Day One Hundred and Fifty-Three - Progress in My Workout

I'm not sure why, but tonight I feel really full.  I really feel like I had a huge meal at dinner, but I didn't.  I had a salad with baked chicken.  It wasn't a huge meal, and was just right in calories.  I'm not sure if the reason for feeling so full is because of my stomach getting smaller or if I really ate that much food tonight.

Overall I have been feeling really good lately.  I'm still not getting the amount of sleep I feel like I need (I keep finding myself awake posting random writings online), but that can be fixed by simply going to bed earlier.  I don't think I've been drinking enough water again (something that I was doing a lot better at), which is also an easy fix.  I was pretty confident I'd lost more weight this week, but right now I'm not sure (which may just be from this full feeling).  I'm not really noticing any more mobility, but my workouts are getting easier.  Because of this, I decided to increase the resistance on my recumbent tonight.  I didn't think it would be a huge difference, but I was wrong.  Just going from seven to eight made me wonder if I was going to make it a full fifty minutes.  That is what it's all about, making progress.  I'm not going to be happy staying where I am at with my weight loss, so I won't be happy keeping my workout level the same.  I'm going to keep moving forward each and every week and trust that my progress will produce great results.  I'm happy with my progress, but I'm not satisfied staying still.  I'm losing my butter half.

Calories for the day were good and my workout was very difficult tonight.  I have two nights before my next weigh in, I'm starting to get a little antsy.

Day One Hundred and Fifty-Two - Salad and Stuffed Bell Peppers

I've realized that I don't eat quite as well over the weekends as I do during the workweek.  I know that compared to how I used to eat, it is a night and day difference, but it still isn't quite as structured as my workday eating.  At the end of this past week, we ran out of salad greens.  Now remember, this is coming from the guy who wouldn't touch a salad more than two or three times a year before this journey started.  I can tell a huge difference on the days that I don't have a salad.  Now this could be a mental thing, but I really do feel a difference.  I don't know if I'm quite at the point that I would say I love salads, but I definitely see the benefits of eating them.

For dinner Bekah tried something new.  I must admit, I was very much in opposition to trying it.  She was making stuffed bell peppers.  I don't know why I was so against trying them, but I was.  Maybe it was because I like soft, sautéed peppers and peppers in things.  Maybe the half pepper reminded me of a raw pepper and I thought it would have the same texture.  I reminded myself that I am on a journey and sometimes, you have to have new experiences.  Besides, the filling in the pepper was all things I like (ground beef, rice, salsa, cheese, etc).  So what was the verdict?  They were pretty good. I preferred them with a little extra salsa, and on my second one (yes, I did get seconds) I sliced the pepper and put it all in a tortilla!  So whether you are losing weight or trying to reach another type of goal, don't be afraid to try new things along the way.  Who knows what fun or tasty things you may discover.  For me, it's salads and stuffed bell peppers (let me know if you want the recipe).  I'm enjoying vegetables more than ever (which isn't hard to do since I've never enjoyed them before), and I'm losing my butter half!

Calories today were great!  I love getting to the end of the day, looking at my tracker, and thinking it was a great day!  I ate well and got in a full ride on the bike tonight.  Let's hope tomorrow is great too!

Day One Hundred and Fifty-One - ClickList

With the type of weekend that we've had (the lack of sleep, the grumpiness, the UK loss, a broken Apple TV Remote, and more) the last thing Bekah and/or I wanted to do was spend an hour walking through Kroger for groceries.  Luckily my beautiful wife is a complete and utter genius!  She remembered that Kroger now has a pickup service called ClickList.  I actually don't mind going to the grocery store and shopping.  In fact, I do it fairly regularly for Bekah.  She creates a list in the reminders app on her phone and then shares it to mine.  This weekend was different.  We were both wiped after a long day yesterday, and B had her up again last night.  So Bekah was proactive and remembered that the pickup fee was waived the first 3 times you use ClickList, and decided to give it a try.  She meal planned and shopped online ahead of time last night.  She chose the time for our pickup this afternoon, and I drove over to get our groceries.  Picking it up was the easiest part.  I pulled into a designated ClickList spot, called the number on the sign, gave the associate my name and the spot number I was in, and they told me my groceries would be out in a few minutes.  Another associate brought my groceries out, took my payment on a tablet, and then loaded my groceries in the back of my vehicle.  I don't think it could have been easier.  Bekah said they even followed her requests for picking out the produce she purchased.

