Day Two Hundred and Twelve - Looking to Add to My Home Workout, Suggestions Welcome

It's been a long day for me.  I don't mean that in a bad way like it was one of those days that just won't end, because it was a really good day.  It simply has just been long.  After dinner, I put both kids down tonight to free Bekah up to do some things she needed to get done.  I rocked B and then went and laid down with E.  I fell asleep.  I woke up in such a fog that I wasn't sure if I was even going to attempt a workout.  When I was finally feeling up to working out, it was 9:30.  That being said, after a shower and helping Bekah with a couple things I find myself blogging at 11:45 at night.

I'm going to keep this brief, but I wanted to talk about my workout for a moment.  I am still fighting to get back to a 6 AM workout.  I know it is better for my family and good to condition my body to get up earlier, I just haven't been able to get back to it since our trip to KY.  My rides aren't easy, but I'm not sure if they are as effective as they once were.  I feel like I need to switch something up with them, and I'm going to start brainstorming some ideas.  The crunches have been huge.  I know with the inner tube I still have around my waist, there won't be a six pack showing up in the near future, but I can tell a difference in the way my stomach feels (well, right now it burns still).  I moved to three sets/day last night, and that last set is really burning.  I'm looking forward to adding planks soon.  I found some quick daily workouts on my Apple TV I think I'm going to add to my routine.  Have any of you out there tried some?  Some feedback would be great!  As for now, it is late and I need to rest.  I'm making changes so that I can keep losing my butter half!

My calories today were perfect.  Bekah made some delicious tacos for dinner and my salad at lunch was awesome (I really like strawberries on my salad)!  Even though it was late, I did get a full workout in on the bike and three sets of crunches.

Day Two Hundred and Eleven - Weigh in #30 - Another Week, Another Weigh In

Today is weigh in day for me, and I thought this week I would just cut to the chase.  After having a few slow weeks, and then a MONSTER week last week I did not know what to expect out of this weigh in.  I was hoping to lose at least two and a half pounds, but with my recent pattern of two slow weeks followed by a week with a large loss, I wasn't holding my breath.  I am very happy to report that my loss this week was good.  I have lost another 1.4 lbs.  This brings my total weight loss to 101.8 lbs., with a current weight of 264.4 lbs.  I know this wasn't the 2.5 lb. loss I was hoping for, but it is still almost a pound and a half.  This means I only need to lose 4.6 lbs. for my next two weigh ins to keep up my 2 lb. a week goal.  For now, I will be content with what I've lost this week.  I'm down another 1.4 lbs., and I'm still losing my butter half.

My calorie intake today was great.  I wasn't happy with the amount of snacks I had, but I had a great salad for lunch.  If you haven't had a salad with strawberries and raspberry vinaigrette, you really need to try it.  I got a great workout in when I got home from work tonight, and added a third set of crunches.  I completed all three sets, but the last one nearly got the best of me.

Day Two Hundred and Ten - 210 Days Completed!

I was sitting down to write my blog tonight and realized that I'm finishing off my thirtieth week.  For the past two hundred and ten days I have been logging everything I eat and exercising.  It also means that when I complete this post I will have written two hundred and ten blog posts.  This prompted me to think about the posts.  There have been enough of them now, that I don't even remember what I said in a lot of them.  To be honest, there are days when I sit down to write and I'm worried I will say the exact same thing I said in an earlier blog, and not even realize it.  I do however remember several important blogs.  Ones that were milestones are especially memorable.  Take the Thursday before Christmas, when I had finally broken the three hundred pound mark.  Another memorable blog for me is when I was able to wear my suit that I purchased before I got married, but had never worn.  It's entries like these that I will remember most from this journey.

I have another weigh in tomorrow morning.  As has become the normal for Wednesday nights for me, I have the pre weigh in jitters.  Unlike some previous weeks when I didn't feel too confident about my weigh in, I know I've done well with my calories.  The only day that wasn't great was Saturday (I really don't have a great track record with popcorn) with my movie snacks.  I know I really shouldn't feel nervous, but still it kicks in like clockwork.  So for the rest of the evening I am going to relax.  I'm not going to worry about my weigh in.  I'm going to enjoy some family time.  Two hundred and ten days down, and I'm still losing my butter half.

My calories today weren't great.  Not because I overate or ate the wrong things, but because I didn't eat enough calories.  I really didn't mean to do this,  and I realized it too late.  I don't want to eat any more calories tonight (and I'm too full).  My workout was good tonight with a full ride and crunches.

Day Two Hundred and Nine - Don't Let the Traffic Throw You Off Course

I had a major adventure on the way home this evening.  My normal commute (with zero traffic) is twenty one minutes.  When I come home at night I usually have a five to ten minute slow down in traffic, so I would say my average time is somewhere around twenty-eight minutes.  We'll round up and say it's roughly a half hour drive.  Tonight there was a major incident on one of the interstates I live off of, and another accident on the interstate my office is near.  These two interstates are the bulk of my commute, so as soon as I heard of the upcoming traffic, I diverted to downtown Little Rock which led to a back way home.  The problem was that this is the same way everyone else diverted as well.  My commute this evening took me a total of one hour and forty minutes!  The last two and a half miles took twenty minutes!  It was horrible.

