feet away. He looks at me, smirks, and then goes and does another whopping 5 squats at 205. Poor form, about half-way down - you know the type. I'm laughing in my head, but just wait - it's not got funny yet.

So, he finishes up and I ask him if I can work in. He says.. and I'm not making this up..

"Do you want me to help you take some of the weight off?"

I looked him dead in the eye - and said...

"No, but if you could another 45 on your side, I'd appreciate it. Thanks a lot, man."

The look on his face was priceless. Now, I'm not the guy who wants to prove how strong I am - I'm clearly not the strongest guy in the gym. I usually don't even try to max out. But this guy got my ego going. So, I put another 90 on the bar, and knock out 3 straight sets of 15 - perfect form, solid motion.

As I finished my sets, I caught him looking over at me. Just made me laugh.

Also, I did some Rocky situps again today - I'm at about a 75 degree decline, literally hanging almost upside down. I take the 10 pound medicine ball, hold it up over my head and do sets of 15 or 20. It strengthens the hell out of my lower back and all the way up the abs. I love doing these, especially with "Eye of the Tiger" blaring through the headphones. I didn't think much of it, but when I was walking into the locker room area, a guy comes up to me and says "I saw you doing those situps with the medicine ball. That would kill me if I tried that, awesome work, man".

Good feelings all around at the gym today.

Bouncing Back

Weigh In: 277
Five Day Average: 275.35
Calories Counted: 1,317

If it was only that easy, eh? (/points to the picture above)

Ok, so the weight went up today. Can't pretend that I didn't expect that. So, the cycle continues - I eat great, get a great new low, and then binge and pop right back up. That's the bad news - but here's the good news: I've done this before, and every single time, I've bounced back and blew past that old "new low". So, I'm going to do it again.

I pretty much starved myself for the first half of the day. I didn't feel like eating, I was already stuffed to the gills from the night before. As someone on Billy's blog yesterday mentioned, just thinking about the 'horrible' day I had yesterday - if I look back a year or so, that 'horrible' meal would have not only been the standard for my day, it probably would have been pretty low. So, it's good to remember how perspective changes.

Also, thanks for welcoming Tamika and Jim into the Coalition. They're going to be two very solid contributors, I can feel it. The more the merrier.

So, pretty short one tonight (read: not as long winded as usual). Pretty tired, it's not even 10pm yet. How's that for a sure sign that I'm getting old? Until tomorrow!

Meet and Greet the New Ballas

Please welcome the two newest FAT Coalition members.

Jim -
http://thatjimboguy.blogspot.com

Jim's a close personal friend of mine. Part of the group of friends we've had since high school. He's doing the 3 day walk (Melissa?) this weekend, and has made great strides. Make sure to support the kid.

Tamika -
http://meltdowndiva.blogspot.com

Tamika's a co-worker of mine. Quite possibly the funniest chick I've ever met in my life. She's down to earth, real, spiritual, and she lives up to the name of "Meltdown Diva!"

So, welcome them aboard. They'll be our newest cheerleaders as well.

PS: If you haven't already, make sure to check out my past blog entry as well.

Lazy + Stressful = Stupid

Weigh In: 275.75
Five Day Average: 275.25
Calories Counted: 3437

Ouch.

Poor planning, laziness and plain old stupidity did me in tonight. If it was "old" Rob, I'd blame the stress that I dealt with today for my eating "binge".

Long story made short, I almost ended up in jail today. Long story made medium length, Erin has a '03 Grand Am, and we took it to the car wash yesterday. Being a ghetto $2 car wash, the roller brush in the car wash literally ripped the side mirror off of the car. Because the manager wasn't in on Sunday, I had to take her car to the dealer to get it fixed, and then to the car wash joint to have the guy pay for the damage.

So, I get to the guy, and basically, he's this 20 year old punk. The manager of the car wash is wearing a dirty shirt, and as I (a customer) walks up to him, a cigarette is hanging out of his mouth. I let him know what happened (I filed a report with his employee yesterday), and I tell him how the mirror was ripped right off the side of the car, and the dude looks me in the eye and says "I'm not sure what to tell you, that's not my problem."

Needless to say, I'm taken aback a bit.

Me: "Not your problem? Your car wash ripped the mirror off of my car".

Jagoff: "Yeah (puffs smoke) .. and my sign says that I'm not liable, so it's not my problem".

Me: Is this the customer service you provide all of your customers?

Jagoff: If you don't like it, you can turn your fat ass around and find another car wash.

I wish I was lying. Word for word, that was our conversation. Needless to say I got pissed, he told me to go F-myself, and I clenched a fist and took a step towards this guy.

Then, the cop who was about 15-20 feet behind me flipped his siren on for a quick second to let us know that he was standing there watching the entire thing.