Let me tell you what this did for our Sunday.  I told Bekah to sleep in this morning, and I took E to church.  Because I didn't have to spend an hour at the store, I was able to get my workout in this afternoon.  You see, sometimes we call something convenient when it is simply us being lazy.  Then there are things that are convenient that really free up time for us.  I always hear people say to work smarter, rather than harder.  I don't think we'll use this every time we buy our groceries, but I can see it being convenient for weekends that are a bit crazy.  So for anyone who needs a little convenience in your day, give ClickList a try.  We did and we loved it.  I found a little convenience for today and I'm losing my butter half.

My calories were great today.  Bekah made me a delicious salad with chicken for dinner.  I did have a couple handfuls of surgery cereal for breakfast which is something that definitely isn't part of my balanced breakfast.  Because of ClickList I was able to get a full fifty minutes in on the bike this afternoon!

Day One Hundred and Fifty - Sleepy Saturday

As many of you know we have a "small" child who isn't sleeping through the night.  Now this is much worse on Bekah than it is on me, but I haven't been getting as much rest as I need.  With him being up all night, and me (thoughtlessly) having an appointment for an oil change at eight on a Saturday morning (like I said, I didn't quite think that one through), today was no exception.  I had a lot of good intentions to get several projects taken care of around the house today.  I was so worn out that I only completed a few of them.  I was so tired, that I actually fell asleep this afternoon for a short nap.  You would think the nap would give me the energy to get through the rest of the evening, but it didn't.  I am still struggling to keep my eyes open.  I actually think I woke up grouchier than before my nap.  So I'm going to turn in and see if I can get a little bit of sleep.  It's been a long day, but I'm still losing my butter half.

I stayed within my calories today, but I had too many snacks.  I also didn't get a workout in which is frustrating.  I just didn't have the energy to get a ride in.  So I'm going to bed early so that I can get up and work out before church.

Day One Hundred and Forty-Nine - A Weekend Off Work Doesn't Mean A Weekend Off

As I left work this evening I had a sudden urge to scream, "IT'S FRIDAY!!!!"  Thankfully, I suppressed that urge and quietly strode out to "The Blueberry" (Psych fans will get that one), and calmly climbed inside.  Don't be fooled by the calm demeanor I carried myself with, that excitement about it being the weekend was still going strong.  It isn't that this week has been a bad week, it just hasn't been the best.  I've been really tired and just want to hit the pause button for a few hours so I can catch up on sleep and a few projects.  I am excited to spend the day working around the house and (finally) getting the oil changed in the car.  What about each of you?  What do you look forward to on the weekend?  Is it family time or maybe a little alone time?  Maybe you don't get a weekend and I've just completely ruined your evening by reminding you of that (sorry).

For a lot of people (including pre-butter half Daniel) a weekend is time off.  I'm sure you're thinking, "thank you Captain Obvious" right now, but just stay with me.  I used to use the weekend as time off from my diet and exercise.  I would do quasi-ok during the week, and then proceed to blow it and ruin any progress over the weekend.  There is just something about the two days off of work that convinces dieters to throw all planning, discipline, and self-control to the wind.  Let me say it like this, just because you have the weekend off of work doesn't mean you have the weekend off your weight loss (or other goal seeking) journey.  I still fight urges to snack throughout the day on Saturdays and Sundays.  This is the reason I determine to complete tasks before the weekend arrives.  So join me this weekend.  Find a project or enjoy a trip to the zoo or a park.  Do something with family or friends tomorrow.  Just find a way to stay off of the couch and out of the pantry.  It's the weekend here in Central AR, and I'm not taking off.  I'm losing my butter half.

My calories were good today, but unfortunately I didn't eat enough.  My breakfast was low calorie and so was lunch.  I didn't want to eat nearly 1000 calories for dinner, so I've done the best I can to get close to my 1300-1500 goal.  This was the result of poor planning on my part.  My exercise was great (I watch Legend of Tarzan over the past few nights while riding, I would give it two out of five stars)!  I came home and was able to complete a full fifty minute workout!

Day One Hundred and Forty-Eight - Weigh in #21 - How Many Calories Are In One Piece of Italian Cheese Bread?

Losing weight takes a great deal of planning, discipline, and self-control (as well as great accountability and a wife who will cook phenomenal healthy meals).  I have not always been a great example of any of these, especially when it comes to my health and diet.  There have been small periods of time when I did well striving for each of the traits, which led to a small period of weight loss.  For some reason each time I would let one of these fall off or completely give up all together.  The result was my butter half.  One of my biggest fears right now is that I will lose all of this weight and hit my goal, and then stop and allow all of the weight to come back on.  I don't want to be that person again.  I want to lose it and keep it lost!  If this is going to happen, then the planning, discipline, and self-control will have to continue for the rest of my life.  I will still have to plan my meals and workouts.  I will have to be disciplined in keeping that plan.  Finally I will have to continue with the self-control to turn down temptations.

