FatBloggers.net A little push to lose the tush.

Cross-published on I Reject Your Reality…

The weather gets warmer and you know what happens? I totally neglect my blogging responsibilities. I was just noticing that I haven posted here since last Friday.

I would say that I was sorry to have neglected my legions of readers… but I’m not. I’ve been at track meets, softball games and getting some yard work done. The lawn looks great; of course it always does this early in the season. Its when the temperature got north of 90 that the lawn starts looking a bit ragged. I also replaced a faucet in the yard. Which included digging a hole 3+ feet deep and multiple trips to D&B for various parts. But now I have a beautiful new faucet that isn’t hidden by the grass (not fun to hit with the mower).

After a quick shower, I made it to WeightWatchers tonight.

But, before I get to the Tale of the Scale. I saw my Doctor today. He is very pleased at the progress I am making. The nurse was very flattering when the scale registered UNDER 300 lbs. for the first time. I asked him about setting my OFFICIAL WeightWatchers goal weight. When I was on the Weight Warriors challenge, I had my body composition taken twice. It told me that my lean body mass was 205 lbs. So I ask you, how can I make Weight Watchers BMI influenced goal range of between 165-180 lbs? The Doc didn’t think it was intelligent either. He walked me through a bunch of formulas and determined that an appropriate goal weight for me would be… 225 lbs.

My Traineo widget has been updated to reflect this change.

Anton, A drum roll please…

Starting Weight (Dec. 22, 2006): 392 lbs.
Starting BMI: 51.7
Weight Last Week (April 29, 2008): 299.2 lbs.
Weight Today (May 6, 2008): 294.8 lbs.
Current BMI: 38.9

Weight Change This Week: -4.4 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: -97.2 lbs.
NEXT GOAL (see Goals tab above): 100 LBS LOST! (2.8 lbs. to go)

Do… or Do Not… there is no TRY. –Master Yoda

I fought back this week and succeeded.  I ate less on the weekend than I normally would and did more yardwork.  I wasn’t perfect, but I was better.  Amy and I have decided to really push hard to do more “core” foods instead of the breads and sugars.  I’ve had a few sodas more than usual, but I can count on one hand the number I’ve had in the last month.  That alone is quite an accomplishment.

I had to switch back to the elliptical this week.  My knees were giving me too many problems from doing the running.  Well, at least I think that’s the cause, though I really would not be surprised to find out that it was another gout attack (they can affect more than just the feet).  So today I took some gout medication and if I start seeing immediate results, then I know what else I need to do to get the gout out of the way.  If not, then it was the running and I need to slow down on that.

In spite of my knees, I still did a workout (I had not had one in about 6 days so it was rough getting back into the routine).  I gotta keep this up.  I lost this week, but I had lost two weeks ago too and had a gain in between.  I want to make 50 by summer and I’m running out of time.

Starting weight: 319.0 lb
Previous weight: 279.0 lb
Current weight: 276.4 lb
Current loss/gain: -2.6 lb
Total loss/gain: -42.6 lb
Distance to 50: 7.4 lb
Distance to WW Goal: 26.4 lb

Cross-posted to WebCudgel.com

Update

I woke up this morning and for the first time in almost two weeks, my knees and wrists are not hurting.  Unfortunately, that means it was almost definitely a gout attack I’ve been enduring.  I didn’t pay attention to the signs because I was rather skeptical about it being new joints (instead of the usual big toe or ankle joints).  I’ll take one more dose of my medication to be sure it is on its way out, but I also now know what I can’t eat for a while to be sure it goes away completely (hello, it was stupid to have the margarita this past Sunday).

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Anton, A drum roll please…

Starting Weight (Dec. 22, 2006): 392 lbs.
Starting BMI: 51.7
Weight Last Week (April 15, 2008): 302 lbs.
Weight Today (April 29, 2008): 299.2 lbs.
Current BMI: 39.5

Weight Change This Week: -2.8 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: -92.8 lbs.
NEXT GOAL: 100 LBS LOST! (7.2 lbs. to go)

Do… or Do Not… there is no TRY. –Master Yoda

Well, I had expected a gain last week and was surprised… however, my gain this week was a surprise too, but I should have seen it coming. After all, as I said before, this past week requires consumption of foods that are higher in fats sometimes. Now I can refocus since the week is over.

I still had several personal successes including doing a workout without having transportation to the weight-room (I work about a 1/2 mile from the building where I do my workouts). When I was off work Friday, I still did a shortened workout including 1.59 miles running (mostly). Today’s workout included a total of 1.34 miles (in two parts) where I was running the entire time.