To serve and protect is right - the kid lived through the day.

So, I'm stressing about this all day. I already had a large breakfast, and then I didn't eat lunch. I came home, and figured I'd snack before Erin got home for dinner at around 8:30.

So I had eggs. And then these little bagel things looked good. I had a few with my eggs. And then, I had two spoonfuls of peanut butter. I was full. Probably ate a bit much, but I wasn't counting, and I would just skip dinner, right?

Well, that was the plan until Erin got home and I made her some dinner. She had busted her ass today - she's really been working hard at work lately pulling some later hours, and as a teacher, it's already a stressful job. So, I make her soup and grilled cheese.

I burn the grilled cheese, so I made her another one.

And then I ate the burned one.

I feel sick right now - for two reasons. One, the 55-gallon drum worth of food I ate in the past 5 hours. Two, I just counted those calories up. I estimated that I was around 2200-2400 for the day - clearly I was either WAY off, or trying to convince myself of that. Either way, one thing is for sure.

The streak is broken.

The good news?

I've got a time to beat. The streak ain't over - it's just starting over. 7 days, 16 hours is the time to beat. And that starts now.

Did you EARN it?

Today's Weigh In: 275.00
Five Day Average: 275.20 (new low!)
Calories Counted: 1985

Mine went well. I'm pretty proud of having a strong weekend. It didn't hurt to see a 273.5 on the scale yesterday, that was a treat. Of course, I knew it wasn't going to stick, but I'm good with my progress the first seven days of the "Streak" - which is still going strong.

I'm learning this lesson every few weeks - it's something you'd think that I'd learn once, and retain. But I've lived my whole the other way, and now I guess it's going to take a while for it to stick. The lesson?

You get what you earn.

When I was growing up, I was a lucky kid. I had a great family, whether I knew it or not. I was lucky to have a mom and a dad living in the same house - parents who would give their lives to make sure mine was going to be good. I didn't appreciate it until later on in life, and I made a ton of mistakes growing up.

Flash forward a few years. I went to college - paid by my parents, who made more sacrifices than I can count just to afford to send me. And I didn't appreciate it until later in life - now that I'm paying for it myself, and seeing the sacrifices that they made for me.

I was always pretty athletic. I was never the 'star' in sports, but I was a 'jack of all trades'. I could at least carry myself - baseball, football, hockey, basketball, you name it, I could handle my own. Never excel, but I'd belong on the field or court. I never took care of my body and what I could do - I got lazy, I ate horrible, and yet again - I didn't appreciate what I had until later in life.

Right now, my life is great. I have a family that respects me, a wife that is the love of my life, I'm doing well at work, I'm about a year away from school, and I sit here today one of the people people in this world that can say that they've lost 100 pounds, and have changed their life.

And yet, I have to remind myself to eat right. I love the feeling that I get when I see that scale number drop. It's something that I can say I earned.

So, yet again I seem to be learning the lesson, and I hope it sticks.

YOU GET WHAT YOU EARN.

Are you doing what you need to do to see the results you want? Do you recognize it, and appreciate it?

I do.


(Also, if you haven't already - record your weigh in for the Big Challenge here)

Tuck's Big Challenge Weigh In

Yesterday's Weigh In: 273.5 (new low!)

Ok, another week's in the books. How'd you do?

Also, let's start thinking about who wants to join an October challenge. Who would be in for October?

Weekend Warriors

Weigh In: 275.5 (new low!)
Five Day Average: 277.85
Calories Counted: 1,500

Today was a good day all around. Ate surprisingly less than I had thought, but because today was so crazy (just getting home at 10pm), and the eating was pretty stellar, I'm hoping to keep this streak going strong. With a 275.5 showing today, it goes to prove that same old adage: "the best motivator for weight loss is weight loss itself". I'm finding my groove.

Pretty short and sweet, but the bottom line is that I'm getting stronger.

Oh, and for Rip, Jay and anyone else who struggles during the weekend, let's see how we do. We're WEEKEND WARRIORS - and I'm fully expecting to see positive blogs from all of us on Monday morning. Continue on!

Stampede!

Weigh In: 276.5
Five Day Average: 278.55
Calories Counted: 2,044

I feel like I'm starting to gain a little steam here.

I'm pretty damn proud of my wife today. She has a long day at work, basically a 7am-6pm as a teacher with extra curricular activities after school, and if you've even been on the teaching end of a Third grade classroom, you'll know it's a little bit like a combination between a WWE Rumble Royal and a buffalo stampede. So, the last thing I'm sure she wants to do is find a good reason t get up an extra hour and a half early and hit the gym.

But that's exactly what she did. She woke up at 5am, woke me up, and by the time the gym opened, we were waiting in front of door waiting for the gym worker to unlock the doors. We were persons #1 and #2 on the Elliptical this morning.

