In The Mood For A Quickie?

I thought you might be.

Lots going on today, so I have to keep it short.

>> Weigh in
Right where I think it should be at 318.5. Brings my average to 318.4.

>> Job Interview
This is a big one, as things at my current work-from-home position are deteriorating quickly. I need this. If not this, then something else. Either way, I need it soon.

>> Sick
Still feeling crappy. In fact, I feel worse today than I did yesterday. Might be stress and/or lack of sleep. Guess we'll see.

That's it for now. Wish me luck, and I hope to post later with some good news.

"Ah, Mr. 320. I've Been Expecting You."

As nice as it's been to see so many sub-320 days on the scale, I've fully expected that number to pop up again at some point.

Well, today was the day.

I think part of it is water weight, as my wedding ring feels pretty snug, and I haven't been drinking much water the past few days. Also, I'm sure that the less-than-acceptable diet has to catch up to me at some point. Again, calorically speaking, I'm staying well under my BMR, but I'll be the first to admit that some of the foods I'm eating are just empty calories.

I still feel crappy, though not as crappy as yesterday, so I think I'm on the down side of this sickness. Hopefully I can finally get back to pushing some weight around soon. It's probably a good sign that I miss it.

On another note, I've been struggling with stress lately. Not just "stress" but "STRESS". I can't go into too much detail here, but we'll just say that my job is at risk, which will put my family at risk. For those that don't recall my original post, THIS IS WHY I'm going through this challenge in the first place. I can't let my family repeat any of the hell we've been through over the last five years.

And it's not as simple as "get a new job". There are many other issues wrapped up in this one. We only have one car, we'd need to find a nanny for the kids, we'd have extra gas and insurance bills...you get the idea.

I get sick to my stomach just thinking about all of this.

I have a job interview on Wednesday, the same day my other job is likely going to be screwed with. So, tomorrow is a big day.

Today, I focus on my foods.

I'll worry about tomorrow later.

OK, NOW We Can Question My Weight Loss

Still sick as a dog. This cough, man. It's a killer. It's one of those headache-inducing, lung-upping, honks. I am not amused.

So, besides my quick walk on Saturday, and a little playful wrestling with Becky yesterday (perverts), I still haven't worked out. I also haven't been very hungry. I'm only eating two meals a day, and one of them is only a few bites. I just only feel like eating in waves when I'm like this.

Unfortunately for me, my eating wave took out a medium pizza.

My non-eating wave only managed a few tablespoons of turkey chili.

Then we had some graham crackers. With frosting.

For the record, it was a conscious decision to eat something bad. Beck and I agreed to do it, accepting the consequences. It just sounded so stinkin' good. And it was.

So, as we weighed in this morning, we BOTH found ourselves two pounds down from where we were yesterday. TWO POUNDS. There is no way on earth I should have weighed in at 316 today. I just don't see how it's possible. And I got up and down on that scale several times to see if the number waffled, but it stood strong at 316 - 316.5.

So, feel free to question my weight-loss this morning. God knows I am.

I still feel like horse poo, but I'm going to try to get some push-ups or something in at some point today. I know I need it, nomatter what this freaking scale tells me.

Keepin' On

Weigh In: 318.5
5-Day: 319.1

Well, this cold/flu thing doesn't want to let go of me. I hate being sick, yet it seems I'm always catching what's in the air.

Still, I see yesterday as a small victory. We needed a new wireless adapter for our desktop, and Becky was gone with a friend. Being sick, the temptation was to sit on the couch and cough until Becky got home, then I could drive over to Office Max and get one.

Instead, I got my sick butt up, took a shower, got dressed, and walked over to Office Max. Now, before anybody starts patting me on my back, it's MAYBE 2/3 of a mile round trip. So, it's not like I got in some amazing work out.

Even so, by the time I got over there, I was weak and sweating. Then walking back, and climbing up three flights of stairs about killed me. I had to stop several times and take a deep breath or two. And the rest of the day, I was pretty much prone on the couch coughing a lung up.

But the victory is in the fact that I did it. The old me would have sat here all day watching TV while completely healthy. The old me was lazy. The new me is not.

"Seemingly Lax"

Those words have stuck with me since yesterday, when Billy wrote them in my comments box.

