FatBloggers.net A little push to lose the tush.

I’m really pissed off! I have been writing down my food all week and staying within my points and working out almost every day and I gained 2.5 lbs. I was absolutely stunned… and as the scale sailed through the window of the Weight Watchers building, I wondered, “how did this happen?” The only thing that I think I can do better is to drink more water. I haven’t been paying attention to that and I’m sure that I haven’t been drinking enough. So for this week… I will drink 1/2 of my body weight in oz. of water while maintaining my workout schedule and counting my points each day, staying within my allotted range. I’m hoping this results in a great week next week! Here’s my damn stats:

Starting Weight (Aug. 1, 2007): 270 lbs.
Starting BMI: 37.7
Weight Last Week (Mar. 12, 2008): 259.5 lbs.
Weight Today (Mar. 20 2008): 262 lbs.
Current BMI: 36.2

Weight Change This Week: +2.5 lbs
Total Weight Lost: -8 lbs.
NEXT GOAL: 245 lbs. (17 lbs. to go)

Cross-published on I Reject Your Reality…

Oh what a difference a week makes. Yes, I did do something different this past week that kicked it up a notch. On a challenge from my maniacal personal trainer, I started taking an aerobics class. Well, its a combination spinning class, aerobics class. We spend 25 minutes in the cycling studio climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro then we transition (to allow our hears to get below 200 bpm) to the aerobics room where we do various exercises. There are several ‘professional’ aerobics class attenders who whoot at various times to show that they are having fun. Generally I am about to the point of collapsing. But I will not be broken! I will not give up!

Anton, A drum roll please…

Starting Weight (Dec. 22, 2006): 392 lbs.
Starting BMI: 51.7
Weight Last Week (Mar. 11, 2008): 309 lbs.
Weight Today (Mar. 18 2008): 305 lbs.
Current BMI: 40.2

Weight Change This Week: -4 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: -87 lbs.
NEXT GOAL: Less than 40 on the BMI! (3 lbs. to go)

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

Bleah.

I gained 1.8 pounds and I was disappointed. In the last few days, I had made some choices I would not have made the prior week. My war on sugar had a small cease-fire declared allowing for a relaxation of the sugar embargo.

However, my wife pointed out that it may also be affected by my workout routine. I had missed yesterday (choosing to go to Texadelphia cheesesteaks for lunch instead). However, I had also been keeping a rigorous pace otherwise. This will be the first week I won’t be getting in four workouts at the gym at work.

The other affect I’m seeing in the mirror. For the first time, I can flex in the mirror and see muscles instead of a shifting of body fat. In fact, I’ve had muscles popping up in unexpected places on my arms. So she mentioned that part of my weight gain may be muscle mass too.

It was still disappointing, but not as disappointing as it was before she reminded me. I love her.

So I’m renewing military conflict with sugar in the hopes to force it to accept a much smaller territory of occupation in the country called “Onmymenu”.

Starting weight: 319.0 lb
Previous weight: 278.6 lb
Current weight: 280.4 lb
Current loss/gain: +1.8 lb
Total loss/gain: -38.6 lb
Distance to 50: 11.4 lb
Distance to WW Goal: 30.4 lb

Cross-posted to WebCudgel.com

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I did my second day of Couch to 5k today. After going to the gym Monday and yesterday I decided to take a day off and I’ll hit the weights again tomorrow! I went to WW today and I am only .5 a pound down from last week. Not doing too well, but I am getting into better habits! I have worked out every day this week and I’ve been eating pretty well too. I didn’t get to eat much all day yesterday and after band practice I was starving. Wendy’s was open and those damn “baconator” commercials kept running through my head. So i had one and it was way too much meat! I felt my arteries clog up as I was eating it, but it was pretty good anyway That probably was not the best decision the day before WW but i’m looknig for a big loss next week now!

Starting Weight (Aug. 1, 2007): 270 lbs.
Starting BMI: 37.7
Weight Last Week (Mar. 5, 2008): 260 lbs.
Weight Today (Mar. 12 2008): 259.5 lbs.
Current BMI: 36.2

Weight Change This Week: -.5 lbs
Total Weight Lost: -10.5 lbs.
NEXT GOAL: 245 lbs. (14.5 lbs. to go)

P.S. As you can probably tell, I stole this posting format here… next thing you know I’ll be wearing t-shirts with my weight on them I’m such a poser!

Cross-published on I Reject Your Reality…

I didn’t have a good feeling about tonight. I was in an all-day training in Boardman — The Garden Spot of Oregon on the topic of proper documentation in billing Medicaid for services to Mental Health clientèle. I can FEEL your envy is surging through the screen right now. Plus, I am currently suffering a bit of discomfort that would definitely fall into the TMI realm.