Eating wise, I did well again. 2,044 for a day's pretty good. You'll notice my weight's stating to slowly sneak down. As Rip said - it's crazy what a combination of healthy eating and exercise can do for you. I'm telling you - someone should do a scientific study. I think that combination will help you lose weight or something.

So, the streak is on. I plan on keeping it going for quite a while. Day four in the books.

Streaker

Weigh In: 278.5
Five Day Average: 278.95
Calories Counted: 2,059

Three days in a row makes a streak. You'll notice I'm going to be keeping track of my clean days in a row. Just look above and follow along.

I did well today. I planned out my meals (although not 'ideal', they were calorically responsible), didn't have time to hit the gym in the morning (had to be at school an hour from my house at 7:30am), and went to the gym after work, and put in a good hour and 15 minutes. So, I did what I had to do, and I'm feeling like I'm getting back into a groove.

I talked about "Fat Xtreme" a few weeks ago, and wanted to know who wanted in. The basis of "Fat Xtreme" is that it's nothing different than the FAT Coalition - the only difference is that we expect each other to post often, and comment on each other's blogs more often. Each of us use our blogs as weight loss tools in different ways - some post every day as a form of motivation - and some of us just want to post our thoughts once in a while. "Fat Xtreme" is designed for those of us who really want to push each other and also be pushed on an almost-daily basis to be able to do so without alienating, or forcing others to blog "our way".

That being said, my sidebar has the groups organized that way - this way the ones who want to be held accountable on an almost-daily basis can get harassed by me - and I'm looking forward to getting comments and being harassed by you as well. If anyone was missed, I apologize. Just let me know and I'll add you. I had to go back a few weeks to keep track. If anyone else wants in, just let me know.

So - three days in a row. Going for four tomorrow.

Sneaky Serving Sizes

Weigh In: 278.25
Calories Counted: 2564?

Ok, first off - I had another solid day. I woke up, had a long day of work, and then hit the gym. Got my half hour of cardio done and some weight lifting, so it was a solid workout. I then got home after the day and was starving, so I had some hummus and broccoli/baby carrots. Great mid-day snack, right?

Dinner went well - Erin makes these UNBELIEVEABLE Turkey Chimichangas that are only 320 calories a piece. Put that together with a salad with italian dressing and chick peas, and you can call it a meal.

So I came online and totaled my dinner and snack up. Dinner was perfect, better than perfect. However, when I did the receipe analyzer for the hummus, I was STUNNED that I was reading about 500 calories for a serving of hummus. I have a hard time believing that I did that right. However, the more I look around on sites, I'm seeing a common 'serving' as 2 tablespoons of hummus for about 70 calories. I had about 4 heaping scoops of hummus (total estimate), so I'm thinking the 500 calories is way overshooting, but I'm going w/ the number on the calorie counter. I'm a bit frustrated that I have to report over 2500 calories when I thought I was right around 2100.

No big deal, I suppose. 500 calories of hummus beats the pants off of a 440 calorie double cheeseburger. And if I'm going to really "go crazy" (intentional or not), it might as well be on chick peas and garlic, right?

Either way, I consider this my second solid day in a row. Yesterday was strong, and the scale reflected it (came down 2.25 pounds). Today was solid as well, and as they say in sports - 3 wins equals a streak.

Tomorrow, I start my winning streak with my third solid day in a row. Time to get this snowball rolling downhill.

110 and 1766

Weigh In: 280.5
Calories Counted: 1766

A few things to note today.

First off, I was talking to RipX today, and we decided that our biggest problems are the weekends. I'm not sure what it is, but it seems like because our schedules are bad, we build in excuses to break diet. I had chinese (well, Thai food at a chineese restaurant) last night, and I didn't even care. I did the famous "justification" by saying that I hardly had anything else to eat that day (which was true), so that for some reason became my reason to eat this massive pile of Pad Thai.

So, the scale went up. Big shocker there.

We need to be aware of what we're doing to ourselves on the weekend. Instead of putting the "WEAK" in weekend, we need to be weekend warriors. And sure, we're motivated on Monday - let's see how motivated we are on Friday. Check back on Friday to give us hell.

Also, speaking of poor willpower, it seems like that has infected me today. But, the good news is that I made up for it. This morning before school, I had a bowl of cereal. Normal sized, but for some reason, I wanted another bowl. Was I hungry still? Nope. I just wanted another bowl. And the worst part is, I ate it. Halfway through I was full, but I ate it anyway. Why?

Crappy willpower.

And you know how that goes - you eat it, you feel stuffed, and then you're mad at yourself for the rest of the day.

But this time it was different. Instead of saying "oh well, another day gone to hell", I banned myself from food until dinnertime. I skipped lunch, and didn't eat until almost 9pm tonight.