I know that adverb "seemingly" allows for some wiggle room, so I'm not going to get too worked up, but essentially, "seemingly lax" means "I view you as being lazy". Honestly, I take some offense to that.

I'm a firm believer in "No Excuses". And I think that goes both ways. I went two weeks hovering between 324 and 326 on my 5-day average. I made no excuses for my plateau. I was eating badly, and my workouts were half-assed. But then, out of nowhere, I drop to 323, then 320, and now, my 5-day has dropped to 319. And instead of being happy and celebrating, I find myself having to justify my weight loss.

And just like I made no excuses for myself for being stuck in the mid-320's, I also make no excuses for dropping to 319.

And then to see that it's a possibility that people might take some joy out of my "uppance coming" soon? Again, allow to me translate: You're uppance will come = you'll get what you deserve.

People, I AM getting what I deserve.

I spent the last five years of my life eating 6,000 calorie dinners. Four double cheeseburgers, a medium fry, maybe a shake, and 1/2 - 1 box of Little Debbie snacks. I did that easily 8-10 times per month. I'd eat a whoile large pizza for lunch, and a family size chinese dinner for supper.

Then, in November - with no money for a gym, no money for a trainer, no weight set, staying at home with two kids, working two jobs, looking for more work - I started the process of rectifying my previous mistakes. Was I perfect all the time? Hell no. But I ALWAYS picked myself up, dusted myself off, and went back at it. My eating habits are 150% better than what they were five months ago. I am more active now than I've been since September of 2004.

And I'm seeing results.

I may not be doing it the way everybody else is. I might be seeing some quicker results in certain areas. But I'm not pissed at any of you for having resources that I don't have. I'm not pissed at any of you who aren't married with kids and two jobs. I sure don't sit here thinking "Well, when the money for the gym membership runs out, THEN his uppance will come!"

We're in this together. Either be happy when one of us makes a stride, or be pissed and "jokingly" wish ill on their transformation.

I make absolutley NO apologies for losing 41 pounds since January. And I make NO apologies for losing 28 since Thanksgiving. You might not like the way I'm doing things. And you might view me as "lazy" because I can't go to a gym. But I view it as a minor miracle that I have done what I've been able to do.

Now, excuse me as I list my new weights:

Today's Weigh-In: 319
5-Day: 319.9

Total Weight Lost Since January 2006: 40.1 Pounds
Total Weight Lost Since November 2006: 27.1 Pounds

Different Strokes

Today's Weigh-In: 320
5-Day: N/A
4-Day: 320.12

One thing I've noticed through this process is that it seems like all of us in the FAT Coalition are going about this a little differently than the rest.

Billy is taking a very business-like approach. That's not a bad thing, at all. He knows what has to be done, and he just does it. It's like eating or breathing for him. And he's seeing great results. Just look at his before/now picture.

Becky takes it seriously, but she's more apt to slack on her diet a little bit when compared to some others in the Coalition. She still works out at least 5 days a week, but is easily discouraged when she doesn't see quick results. Then the motivation sets in.

Rob is a machine. Working out 6 days a week, being careful with his diet, staying active in other areas of life - but the changes aren't coming like he wants. I haven't seen many pics, but I'm guessing that he's changed a lot, even if the scale isn't evidence in his favor.

With me, I work out when I can - maybe 2-3 times per week - and I'm mindful of my diet, though not perfect. I've likely had more slips off the wagon that the rest of the Coalition, and if one of us were named Cheater of The Year, I'd be the early favorite. Yet I'm still losing weight, quickly approaching the 30-pound mark. And while it seems I'm leveling off, I went from an average of 324.0 on the 14th, to an average of 320.12 on the 23rd - with no real workouts, and at least 3 bad dieting days.

The moral of the story is this: We're like snowflakes. No two "dieters" are alike. We have many similarities, but none of us are doing this exactly like anybody else.

What's important is to keep in mind that the changes will come. Shoot, I'd kill to have a current photo that looks like Billy's (without the beard - no offense), and Rob is plotting my death because of my recent weight loss. And then Beck, who hasn't shown much loss recently, is now fitting into things she couldn't get into 10 days ago.