I’ve really stepped up my workouts, but I need to get in some variations. I’m glad I took up the running. Maybe some day I’ll being joining in some 5K runs (of course, they’re almost always on Saturdays and I do believe Saturday to be the sabbath, a day of rest). It’ll be a while, but I do want to have some small goals in mind.

As for the gain, if you look at the graph, there seems to be a definite pattern emerging… Big loss, big gain, small loss, repeat.

Starting weight: 319.0 lb
Previous weight: 276.4 lb
Current weight: 279.0 lb
Current loss/gain: +2.6 lb
Total loss/gain: -40.0 lb
Distance to 50: 10.0 lb
Distance to WW Goal: 29.0 lb

Cross-posted to WebCudgel.com

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During this week (Sunday-Saturday), our congregation is observing the Days of Unleavens (yeah, old testament torah stuff; we observed Passover back on Friday night). During this time, we do not consume anything made with leavening products, primarily yeast, baking soda and baking powder.

The reason this concerns me is that most unleavened breads (which we are required to consume daily as the Israelites did as they left Egypt) are higher in fat and calories (especially since they’re not fluffy, they just take up space the amount of the dough). So naturally I expect the scale to show a significant increase during this time period.

I couldn’t be further from the truth. Though I missed a workout yesterday, I still got in three since the last weigh-in. I also changed it up today and replaced the 20 minutes of Elliptical machine with 20 minutes of 5 laps around our Call Center building (about 1.25 miles total) running one full lap and then about 70% of the rest running.

Though we had a Passover dinner Friday night (not a Jewish Seder, but roasted lamb, bitter herb salad, and unleavened bread), normal after-church small meal on Saturday and then a potluck on Sunday (the first Day of Unleavens), I still tried to limit my sweets intake, increase my veggie intake, and just have unsweet tea and water to drink.

All of this still resulted in me losing 3.2 pounds this week! This put me at a new record low since I started and only about 7.4 pounds away from my goal of 50 pounds lost. I just hope I can keep this up for next week’s weigh-in after these days are over.

Starting weight: 319.0 lb
Previous weight: 279.6 lb
Current weight: 276.4 lb
Current loss/gain: -3.2 lb
Total loss/gain: -42.6 lb
Distance to 50: 7.2 lb
Distance to WW Goal: 26.4 lb

Cross-posted to WebCudgel.com

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Cross-published on I Reject Your Reality…

Excuses are like… (you know)
And they all stink!

It wasn’t until I stopped lying to myself and filling my life with excuses that I started moving toward the goal of living a healthier lifestyle. Tonight, at the Weightwatchers meeting we talked about REACHING for the goal.

Recognizing an excuse
Ease into activity at your own pace
Ask for help
Change negative thoughts
Have fun

Generally every failed attempt to lose weight and transform your life has been a failure in one or more of these areas. I know, I’ve done it. Blowing into a gym and killing yourself on the equipment, trying to go it alone, telling yourself that you are a big fat loser, and punishing yourself with rice cakes and other forms of deprivation… sound familiar?

Get out there live your life, have fun and take a friend along with you on the journey. Set up some form of accountability. It doesn’t have to be a Weight Watchers meeting.

Slow and steady wins the race….

Anton, A drum roll please…

Starting Weight (Dec. 22, 2006): 392 lbs.
Starting BMI: 51.7
Weight Last Week (April 8, 2008): 301.2 lbs.
Weight Today (April 15, 2008): 302 lbs.
Current BMI: 39.8

Weight Change This Week: +.8 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: -90 lbs.
NEXT GOAL: 100 LBS LOST! (10 lbs. to go)

Do… or Do Not… there is no TRY. –Master Yoda

Okay, so I did push myself harder on the exercise and my food choices. I still did some sliding on the weekend and with desserts in the evenings, BUT I didn’t do anything nearly as bad as last week and I feel better about myself for it. I can do better and I will do better.

It has been encouraging to keep getting compliments for how much better I look. Even though the scale didn’t show much, I really didn’t need it when I kept hearing comments from co-workers and family and church members.

I’m just keeping on the course… I may be on the shoulder of the road, but I’m not parked with the hood up wondering what the heck just blew.  Be sure to notice my “Personal Success” on Thursday below because that was also something I felt good about this week.