A great plan? No way in hell - but I made up for a mistake I made earlier. If I don't know how to have willpower, at least I made up for it. I was starving all day long, and it's almost as if my body knew it was grounded - I was starving all day long. All I could think about was food, and how, when I got home, I was going to devour anything that wasn't nailed down. Erin was gone for the night in her Master's class, and wouldn't be home until 9pm, so all day long I kept thinking about how hungry I was, and how I was going to empty the fridge into my gut when I got home before her and had a house to myself.

So, I kept myself busy. I ran some errands. I got my oil changed in the car. And then I ended up the gym. I did my HOUR on the Elliptical (haven't done that in a while), and it wasn't even 8pm yet. Erin wouldn't be due home for a while. Time to go home and eat - surely I had 'deserved' it by now, right?

Nope. I grounded my body, and the pitiful reality was, I was in no mood for willpower. I just knew deep down inside that if I went home to an empty house, I would binge. Sad to admit, but at least I faced it. That being said, I had more time to waste.

So I stayed on the Elliptical.

I decided that I would stay on the Elliptical until Erin called to tell me she was on her way home, and then I would go home. If she's in the house, I couldn't binge. I wouldn't do it.

So that's exactly what I did. I made sure she got home before me, and then I got home. No empty house - binge averted.

Sometimes instead of fighting through your weaknesses and pretending that they aren't there, you have to guard yourself from them.

Sometimes your best offense is a good defense.

Oh, and for all it's worth - I was on that Elliptical for 110 minutes tonight. 10 minutes short of 2 hours.

Tuck's Big Challenge Weigh In

Ok, it's Sunday already. How'd you all do?

Paying It Forward

Weigh In: 278.5
Calories Counted: 2182

I don't know how great this blog is going to be because I'm exhausted, but I wanted to at least report in today. You'll notice the weight's starting to go in the right direction. I was in the gym at 6am this morning even though I didn't have to be anywhere until 9:30. I want to get back into my old habits - even if the situation doesn't call for it. That means trying to plan out and prepare meals, getting to the gym ass-early if that means I get it done and out of the way, and recording all my calories each day. It's what's gotten me to where I am today - and it's the only way that I'm going to continue at any respectable pace.

Tomorrow morning, Erin and I are going to hit the gym. That'll make 4 or 5 days in a row for me, which USED to be the norm. Now, it's something I'm really making an effort to do, and I'm going to keep doing it until it's the norm again. I've been doing a pretty standard workout that's seeming to work pretty well for me. It goes something like this:

- 30 minutes on the Elliptical
- Inverted Bench Press: 3 sets of 165, 12 reps
- Tricep Curls: 3 sets of 50 or 60, 12 reps
- Butterfly Curls: 2 sets of 12, 110-120 pounds.
- Rocky Situps: 3 sets of 12 - body weight approximately 75 degrees inverted.
- Ab Machine (tough one, not the easy one): 2 sets of 10, 60 pounds of resistance.

I'm not too concerned about working my legs TOO much - I get a good workout with the Elliptical that I do. Also, when I'm doing my Tricep curls, I stand on my toes to build stability and calf strength. I'll eventually add my leg presses and curls, squats and lunges back in, but this is the plan for a while.

So this is the path to a healthy lifestyle. I've said it a billion times now, but it's hard work, planning and constant focus. Sometimes I convince myself that I'm the only one watching myself, but I'm starting to realize that there's a lot of people watching what I do. It seems as if many people expect me to fail - and I constantly try to prove them wrong. On the other hand - and I think this is more important - I'm starting to realize (through many of your comments on the blog, and also people at work and in my life) that I'm a source of motivation to others, and in a way, a role model.

If I'm being totally honest, I'm honored as hell that I'm viewed that way. It's the same way that I view Billy - someone who has been there, done that, and it blazing trails for me. For instance, I keep looking at his "before" picture lately and I can't help but remind myself that he was 258 pounds in that picture. I'm about 20 pounds from that, but also about 4 inches taller. What does that tell me? That tells me that if I work hard for another 9 months, I can look in myself in the mirror and know that the transformation he made, I can also make.

And that motivates the hell out of of me. In the end, in a year or so when I hit my fitness goals and I'm built like a brick shithouse with muscles ripping left and right, I can point to Billy as a main source of example and motivation.

So, if others get that feeling of motivation from me, it's up to me to really put it all up there and prove myself worthy of that level of respect. I may have lost 100 pounds, but I can't rest on those laurels. I've got quite a bit left to go, and in order to achieve that, I have to take it to the next level. There's too much at stake NOT to.