One of my coworkers had Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread for lunch.  The entire office smelled like garlic and cheese gooeyness (and since our office shares a wall with Little Caesar's and smells like Hot'n Ready pizzas all day long, it was a double impact)!  She ate a portion of it and then left the rest on the break room table offering it to the rest of us.  On top of that, another coworker brought Shipley's donuts for the office.  Now these aren't Krispy Kreme, but they are still an excellent donut.  Have I mentioned that my office is directly across from the break room?  Oh, I haven't?  Well, it is directly across from the break room, which forced me to stare at a bag of donuts and cheesy bread for hours this afternoon.  There were many times that the thought of sneaking a donut or bread stick crossed my mind.  Oh, who am I kidding?  I wanted to grab a donut, shove it between two pieces of cheese bread and slip into a coma.  It didn't help that for one of the first times I was actually hungry at four thirty this evening (which might have been caused by the aroma).  My point it, temptations and old habits will always be there.

We all know today was my weigh in day.  I am sure most of you skipped the previous two paragraphs simply trying to get to how much weight I've lost or gained (which is a real shame, I am rather proud of those two paragraphs 😜).  Since you are in such a hurry, I will get straight to it.  I'm happy to report that after another hard week of planning, discipline, and self-control (come on, I had to throw it in there), I am down another 3.8 lbs.  This brings my total weight loss to 82.2 lbs., and a current weight of 284 lbs. even.  To say that I am excited would be an understatement.  I wasn't sure how much I would be down when I went to weigh this morning, and I was a bit nervous.  I was hoping that I would be under 285.8 (2 lbs. down), but to be under 285 lbs. was an added bonus!  I know that each pound down is a tremendous blessing and I am so grateful for the grace to keep losing.  I don't muster the strength to hit this goal, I rely on God and the gift He has given me in each of you faithful readers.  Your accountability is the best motivation I could ask for (well, outside of the three blessings I wake up to each day).  So here I stand at 284 lbs., and I'm just starting to catch my stride.  I am losing my butter half!

***The answer to the question is 130 calories.  Each Italian Cheese Bread order has ten pieces (yep, those little half pieces are actually considered a whole piece!!!) and they are 130 calories each.  That'll make you think twice next time!

My calorie intake was good today (I love that I was able to turn down the donut and bread stick).  I also was able to extend my workout for five more minutes this evening completing a solid fifty-five minutes on the bike!

Day One Hundred and Forty-Seven - My Brand New, Six Year Old Suit

Today I am finishing up my twenty-first week of this weight loss journey.  While the number of weeks behind me is getting larger, the number in front of me hasn't really gotten any smaller yet.  The finish line isn't in sight.  I want to use this post to share a quick update on my progress so far.  As I continue to lose more weight, I notice certain things that coincide with it.  For instance, my range of motion continues to increase, as well as my flexibility.  The amount of time I'm able to stay on my feet without my knee hurting has increased dramatically (two Sundays ago I stood through most of our time in childcare at church...pain free).  I also have more energy (and desire) to get up and go.  I don't find myself lazing around as much as I used to.  It almost seems as if with the ability to move and do more comes the gumption.

Probably one of the most exciting things for me was this morning.  I don't wear suits very often (because I haven't had any that would fit).  This morning I needed to wear a suit to work, and I knew the suit I bought last fall would be too big.  I was planning on wearing an old sports coat (which also turned out to be a little bit on the large side).  While I was trying it on, I decided to try on some of my other suits.  To my surprise, nearly all of them fit.  There is still a blazer I need to drop a little more weight to wear.  However, I am able to wear each of my suits.  They are a little tight when buttoned, but they fit well.  I was so excited!  The best part was that I had a suit that I bought six years ago (I got it when I purchased the suit I was married in), and never wore.  The suit has been kept in the bag, never opened.  So for the first time, I wore that suit today.  It is tailored to fit me when I'm a little lighter than I am right now, so it wasn't a perfect fit.  It definitely didn't look bad though.  It's the small things like this that really bring joy to a weight loss journey.  I'm grateful for a new (but old) suit.  I am grateful for all of the changes I'm experiencing on this journey.  I am grateful to be losing my butter half.

My calories today were good.  I had too many goldfish tonight (I think I'm slightly addicted to the little smiling devils), but my salad at dinner was spot on!  I am thankful that I was able to complete a full workout tonight after I got B to bed.

Day One Hundred and Forty-Six - You Response to Defeat Reveals What You Are Made Of

Man it is so easy to get sucked into a basketball game.  Watching Kentucky lose tonight was not fun.  An elite team playing below their potential and talent is hard to do.  You have to give Tennessee credit for their play tonight.  They played great and did everything they needed to do to get the win.  The one group you can't give credit to is the refs.  A good team should always be able to win even when the aren't getting the calls.  Also, you should expect the calls to lean towards the home team (in this case Tennessee).  You never expect it to be as lopsided as it was tonight. 

