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.