On the Rebound

Weigh In: Reported Earlier Today
Calories Consumed: 1888

As you guys know, I check my blog and everyone else's blogs probably 10-15 times a day. That means that 10-15 times today I got to see my blog staring back at me. You know the one - it's the one right below this where I was a whining little brat complaining about the gifts in my life like the ability to go back to school when I'm 30, a job that is flexible enough to allow me to do so, and all the other good things in my life.

So that being said, I wave goodbye to the slump that I was in. I was watching the finale of "Fat March" a few night ago, and if you're not familiar with the show, they walked like 550 miles from Boston to Washington DC. The premise was that they were a team, and whenever someone got voted off or quit, they lost a percentage of their money. But what was key was the fact that all they did was eat right and walk (a LOT) and they lost weight. There were some of the most miserable people in the world at the beginning of this show (me earlier today), and by the end, they were motivated and seeing results (me now).

Here's some of the quotes at the end:

“You just have to get up off of your big butt and walk”

“Just watch what you eat – it’s not brain surgery”

“It really comes down to getting up, going out, and doing SOMETHING”

“Once you look at yourself in the mirror and say that you’re tired of hurting yourself, defeating your future – once you do that, you can do anything”

“There’s no magic to weight loss – there’s no magic to becoming who you want to become. You just start to believe in yourself – you start to accomplish small goals, even if it’s just walk a block, and then it turns into a mile walk, it starts to become three miles, and then five – and then pretty soon, you can walk a marathon, where you couldn’t even walk a mile before”.


It makes sense. And it's a lot simpler than I've been making it out to be. So, that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to suck it up, and MAKE it happen.

Oh, and I saw this in my Sports Illustrated magazine today. I opened it up right to this page, as if it was fate:

Chris Chelios's Hour of Power is a workout that Detroit Red Wing Chris Chelios does. One hour straight, doing this non-stop. He's 45 years old, the oldest player in the league. There's a reason he's in such great shape.

Pimpin' Ain't Easy

Weigh In: 281.5

I've come to the realization that I'm in a slump. Mentally, I've got so many things going on that the importance of working out and eating right is still there, but it's fighting the need to take care of work and school, and it's a struggle. By no means have I quit (of course), but it's just been a tough road lately.

Physically, I've been exhausted as well. Constantly going from A to B - having 30 things on my plate. My schedule is a balancing act, and it's frustrating as hell. I'm having to find cracks in my schedule just to get my workouts in.

That being said, something has to be done. This isn't supposed to be easy - or everyone would be doing it. If this is a SACRIFICE, then that's exactly what I have to do. We've gone out and had a great time this week for Erin's birthday - been having family meals, going out to eat, you name it. I've talked myself into coasting when I need to be going full speed ahead. I just haven't been doing enough to EARN it - which is what has led to my lackadaisical attitude. I'm afraid that I've come off as "not caring" lately - that's just not the case. It's still the first thing on my mind - I just haven't put the time in, so unlike the past, I'm not allowing myself to be really pissed off.

One thing I haven't been doing is officially counting the calories every day. I'm going to start being more conscious of that. I haven't been - quite frankly - because I didn't want to see the number counted every day.

It's great when you have the motivation and drive and WANT to be doing this. Sometimes, you don't have that drive and motivation. But you know what? You suck it up, and you just do it anyways, whether you like it or not.

Just like any other responsibility in my life - it's got to get done. So, I'm going to keep doing it. I've always said that the "best motivator for weight loss is weight loss itself". Maybe if I EARN a few pounds lost, I'll regain that steam.

It is what it is.

Weigh In: 282.5

It is what it is, I suppose. The last few days haven't been great for the diet, and my workouts have been slim to none. I could give a ton of excuses, reasons, or whatever - but it is what it is. I haven't done what I need to do, and the weight is up. I'm pissed off about it on one hand, but on the other hand, I'm pretty calm. I don't like it, but I expected it.

The good news is, I've done well today. I went and did a great workout tonight. I'm having a hard time getting to the gym in the mornings right now because I'm taking two classes that are absolutely tearing me up. I'm getting up early, and usually when I'm at the gym at 6am, the last few mornings I've been in front of the piano working on these arrangements for class. Again, it is what it is.

So I am finding time for everything. The last time my schedule was swamped like this, it was December when I was buying a house, and the weight was horrible. I gained, stayed steady, and gained more. I won't let that happen again.

The bottom line is that I need to find the time. I actually took a half day off of work today so I could visit Erin at her school (it's her birthday today), and then to go to the gym. I actually took the time off of work specifically to work out, because we're going to the Tigers game tonight and I knew that I would have no other time to work out. That's obviously something I can't ALWAYS do - but again - it is what it is.

So, let's see what happens tomorrow. A new day - following a good one.

Never Forget

Weigh In: 280.0

Sometimes, weight loss is important. Sometimes, it isn't as much so.