No matter what your method, no matter how quick or slow your changes, your body CANNOT WIN this battle. It will fight, but it won't succeed. It will slow you, but it won't halt you. It can't stop you, it can only hope to contain you [/ESPN].

Keep pushing.

TOMORROW:

I'll get my new 5-day average tomorrow, so the blog name will change. If I can drop around .5 off of my average by morning, the blog name drops under 60, which would be HUGE.

Stay tuned.

The Big 1-0-0

Today's Weigh-In: 319
5-Day: N/A
3-Day: 320.16

This, my friends, is my 100th post here at The 100. I figured I'd do a little recap for the occasion.

Here's a quick recap of the changes in my life since my first post on 10-20-06.

Total Weight Lost: 27 pounds (40 pounds since 1/10/06)

Jacket Size Before: 56 Extra Long
Jacket Size Now: 52 Extra Long

Pant Size Before: 46
Pant Size Now: 42

Bicep Before: 14"
Bicep Now: 16.5"

Total Number of Push Ups Before: 0
Total Number of Push Ups Now: 10 (still sad, but better)

Nights With Reflux Before: 3-4/week
Nights With Reflux Now: 0-1/week

Asthma Attacks Before: 1-2/week
Asthma attacks now: 0

Migraines Before: 3-4/week
Migraines Now: 0-1/week

Number of Shirtless pics Before: 0
Number of Shirltess pics Now: 3

Still a very long way to go, I know. But it's nice to look back and see such drastic changes. My life truly is better today than it was 100 or so days ago, and it keeps getting better. Now if I could just get rid of this flu/cold thing...

319?

Today's Weigh-in: 319
5-Day: N/A
2-Day: 320.75

Yep. 319.

I don't understand it, and I'm going to hold off on getting too excited about it, but that is the number on the scale this morning.

I have a few theories on how that number is showing up today. There's something you should know before I get into them, though.

I haven't worked out in a week. Between rushing around for the wedding, trying to meet some work-related deadlines, travel days, and now being sick - again - I haven't done anything outside of a few push ups here and there. I still feel like microwaved dog crap this morning, and both of my daughters are sick, so today doesn't look promising, either.

Now, onto my theories:

1. My diet is holding.
This is possible - from a calorie standpoint. As I said yesterday, I did cheat a few meals over the weekend, but I know I never hit, much less exceeded, my BMR of 3,500 calories per day. Just not possible.

2. It's the muscle, stupid!
Having not truly worked out for eight days is not good, I know that. Is it possible that taking that long of a break would result in my body eating away that much muscle mass? One week ago today, I weighed in at 324. Five pounds of muscle mass in a week doesn't sound right.

3. It's Both.
This is the one I'm leaning towards. If my body ate away three pounds of muscle in a week (which still seems high), and my diet accounted for two pounds in the last week, you're looking at 5 pounds.

Truthfully? I don't know. I'm jut going to write it down, and keep pushing.

Now, on to something else. I saw the first round of photos from the wedding, and I looked as fat as ever (it's my inner fat talking - I was wearing clothes I haven't worn in almost three years). My best motivation is to see what I look like, and hate it so much that I am forced into action. So, sick or not, I'll be doing something active today. Might be push ups, might be squats, might be some light weights, might be house cleaning and laundry. But I will be as active as I can be today.

Keep fighting, people.

Not a Great Time

Today's Weigh-In: 322.5
5-Day: N/A

First, I'll be honest. I did not do that well. As expected, we were taken out to dinner several times, and in NO instance was there anything even remotely healthy. Most of the time, we tried to focus on portion control, but there were other times where we just let go.

It was a very stressful weekend. It was much tougher than I thought it would be to see my dad re-marry, and I didn't handle it well at all. As is my usual M.O., food helped me cope.

Now, having said all of that, I don't think there was even one day where I went over my BMR of 3,518. I don't doubt that there was a day or two where I came close, though.

Regardless, I know we're both glad to be back in our own environment.

One side note: Does anybody else ever get the feeling that people take these changes we're making as a joke, and try to derail us for fun? It was like a challenge for people to get us to eat things we weren't supposed to eat, and then, if we gave in, to give us a hard time about it.

I guess I just don't see where the humor in that is.

Sometimes It's Better If You Don't Ask

Gotta be a quick one today, folks. We're headed to the airport in a few minutes.