This is true in life.  Sometimes things just won't go your way.  There will be days when despite your best efforts, you just won't be able to get a win.  There will be distractions and road blocks at every turn.  Just like Kentucky tonight, if you don't stick to your processes, those opposing factors will defeat you.  The key is going to be in how you bounce back from a loss.  For UK, that opportunity will be against a very good Kansas team this Saturday.  For you and I, maybe it's doing a better job meal planning or scheduling time to work out.  Maybe it's fighting harder to turn down temptations.  It may be something difficult or something very simple.  Regardless, it's our response to a loss that reveals what we're made of.  Will you collapse and fail to bounce back when the next opportunity arises, or remember your processes and rise to the occasion?  I'm sticking to the processes that have got me through so far, and I'm losing my butter half!

Calories were good today.  I didn't hit my calorie goal because I just didn't eat food with high enough calories.  Sometimes that happens, but I have to make sure days like that are few and far between.  I'm grateful for another good workout this evening. 

Day One Hundred and Forty-Five - The Rewards of Being a Parent

There isn't anything quite like rocking your child to sleep.  This is especially true when you have a one year old who is very big and very strong for his age.  B is growing so fast that it is becoming hard to rock him.  One thing that amazes me is that when I'm rocking him, he really doesn't fight me much.  It was the exact opposite with E.  When she was little she'd cry and fight for fifteen minutes before falling off to sleep.  With B, he just lays here in my arms quietly, usually falling to sleep quickly.  Tonight he's added some sweet noises as he lies in my arms.  The best way to describe it would be something like a hum/coo.  It really is a special thing to be a parent. 

As I'm typing this tonight my mind is flooded with memories of rocking E and singing to her.  The main difference in putting them down is that B gets immediately quite when I start to sing, and E would usually settle in the middle of the third song.  I always sang the same three songs when I rocked her and I've continued to do the same with B.  I start with Edelweiss, then transition straight into My Old Kentucky Home, and finish with Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.  If they are really upset and crying I have a special song I sing for each of them (Hey Beautiful Girl for E and You'll Be In My Heart for B).  I don't think I will ever forget these moments and how privileged I am to be a father.  It is a great responsibility and I will never take it lightly.  This is why I'm losing weight.  It's for these two (as well as their momma and hopefully a few more Vickers kids down the road) that I want to make healthy decisions.  God's given me such blessings and I want to be here for them.  Tonight it's for my kids that I'm losing my butter half. 

I had a good day for calorie intake.  Bekah sent a delicious salad for lunch and made an incredible dinner (her Greek Red Potatoes were the bomb!).  I was able to fit a workout in and now it's off to bed. 

Day One Hundred and Forty-Four - Blown Expectations

Somedays I really have trouble figuring out what to say here on my blog.  I never would have imagined that I would find myself at a loss for words.  It honestly isn't something that happens very often (just ask my family).  I tend to come off as opinionated quite a bit of the time.  So far I have purposefully kept this blog free of divisive opinions.  The purpose behind this is that I really want this to be an encouraging blog for everyone.  I know how hard it can be to fight for a goal (especially when that goal is weight related).  I don't want to get in the way of you finding encouragement to reach your goal.

One thing however that I will still talk about from time to time is sports.  Being that today was the conference championship games for the NFL, I spent my afternoon watching football with some friends.  I must say that the games didn't go as I expected.  The Packers (who I really thought would win) got completely blown out by the Falcons and the Steelers soundly defeated by the Patriots.  It seems like that this applies to much more than just sporting events.  There are days on my journey that don't go the way I expect.  Each week I step onto the scale with the expectation that I will have lost weight.  Each of you that have been following my progress know that the amount that I have lost varies.  The difference between my expectations with my weigh in and today's games is that if I don't lose or only lose a little, I will have another week to try again.  For the Steelers and Packers, they will have to wait until next season for another chance to reach the Super Bowl.  I guess what I'm trying to say is don't beat yourself up when you fall.  There will be days and weeks that won't go as you expect.  During those days just look to the next.  Find hope and confidence that you get to try again tomorrow.  The days I miss a workout or eat more than I plan are opportunities for frustration.  In the past I would have thrown in the towel.  That's not how it works for me anymore.  I've made a life change and a small loss won't keep me down anymore.  I may not always hit my expectations, but I will keep moving forward.  I'm losing my butter half.

My calorie intake was great today.  I had pizza for dinner which means I need to make sure to eat more salad and fruit for the next few days.  I am glad I was able to get a full workout in this morning before church.  Back to work in the morning!