Today marks the 6th anniversary of the day the World Trade Centers crashed. I find it hard to believe that 6 years have passed since. I remember sitting in my parent's living room watching CNN as the first tower was hit by what we thought was a 'commuter plane'. Every single one of our lives changed the moment that second plane hit - we immediately knew it was terrorism.

This was our generation's Pearl Harbor. Every time I see the combination of a 9 and an 11, I think of what happened in 2001. Whether it's seeing the date on the calender, or it being 9:11pm on the clock, I'm constantly thinking about what happened to those innocent lives that day. All those people who were minding their own business, trying to live the American Dream, all wiped out by a terrorist group. There's so many political views on this that I don't want to get into - but the bottom line is, these people were in the line of fire in a war they weren't aware that they were in.

So much has changed. It's not just the time frame at the airport. It's about families lost, and a perspective that we all got that day. "War" happened elsewhere. It wasn't supposed to happen around here. To think about everything that happens in this world that we're de-sensitized of - I for one never thought it would happen in this country.

But it has, and it's the world we live in. I'll never forget for the rest of my life the images of firefighters climbing into those towers to save those lives.. and I'm not convinced that they didn't realize what was going on around them. I wonder if they knew they were walking into their own firey grave. I think about all those people around the country who were watching on TV as the towers were on fire, desperately pounding the buttons on their cell phones trying to get ahold of their family who worked in New York, with no luck.

Today's a day to remember the victims of the largest terrorism attack on our country ever. A day to appreciate the family members and friends in our own lives - and to make sure we let them know that we appreciate them - because you don't know what tomorrow brings.

Never forget.

Weak.

Weigh In: 282.5

I'm irritated, pissed, frustrated and fed up. First off, the weight today was rediculous. I'm doing all the wrong things at exactly the wrong time. From a week ago today to now, I've GAINED 6 pounds. Completely the wrong way.

I'm falling into the old traps - eating great all day and then blowing it at the end. Missing work outs. Not being completely focused. Making excuses and bullcrap justifications for poor behavior.
Here's a few:

1: Last night we had dinner at Erin's parents house for Erin's birthday week (yes, week). Her mom was serving stuffed shells. I "had" to have that.

2: I have been so busy with classes and work that I'm stressed out - that's why I haven't hit the gym as much as I have in the past.

3: Ever since the gym was closed last week, I'm out of my habit of hitting the gym early every morning. It takes time to get 'back into gear'.

4: Ever since classes started, I've been forced to weigh in much earlier in the day (like 6am) instead of around 8:30 or 9am like I've been recently. That's part of why the weights have been off.

All of those are complete crap. Why I allow myself to buy into that garbage is beyond me. I'm better than this, but here I am, coming up with reason after reason for being a complete asshole when it comes to my weight loss goals this week.

This has a lot to do with my "inner fat" and self-doubt. Every time I gain steam (last week), I find a way to screw myself over. This has to stop. And nobody is going to do it for me.

Also, I'll get the challenge numbers up sometime today, the aforementioned work/school schedule's got me against a wall this week, and we're still missing a few weigh-ins, so it'll be done soon. Sorry for the delay.

Tuck's Big Challenge Weigh In #1

Alrighty, everyone. One week in the books. What's your weigh ins?

Score One For Me

Weigh In: 279
Five Day Average: 279.2

Well, it keeps going up, but there's a bit of good news in there. I stepped on the scale during the day and it was reading 278. I also got a good workout in (first solid workout since I busted myself up), and I've been eating pretty solid today.

I'm taking Erin out with some friends to celebrate her birthday tonight (on Wednesday, the 12th is the actual date) so I'll have to make sure to be good with the drinking tonight. With the official team weigh in tomorrow, I've got to be even MORE dedicated so that I can get this damn number down. This is our favorite bar, Bailey's, and it's got like 40 or so beers on tap, so you know that it's a good selection. Also, eating dinner there, so let's see how good I can be.

Secondly, I got rid of a ton of clothes tonight. I cleaned out the closet completely. If it said 3x or 4x on it, of if it was a size 44 of above, it's now in a large bag being prepared to be given to Purple Heart on Thursday. Erin asked me "what if you gain all the weight back", as she was concerned about getting rid of ALL the large clothes (I kept one for a "Before" picture later on) - and it never even dawned on me that I was so confident that I'd NEVER see those sizes again.

I guess with all the failures of the past, I've held on to the 'big' clothes because I was never confident in myself and my ability to KEEP it off. Now, I guess that's just a given. It never even crossed my mind once in the time I was tossing out 3/4 of my wardrobe that I would even possibly see those numbers.

So, in the battle between body and mind, I give myself a point.

The Struggle That Never Ends

Weigh In: 279.5
Five Day Average: 278.6

I look back a week ago, and my weight was falling right off. I was eating right, I was doing extra workouts even though I didn't have a gym, and I was so motivated that it was getting 'easy'.