So, yeah.

Stepped on the scale after five days of dieting well, and not being nearly as active as I'd like, just hoping for a 323 to send me off.

I didn't get it.

Instead, I got a 320 - my lowest weigh-in so far. Bringing my average down t0 323.4 - my lowest average so far.

I got up and down from that scale for a good 3 minutes, and it showed 320 every time.

I can tell you this: It's a GREAT motivation as I head out that door this morning. I'm coming back with a 5-day of 321.4 or less.

You watch.

See you all in a few days.

Another Day, Another 324

Yep. 324 on the nose. Again.

My average is now 324.0, so there's nowhere to go with these identical daily weigh-ins. Something's gotta give.

My diet was clean yesterday, but I had no time for anything but diapers and deadlines. It was a long day. And my youngest was up at 3:30 this morning for a feeding, which is a great way to start the day. Couldn't get back to sleep until after 6, and it was only to doze. So, needless to say, I'm wasted this morning.

Add into that my apprehension about leaving for Michigan in the morning - and the laundry, cleaning and packing that needs to be done - and I'm feeling a little stressed.

I don't have a whole lot to say today, I guess. Just tired and trying to plug along.

Shocking! 324!

Yes, folks. You read that right. I weighed in at an astounding 324 this morning. My last 12:

324, 325, 323, 325.5, 325, 324, 325, 325, 323, 325, 324, and 324.

Now, if I were trying to maintain my weight, this would be GREAT. Unfortunately, I am not. Still my 5-day dropped .2, so there's that.

Now, I have a confession to make here. I've been slacking in almost all areas of life over this time frame. I know it's an excuse, and we don't use that word here, but I've been stressed out and shaken by recent family events. It's the old trick I used to pull back when I started plumping up - get stressed, stop caring.

I've only worked out once in the last week (not including the moving this past weekend), and my diet, while not a total failure, as suffered as well. I'm still eating well 90% of the time, but there's probably 3-4 meals each week that are just plain bad.

I need to go back to square one mentally. Count every calorie. Make sure I'm staying active. I've come to the decision that working out in my kitchen while working a job and caring for two kids under three isn't working. To be able to workout uninterrupted, I'd have to wait until both kids are sleeping. There is no such time. They don't take same-time naps anymore. Every time I start while they're up, it's bottle time, or diaper time, or "I'm stuck in the bath-tub" time (long, but funny story). As I was curling last week, my oldest ran under my arms, and I nearly cracked her in the head with 38# of weights.

I've got to get out of the house.

The biggest problems with the apartment's weight room are A. They are not open all hours, and B. They only have two machines and some dumbbells. Even so, I think I'm going to have to go and do SOMETHING when Beck gets home at night. Maybe I can't do all the exercises I want to do, but I'll do more than I would sitting here watching '24' or 'Smallville'.

Though both shows are great.

Thoughts for the day...

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
Dale Carnegie

The reward of a thing well done is to have done it.
RALPH WALDO EMERSON

Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.
Vincent Van Gogh

People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success.
Norman Vincent Peale

The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success.
David Sarnoff

Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.
Walter Elliott

You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.
Margaret Thatcher

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.
John Quincy Adams

324.4

It seems as though my body likes it here.

Today, I'm 324.4. Seven days ago, I was 324.5. Ten days ago, I was 324. Thirteen days ago, I was 323.9.

It could be worse, I could be going up the chart, not holding steady. I understand that, but it doesn't make this any more annoying. My goal was to hit 320 at least once by this morning, but my lowest weigh-in over the last week was 323. And let's not even talk about hitting 315 by Thursday.

I worked out HARD while moving massive toolboxes and workbenches on Saturday. So much so, that by the time I got home that afternoon, I was done with life for the day. I hopped on the couch, and it was over. The next time I moved, I was moving into the bedroom. Several times while working out, I was referred to as one of the "strong ones", where I used to just be called the "big one". At one point, I and another guy were carrying a ginormous toolbox. He had his end with two hands, grunting and huffing. I had my end with one hand, and I was doing modified rows with it as we walked to the truck. I don't know who it was, but I heard somebody say "Geez, Kevin's got his end with one hand!"