Anton, A drum roll please…

Starting Weight (Dec. 22, 2006): 392 lbs.
Starting BMI: 51.7
Weight Last Week (Mar. 4, 2008): 307.6 lbs.
Weight Today (Mar. 11 2008): 309 lbs. (making the last 2 weeks a wash)
Current BMI: 40.8

Weight Change This Week: +1.4 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: -83 lbs.
NEXT GOAL: Less than 40 on the BMI! (7 lbs. to go)

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

This week, I declared war on sugars and sweets. If you review my menu, you’ll see that there was a dramatic cut in desserts. I still did natural sweets (fruit, juices), a few snack items, and protein bars, but other than that, you’ll have a difficult time finding the old habit of a dessert at the end of every lunch and dinner.

The reason was mostly for my gout because it is still hanging in there (though doing the best today that it’s been since last Monday). However, I also decided that this would be something I stick with to fight off the gout and to kick start my weight-loss in the right direction.

This is my fifth straight week of losses on the scale and I want to see what I can do to keep up the momentum. Even my “celebration” dinner tonight was a Chick-Fil-A wrap with only part of the dressing, some baked tortilla chips, salsa and water. It’s a celebration because that was actually what I was craving more than sweets. Of course, I had not eaten nearly enough during today because I forgot to bring some fruit for snacking. This will have enhanced my loss somewhat, but I still think most of it was that winning battle against desserts.

I’ve kept up my exercise routine as well. I’ve only missed a couple of sessions due to my gout, but I ended up doing some while working through the pain of that ankle (in fact, sometimes it felt better after the workout than before). Like John quotes from his trainer, pain is weakness leaving the body. I’m here to say goodbye to gout and goodbye to that old me. The new me is here to stay and make me an even healthier man as I get closer to goal.

Starting weight: 319.0 lb
Previous weight: 282.4 lb
Current weight: 278.6 lb
Current loss/gain: -3.8 lb
Total loss/gain: -40.4 lb
Distance to 50: 9.6 lb
Distance to WW Goal: 28.6 lb

Cross-posted to WebCudgel.com

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Sometimes, what you eat catches up with you. I went to work yesterday with a twinge of a gout attack; I still managed to get in my workout. Today, I went to work and, after one hour, returned home. The pain was such that I could barely think; I couldn’t concentrate and was just wasting my time there.

This has been one issue I’ve had many times in the past.  I would get a workout routine going and then have a gout attack that would take me out for a week.  Then I’m having to start all over.  Of course, most of the time, that was due to not drinking enough water.  I know now that this is not the case.  I need to eliminate sweets for a while.

What caught up with me started with Friday night’s happy hour (Cinnabon cheesecake), Saturday night’s card game with an elderly friend (Peppridge Farms cookies, banana bread, and other cookies at church), Sunday (sweet cereal and pancakes), and a few servings of soda, resulting in the aforementioned gout attack.  Ironically, today’s meeting was discussing good health habits and one of them was cutting back or eliminating sugars and alcohol. Since those are obviously big contributors to my gout (there are different primary triggers from different sufferers), I made a personal promise to cut back on the processed sugars for the next week. This means I can still have fresh fruit. The only exception will be my protein bars that I sometimes use to replace lunch after a workout.

So today was the first time I missed my workout. My exercise partner took advantage of today’s schedule to go vote at lunch. I guess I’ll be working out the rest of the week (if my gout improves tonight).

I obviously have issues with control on the weekends and I really need to work on that. It is so much easier on weekdays when I have a routine.

Still, in spite of my weekend, I extended my loss streak to four weeks. I can do better and I will.

Starting weight: 319.0 lb
Previous weight: 282.8 lb
Current weight: 282.4 lb
Current loss/gain: -0.4 lb
Total loss/gain: -36.6 lb
Distance to 50: 13.4 lb
Distance to WW Goal: 32.4 lb

Cross-posted to WebCudgel.com

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Yeah, my workout buddy warned me about this, but I had hopes otherwise. I only lost 0.2 though I’m sure I lost more than that in weight (fat). However, as I workout with a weight-training regimen in addition to cardio, I’m going to build muscle (which is much denser than fat, thus weighing more than fat for the same physical amount). Of course, a few things I consumed over the weekend didn’t help much either.

As for the workouts, each time I go, I think I come back with a different set of muscles aching or weak (Monday I felt like I was 50 years older barely able to get up from my chair and push open doors). Today was mostly triceps that bothered me. It’s finally working itself out as I sit here to type up this post. I stuck to the schedule of four times a week though my workout buddy skipped out on Thursday last week due to prior lunch plans. The full regimen I completed each day is below after the “read more” link along with my menu for the week.

I know I can do this and I want to defeat this belly. I have so many other indicators that I’m doing well (my pants are no longer tight fitting; I’m wearing smaller sizes including the new XL shorts I bought for my workouts versus my older XXL; my endurance is building for the elliptical and I’m increasing the weights I’m using or doing more reps). With all these indicators, I can’t let myself give in to self-defeating thoughts when the scale says 0.2 pounds lost. I’ll get there… eventually… but I’ll get there.