It's strange how that goes in spurts. It's like sports teams and their streaks. Your team can win 8 in a row, but that one bad game hits, and you lose 6 in a row. Same players, same team, nothing's changed but the results.

I'm not really sure where I'm going with this, but it seems like the last few days have been such a struggle for me, and I'm not sure why. I get on fire - just really tearing it up, and then I wake up one day and all of a sudden I'm having to drag my ass to the gym - or I have to do everything that I can not to open up the fridge and binge on whatever is closest to my grasp.

I can't explain why it happens, but I know that it does. That feeling of weakness is SO frustrating, I can't put words into it.

I don't know what the problem is, but I know I have to pick myself up and brush myself off. Sometimes, I just have to give myself the slap of reality that is a simple truth - this isn't going to be easy, and it hasn't been easy since the day I started this weight loss journey. The fact is, every pound has been a struggle. Sure, there's been times where I've dropped big numbers, but then somehow, someway, I always end up having to lose those pounds again. I beat my head against the wall.

So what's the bottom line?

There's no 'coasting' through this. For every second that I'm not pushing forward, I'm falling behind. There's no 'neutral' here - it's only forward and backward.

So as unmotivated, frustrated or just irritated I get, I've got a choice make.

Work hard - or hardly work?

Feeling It

Weigh In: 278.5
Five Day Average: 278.5

I can't begin to tell you how sore I am today. I've got mixed feelings about it, as well. On the bad side, I'm sore as hell. So much that I was walking gingerly all day, my shoulders and back were throbbing, and I had to take a day off from the gym. On the good side, it's hurting because I pushed myself past my comfort level, so I feel good about it.

So yeah, no gym today. But I felt the burn.

I think I'm going to re-evaluate the workout, and raise the reps and lower the weights just a tiny bit. That way, I still get the work on the muscles, but I can recover in time to get another one in. On the eating forefront, I think I did pretty well today. I'm a bit concerned that I had a bit 'too much' of the good stuff, but nothing that should put me over any limits. I had a bit of mozzarella (2%) on my salad tonight, and I did have a few extra bites of the main dish (healthy mexican), but other than that, pretty much on. I just feel bloated right now though, not really sure why. Perhaps the stomach is actually trying to shrink?

Other than that, not much going on. I'm planning on getting a good workout in tomorrow - loaded with stretches. I'll probably lay out a similar workout (I haven't really figured out that stuff you sent me yet, Billy - I'm not too good with the terminology with some of the stuff) in the morning so I've got a goal.

Until then, keep on working hard. Results follow effort.

Two-a-Days

Weigh In: 280
Five Day Average: 277.8

Well, I started using Billy's workout tonight. First off, I went to the gym this morning and did 30 minutes on the Elliptical, just to get back into the swing of being in the gym. I then went to my two classes (omg, I'm a dead man), and then I went to work, and then Erin wanted to go to the gym after work, so we went after work.

That's when I did Billy's "Beat Rob Into The Ground" Workout. No, really. That's what it's called.

There were a few workout items that I had no idea what they were, so I altered a few things to make them famliar to me. So this is what I did:

Warmup - 2 circuits
Y-squats - 10 reps
Push Ups - 8 reps
Bulgarian Split Squat - 8 reps each side
Assisted Dips - 8 reps (100 and 110 pounds assistance)

Circuit I - 3 circuits, no rest between exercises, 60 seconds between circuits
Dumbbell Flat Press - 60 pounds, 6 reps
Dumbbell Row - 60 pounds, 6 reps/side

Circuit 2 - 3 circuits, no rest between exercises, 60 seconds between circuits
Dumbbell Squat-Curl-Press: 80 pounds, 8 reps
Wide Grip Seated Row: 120 pounds, 6 reps

Circuit 3 - Perform 3 times, 30 seconds between circuits
Dumbbell Deadlift - 100 pounds, 10 reps

Now, I was GOING to do...

Sprint Intervals - 3 minutes warmup, six 30-second intervals at 9mph, 30 seconds rest, 3 minutes cooldown

... BUT, when I got onto the treadmill, I could hardly even walk, let alone sprint. I walked at about 3.5mph for a minute or so, kicked it up to 9.0mp, and literally had to hold on because my legs weren't going to carry me any longer. 30 seconds later, I jumped off, and limped home.

So yeah, damn. This one's going to work. I'm glad that I went back to the gym tonight, because tonight - I worked my tail off.

And when that tail comes off, so does the weight.

That's why I'm not too concerned about that glaring 280 on the scale this morning. It's unexplainable, makes no sense, and is just there because the weight loss Gods are mad at me.

So, I beat them at their own game.