Small victories wherever you can find them, I guess.

On a down note, I'm headed back to Michigan - the site of my last self-destructive period - and I'm nervous about food and exercise. My dad has no weights, or any access to weights, and he told us yesterday that it's going to be below zero windchills all week - so outdoor activity will be a no go. Beck will be with me this time - to keep me on track - but I know that good foods will be at an absolute minimum this weekend. It's going to be a challenge.

So, the name of the blog doesn't change - which is bad.
But it's not up at all - which is good.

I'm wary about setting any goals for myself this week, as I have yet to hit any of them on time. Still, if you don't have a destination, you're just roaming. This isn't a good week to roam.

My Goal for The Week:

Weigh in at 319.5 or less at least once by 2-19

In the Right Direction

Short blog today, but just wanted to mention that my weigh-in was back in the right direction - 323. It brought my 5-day down 1/2 a pound, which is always nice.

I'll be helping some people move from 8 this morning until about 1, so I should get a pretty decent "workout" in today. Lot's of stuff, and lots of stairs. I'm considering taking a second to lift whatever I'm carrying up over my head, or curling it on the way to the truck, etc. We'll see how that works, I guess.

More later if I can find some time.

Time to Man (or woman) Up, F.A.T.

First, it was Billy. Slowly adding a few tenths to his weight each day for a week-ish. Next thing you know, he's back up almost a pound.

Then Rob. Poor guy's been stuck on 332 for what seems like a month, now. Seriously! Let the dude hit 329! Is it too much to ask??

How about Beck? Her last six weigh-ins have been 197, 197, 197, 195, 197 and 198.

And then there's me. Before I left for Michigan, I was at my lowest weight (322), and my lowest 5-day (323.5). Then I made some bad decisions, and my last 5 weights were 325.5, 325, 324, 325 and 325.

Rob's been talking about that wall for a few days now. It seems like we're all standing in front of one. I know we're all trying to break through it. But if you can't quite break through, find another way around. Climb it. Walk until you find where it ends. Rent a chopper and fly over. Bring in some C-4 and blow the bitch up.

I don't know about you guys, but I've come too far to start getting pissed or annoyed that I've hit a plateau. Is it frustrating? Hell, yes. But frustration never got me to drop to a knee.

I've been thinking about boxing a lot lately (anybody near Denver want to give me lessons?), and it reminds me that this weight loss is a 12-round Rocky vs. Apollo type of fight. It's going to go the distance, and we're going to get our faces pounded now and then. Yes, we'll get knocked down.

And, yes, we'll keep getting back up.

Guys, we're only in the third round here. We have a long way to go. This fight is just beginning. It's up to each one of us to take it one round - one punch - at a time.

So, "Apollo" (that's what I'm calling my fat today), hang around if you'd like. But know this: Your days are numbered.

More Proof

If you're still needing to see some proof that the scale is not the only way to track your progress, allow me to help.

My Measurements



So, even though I only lost 5 pounds from 1-6 to 2-7, I still added almost .5" to my bicep, I took a full inch off of my waist, and .75" off of my hips.

And, if I behave, I can still pull out a 10-pound-per-month average by 2-23. I'll need to lose eight pounds in the next 15 days, which I see has a very attainable goal.

It's all adding up.

I <3 Lipo

I just got back from the Dr.
I love lipo. I think I look great.

This is a roughly half-done rendering of what I might look like at my goal weight. Beck is working on it for me, and I thought I'd post a teaser. She has also offered to render any of the FAT Coalition members, as well.

Will it serve as motivation? Who knows? But it's worth a shot.

Finally Motivated?

Weigh in: 324 (-1)
Current 5-Day: 324.5 (NA)

I've been severely lacking in the motivation department the past few days. I've been tired and depressed, I've felt defeated concerning certain areas of my life, and the kids have not helped in the least.

It's been tough to get going. My last workout was a joke. I gave 50% for half the routine, then I quit.

And then Becky posted her most recent pictures.

Not only does she look great, on her way to looking amazing, but you could see the excitement in her eyes and hear it in her voice. She made a great stride, and it made her feel - deservingly - proud of what she had done.

Seeing her results and her reaction to them made me want what she had. I had already forgotten what that feeling was like.