Starting weight: 319.0 lb
Previous weight: 280.0 lb
Current weight: 279.6 lb
Current loss/gain: -0.4 lb
Total loss/gain: -39.4 lb
Distance to 50: 10.6 lb
Distance to WW Goal: 29.6 lb

Cross-posted to WebCudgel.com

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Cross-published on I Reject Your Reality…

Tonight at Meeting, Jan talked about creating a ’sabotage-free world’. This means that we have to examine the places we go (Kitchen, bedroom, living room, car, work, etc), that trigger a negative eating situation. I offered that my workplace was a ‘dangerous’ place for me because it is well stocked. I shop for the place and I do try to buy healthy choices, but the residents also want snacks and desserts and such. Occasionally, I am left alone to do paperwork. I have to be strong in the knowledge that there are homemade cookies in the house that are probably 10 points apiece. While they are under lock to keep the residents from moving through them like locusts. The problem, I have a key.

Just like the Environmental Protection Agency urges us to Reduce - Reuse - Recycle. We should protect our own environment by RECOGNIZING your trigger, REMOVING it and REPLACING it with a healthy alternative. To paraphrase Maverick in Top Gun, I live in a Target rich environment. And, try as I might, I cannot get the kids to eschew ice cream in favor of baby carrots. Of course the main problem is that I’m married to their dealer.

Right now, the triggers that I know are here in the house are… 2 cartons of ice cream & 1 gal. bucket, 2 boxes of Girl Scout cookies (**Now with REAL Girl Scouts!), a bag of tortilla chips with salsa in the fridge. It’s like an alcoholic living above the pub. Apparently, I bear my cross well (at least this week, I did).

(I really wish I could cue Kool & The Gang here… Celebrate good times… come on!) Ladies & Gentlemen… it was a BIG NIGHT!

Anton, A drum roll please…

Starting Weight (Dec. 22, 2006): 392 lbs.
Starting BMI: 51.7
Weight Last Week (April 1, 2008): 307.4 lbs.
Weight Today (April 8, 2008): 301.2 lbs. <– There will be fireworks when I break 299!
Current BMI: 39.7

Weight Change This Week: -6.2 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: -90.8 lbs.
GOAL ACHIEVED! LESS THAN 40 BMI!
NEXT GOAL: 100 LBS LOST! (9.2 lbs. to go)

Do… or Do Not… there is no TRY. –Master Yoda

Aw, shoot!  I really blew it this past week.  Had pizza, chocolate pudding pie, and other goodies.  Bad stuff and the scales told the story.  A gain of 1.8 pounds.  I am back to where I was three weeks ago (a gain then too).

The problem?  Telling myself that I’ve been good so I deserve a little treat.  While this is true, telling myself that for a few days in a row is NOT good.  I’ve stuck to the workouts.  I’ve been having more healthy foods, but I gave in on the unhealthy stuff too.

Unfortunately, I also didn’t write it all down.  I really was too embarrassed about it to admit to what I had done.  However, I promise not to let that happen again.  Either I write it or I don’t eat it.  I need to set a better example.  I can do this.  I know I can.

On the plus side, I managed to lift 175lbs on the benchpress (only two reps, but that’s pretty good considering I was lifting 45lbs less than two months ago).  My workout buddy still pushes me to do more (weight, reps, sets, time, etc.) and I keep doing my best to meet his expectations.  I do have to balance that with what I read about in reputable magazines and websites and try not to overdo it.

Also on the plus side was the 42×32 jeans I wore on Friday.  Man, that was an accomplishment all its own.

Starting weight: 319.0 lb
Previous weight: 278.2 lb
Current weight: 280.0 lb
Current loss/gain: +1.8 lb
Total loss/gain: -39.0 lb
Distance to 50: 10.0 lb
Distance to WW Goal: 30.0 lb

Cross-posted to WebCudgel.com

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222 =( That’s what it said on the scale this morning. A 4 pound post vacation gain.

I am not so worried about the 4 pound vacation gain… I am worried about the 9 pound gain I have accumulated over the last two weeks.

I have 4 weeks until my next 5K race and I would like to be at a new low by then. That means some serious work ahead. Hopefully I will be starting in on some serious Tri Training in the next two weeks, so that should help some.

To get things started right next week has officially been declared a standoff week.

As the weather is finally turning to spring, I am hoping to get my bike bought in the next few weeks and hit the road. I also plan to start swimming at the local Junior High in the next two weeks.

Play time is over, it’s time to get serious.

You can tell I am serious, I have used the word serious 5 times in this post!

Have a great weekend everybody. Get out there and enjoy your first taste of spring.

Tony
04/04: 222 lbs
NEW GOAL: 208
14 lbs. to go