Starting weight: 319.0 lb
Previous weight: 283.0 lb
Current weight: 282.8 lb
Current loss/gain: -0.2 lb
Total loss/gain: -36.2 lb
Distance to 50: 13.8 lb
Distance to WW Goal: 32.8 lb

Cross-posted to WebCudgel.com

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I feel like CRAP!

I haven’t been eating right, I haven’t been blogging, I haven’t been to the gym but once since last Wednesday, but it is still weigh-in day for the warriors. So off I go to the RAC, with a dose of Tylenol Daytime Cough & Cold in my system.

The first thing Mikki says, “Geez John. You look like crap”. Thanks, I feel like I look. I told her that everything in me said to stay home, sit in front of the TV and sniffle. I know that you are thinking the same thing. When you don’t feel like working out, don’t, stay at home and when it passes, then go back to the gym. Wrong! Mikki says that you should do what you can to get your heart rate elevated. Getting that blood pumping actually increases the immune systems of your body. But, before I got by blood pumping… I stepped on the scale.

Anton, A drumroll if you please…

Week 0 - 317.2 lbs.
Week 1 - 312.9 lbs.
Week 2 - 311.7 lbs.
Week 3 - 308.0 lbs.

Total Loss - 9.2 lbs.

Pain is weakness leaving the body.

–Mikki McGirr, Personal Trainer

**Cross-published on I Reject Your Reality & The (Pendleton) East Oregonian

It has been 2.5 months since I was able to say this, GOAL ACHIEVED! I am officially half-way between where I started (392 lbs.) and where I want to be (230 lbs.)!

There is a great website called NaturalPhysiques.com that puts the weight you want to lose, or in my case, have lost, in a bit of perspective.

You entered 81 pounds (37 kilograms).

81 pounds is the average weight of a 11-year old boy. ** My son is 11 years old, but weighs a SOLID, 105 lbs

How Much Fuel Is That?

To lose that amount of fat would mean to burn 283,500 calories! That is the equivalent of 9.13 gallons of gasoline (a $29.13 value at Dave’s Chevron in Pendleton today). Humans, however, are far more efficient than cars, getting about 912 “miles to the gallon”. If you could dump this many calories into the tank of a Honda Civic, you would be able to drive it about 311 miles before running out of gas!

This amount of energy would …

• Brew about 791 pots of coffee, or
• Light a 60-watt light bulb for 5,492 hours ( 229 days = 0.63 years)

Cutting 283,500 calories is the same as saying “no” to:

• 3,544 apples, or
• 2,835 bananas, or
• 16,676 cups of cabbage (ick!), or
• 1,955 baked potatoes, or
• 3,544 large eggs, (1,181 omelettes at Denny’s) or
• 2,363 cups of 2% milk, or
• 204 pounds of ground beef, or
• 3,259 glasses of wine, or
• 878 Snickers bars, or
• 1,181 Clif Bars ( 1,575 Luna Bars), or
• 2,040 cans of Coke, or
• 1,668 pints of Guinness beer, or
• 576 Big Macs, or
• 550 Quarter Pounders with Cheese, or
• 405 Whoppers, or
• 859 Subway 6″ Oven Roasted Chicken Breast sandwiches, or
• 1,668 Taco Bell crunchy tacos, or
• 1,206 slices of pepperoni pizza from Pizza Hut

What it Takes to Burn 283,500 Calories

To burn 283,500 calories, a 190 pound male would have to:

• Backpack for 469 hours (20 days) nonstop, or
• Walk for 1,086 hours (45 days) at 3 mph straight, or
• Walk 3,259 miles (2,037 kilometers), or
• Bike for 822 hours (34 days) at 10 mph, or
• Bike 8,217 miles (5,136 kilometers), or
• Play basketball nonstop for 452 hours 19 days), or
• Play billiards for 1,313 hours (55 days), or
• Go bowling for 1,095 hours (46 days), or
• Stay on the golf course for 822 hours (34 days), or
• Spend 365 hours (15 days) playing competitive football, or
• Jump rope for 345 hours (14 days) straight!

You would have to walk the length of England about 5.43 times to burn 283,500 calories.

How Long it Will Take?

The range for safe weight loss is about 1 to 3 pounds of fat per week. It could take anywhere between 27 to 81 weeks (6 to 19 months) to safely and reasonably lose that amount of weight. **It took me 57 weeks…  right in the ballpark.

Without further delay…. Anton, A drumroll if you please…

Starting Weight (Dec. 22, 2006): 392 lbs.
Starting BMI: 51.7
Weight Today (Feb. 19, 2008): 310.6 lbs.
Current BMI: 41.0

Weight Change This Week: -1.2 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: -81.4 lbs.
NEXT GOAL: Less than 40 on the BMI! (8.6 lbs. to go)

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