So, today's workout and diet are going to be amazing. This is going to be a good day.

Thanks to Beck.

Back At It

Well, after a Tuesday weigh-in of 325, my new 5-day is 324.5. As much as I hate that number, I feel almost relieved, as it's only .6 higher than it was the day I left for Michigan - which is when the wheels fell off.

So, I'm back at it, working my way to my next goal of 315, which will be impossible to hit by next Thursday. And I'm OK with that. Will I reach my goal as quickly as I'd like? Nope. But I will still reach my goal.

There's no rush, people. There's not a guy watching us, waiting to beat us with a baseball bat if we fail to hit our goals on time. The only people who should be beating ourselves up is us. And we should only do that if we're failing. I messed up last week, but I didn't fail. I slowed down, but I didn't stop.

I started a new in-home routine yesterday. I might tweak the leg lifts and exchange them for some crunches, not sure.

Push ups
1 set of max reps from floor
2 sets of 20 from 45-degree angle

Curls
3 sets of 7, 38# each arm, alternating

Dumbell Cross Punch
2 sets of 10, 13# each arm

Squats (unweighted)
3 sets of 20

Leg lifts
3 sets of 10

I'm still very much hoping to get into some basketball soon, but I'd need to find somebody at my fitness level, or I won't last one game. I know some guys from the magazine I work for who play all the time, but these guys are all in great shape, and I wouldn't fit in. I used to hate playing with guys who couldn't keep up with the rest of us. I'm not gonna do that to anybody else.

And so, the struggle continues.

To the Coalition:

It's been a rough week for most of us. We're not getting the results we want, we struggle to keep on top of our routines, we lose focus...keep fighting through it. We all know we're doing the right things. Keep going, and the rest will take care of itself.

Happy Tuesday.

Ok, I'll post mine, too.

It didn't look too bad untli I screwed up in Michigan last week. Oh well, I'm back on the horse, so it'll start dropping again, soon.

Very soon.

Super, Thanks For Asking

Much like Rob said, I didn't do horrible yesterday, but I didn't eat clean all night, either.

Lots of high-sodium mexican dishes, some cheese dips, tortilla chips, and it's possible some of Becky's homemade peanut butter cups found their way into my system, too. Still, I ate great up until Super Bowl time, and I made sure not to overdo it on anything during the game. I snacked more than anything.

Still, the weight was back up to 325.5 this morning, so I'm guessing my 5-day ain't gonna be none too pretty tomorrow. Now that my schedule is back to normal this week, I'll be guaranteed time to workout.

Also, I'm hitting Denver's Craigslist today to look for a listing that says something like "Out of shape old guys playing basketball - come join us!" When in college, I played basketball three nights per week, didn't change my diet much, and I lost 60 pounds in roughly five months. Basketball is my sport of choice, and I greatly prefer accomplishing something when doing my cardio. The stationary bike and elliptical just don't do it for me.

I need to find something that I'll stick with.

My Goal for the Week:

Weigh in at 320 at least once by next Monday morning.

Quick Update

Here are my last three weigh-ins:

Friday: 324
Saturday: 325
Sunday: 323

I'd say I leveled off a bit.

I'll recalculate my blog title on Tuesday morning, when I have a new 5-day average.

Good luck to everybody today - Super Bowl Sunday is DANGEROUS. Be strong.

An Addendum

I weighed right before my shower:

324.

I have no clue.

Today's Weight...

Was 328.

That still seems high for one REALLY bad day, and three not great days. Granted, I didn't work out AT ALL, either. So, that might be part of the problem.

Still, almost five pounds in four days?

That? SUCKED.

Dear God.

Fried chicken, pizza, bar-b-q chicken sandwiches, mashed potatoes, Culver's, bar-b-q beans with pork and bacon - it just kept coming and coming.

Listen, I'm not here to tell you that I overcame every challenge, and I'm sure not going to say that I willingly gave in. What I WILL say is that I tried. Some days I did fine, other days, I crapped out.
I weighed myself after I walked in the door this evening, and it read 334-335. If that's true, it better be water weight, because as bad as I was, there is NO WAY I put on almost 12 pounds. I guess we'll see in the morning.

Either way, I'm back, and I'm living life on my own terms. The weight is coming off.