Labor Day Results - and a New Forum

Weigh In: 279
Five Day Average: 277.5

How'd you all do on Labor Day? Contrary to what my weigh in says (up 3 pounds), I thought I did a pretty damned good job. I had one cheeseburger (no other healthier options) with no bun, 3 bites of pork and beans, a pile of pineapple and some dill pickles for dinner. To snack around, I had pita & hummus - and considering the piles off the 'other stuff' I could have had, I felt pretty good about it.

I did have kind of a lot of the pita bread though, so I'm hoping that has something to do with the weigh in going up. Not sweating it though - what goes up must come down, right?

Also - here's the main part of the blog. Some of us were talking about having a Forum to talk on - something to really have as a 'main communication'. Since I run a sports site called Rotokingdom.net, I created a "Health and Fitness" section. Keep in mind that this is a forum with an Entertainment section, Trivia, Betting, Graphics, Politics - it's a pretty wide open deal, so I created the Health and Fitness section.

Although it looks small now, I just created it about 3 minutes ago. This should be a pretty active place, and I'm inviting everyone from the Coalition to join. If you guys have questions, let me know? Otherwise, you can find the Health and Fitness Forum here.

Beware the Trap Door

Yesterday's Weigh In: 277

Happy Labor Day, everyone. As the title suggests, today is one of those "Trap Door" days. Hopefully you all get a chance to read this before you go off for your barbecues and family parties. Now, "Old" Rob in the past, even when dieting, let himself believe a few key elements when it came to healthy eating at holiday parties:

1: Only eat a little bit of the bad stuff - just pick, don't get a whole plate.
2: It's only one day, a holiday even - just enjoy it and get back to it tomorrow.
3: With all this food around me, how could I be expected to NOT eat it?

That type of thinking is the words of a failure just waiting to happen. This is what I think today:

1: What's the point of eating ANY of the bad stuff? There's plenty of good options, even if I have to provide them myself.
2: Calories on holidays count the same as every other day. Would I eat this on a regular day?
3: Sometimes sacrifice hurts. I'm in control of what I eat - and it's NOT the other way around.

Person A will decide that it's only one day, and they'll eat to their hearts content. Chances are, their weight will be up tomorrow and they'll regret having the food that they did. They'll probably be pretty damned frustrated with themselves.

Person B will just have a little bit, but we all know that "a little bit" is more than what the healthy eating process would allow. They might gain, or at least stay the same, and they'll know deep inside, even if they don't say it out loud, that they could have had better willpower throughout the day, and will regret that they didn't.

Person C will eat right, make the right decisions, and report on their blogs Tuesday that the day was a healthy success, and they feel proud of themselves, knowing that they're on the right track to reach their goals, and a single holiday won't keep them from their happiness in the long term.

So, which person are you?

Whatever you do, have a happy (and safe) Labor Day!

September is On!

Weigh In: 277 (new low!)
Five Day Average: 280.0

Ok, I've got the challenge set up, and I thought we'd use our ending numbers for August 31, and then end on September 30. The first official weigh in will be Sunday, September 9th - figured having one on the 2nd wouldn't be necessary since the 31st was just 2 days ago. I tried to keep as many as the teams the same so that we all had a chance to try and topple Team Awesome, as they are defending champions.

I think I have everything right - if I made a mistake, someone catch me on it - and if there's anyone else who wants in, let me know and we'll gladly add you. I named the two new teams, but if you want a different name, just let me know too. No feelings hurt here :)

As for my story, another day of hard work paid off. I'm starting to realize that falling into 'habits' isn't really a good thing. For a long time, I tried to make everything a "lifestyle change", and just be able to get used to doing things without a struggle. It didn't work for me - I need to really be focusing on this as if it was Day One - I tend to relax if I'm not pushed.

Billy said something to me a few days ago on AOL IM chat that really hit me. He was dead nuts on. I was telling him that Erin and I were going to go to dinner, and that we had chosen our Thai restaurant, the one that we always go to. He asked if there were better choices of restaurant, and I told him that this place that we go was "our thing".

He then asked me if "being fat was my thing".

Kind of set me back - I laughed about it, but that one stuck with me. And you know what? He's 100% right.

If you want to change your life - whether it's weight loss or anything else, you have to make conscious decisions. And with those decisions come changes. You have to be honest with yourself... just because you've "always done" something, does that mean it's working? And if it's not - what are you doing to change it so that it DOES work? If you're not willing to CONSTANTLY re-analyze what you're doing with your life and adjust to ensure your success, chances are you aren't doing enough. And when you're not doing enough, you're probably not finding the successes that you are looking for.

For me, this is something I want. If it's cutting out ice cream and Pad Thai, then so be it. Is it fun? Is it what I want? Is it "my thing"?

Maybe - but being fat isn't "MY THING" either. And choosing between the two is something I chose to do.