Here is the difference in being stuck in traffic today and what would have happened last year.  In the past I would have seen the traffic ahead of time, and stopped through Wendy's and eaten a few thousand calories on my way home.  It's crazy to think how much my thinking has changed.  Sometimes our plans change.  That doesn't mean we need to just throw our self-control out the window in frustration and give up.  No, it just means you have to work a little harder to follow through with your plans.  Trust me, you will feel more satisfied in the end.  I can testify to that.  Anytime I realize how different my reactions are now, I feel so much better about the decision I made or self-control I was able to display.  So don't let the traffic throw you off course.  I'm changing each day, and I'm losing my butter half.

My calorie intake has been good today.  I had two salads, and I have been able to avoid snacks today.  I also got in a full workout including my two sets of crunches.  It has been a good day.

Day Two Hundred and Eight - Help For Your Weight Loss Journey

I have had a few people ask me about my routine recently.  Some asked me if I have go-to meals, or workouts.  So I thought I'd would give everyone a brief glimpse into my routine and maybe provide some insight for anyone else who may be curious.  Before I share, I want to make sure that I am clear about two things.  The first is that you need to consult your doctor before you start any weight loss program.  I am not a doctor and I do not want to act like one.  I'm not a nutritionist, nor am I a trainer.  I'm just an average guy who realized if something didn't change in my life that I wouldn't have much life left.  I sought advice from my doctor and then put that direction into practice (I must confess it took me nearly a year to finally follow this direction).  The second thing is that what is working for me may not be best for you.  Everyone's body is different.  I want to encourage you to do what works best for you.

My routine is so simple.  I have intentionally made it this way, because I don't want my weight loss journey to infringe on the rest of my life.  The whole point of me getting healthy is to improve the other areas of my life.  Also, while I do have a job that pays the bills, we are by no means wealthy.  So I keep things simple and within our budget.  For the reason of simplicity and being budget conscious, my workout was created out of what I had available to me.  I started out riding a recumbent bike (that we already owned) twenty minutes a day, and slowly increased it to fifty minutes.  I didn't want to spend money on gym memberships (or the time driving to and from the gym) or new equipment.  I'm just doing the best with what I already have.  As for my diet, I am not a breakfast person.  I never have been.  I would rather have brunch, lunch, and dinner honestly.  Still, I know it is important, so I do eat a small meal each morning.  I'm the type of person who figures if it works, keep doing it until it stops working, or you figure out a way to improve it.  Also, it is easier to have a little variation for my lunch and dinner if I know what the calories for my breakfast are going to be each day. So for me, I typically have egg whites and sausage.  Lately, I've tried to lower the amount of sodium I'm taking in, so I changed it up (for a little while) to one egg, an egg white, and less sausage (the number of links varies by the size and calorie value).  Lunch is almost always a salad.  I eat spinach (sometimes mixed greens, but usually baby spinach) with carrots and meat.  I usually have cheese, goldfish (if you haven't tried them on a salad you need to), and croutons.  Depending on the meat that I have, I'll alternate between buttermilk ranch and raspberry vinaigrette for my dressing (but I never have more than a tablespoon).  I always try to have my fruit with my lunch.  It is usually an apple or banana, but sometimes Bekah switches it up for me.  For my dinner, I will usually have a meat with at least two vegetables.  Sometimes I'll put it all together in a second salad.  Like tonight, I used the leftover veggies in my grilled chicken salad.  It was amazing! I always adjust the amount I have for dinner to keep me under my 1500 calories/day limit.  

There are a few basic things that I go by.  For exercise, make sure it is something that gets your heart rate up.  If you are as big as I was (well, still am) then it won't take much effort.  You will probably need to workout for at least twenty to twenty-five minutes.  For my food, I have learned not to waste my calories.  I still have a few snacks during the day, but I don't have things like bread or drinks aside from water.  These are just calorie thieves.  I want to enjoy the food that I allow myself, and not feel like I'm wasting it.  I still allow some tasty things (gummy bears or snack crackers), but I can do that, because I don't take in things that waste my calories.  Lastly, you will get nowhere without accountability.  First you need accountability with yourself in the form of a daily calorie counter (I recommend MyFitnessPal).  Second you need accountability with others.  Get a good friend, or family member (or the entire world by writing a blog) to hold you accountable by sharing your calorie tracker with them daily.  I'm hoping this helps give some clarity.  If you have questions or suggestions feel free to share anytime.  My hope is that maybe I can inspire someone who is on a journey themselves.  This is what's working for me and helping me lose my butter half.

My calorie intake today was great.  The salad pictured above was amazing.  The marinade Bekah uses on the chicken goes so well with ranch dressing.  My workout was really good tonight.  It was a little uncomfortable with my sunburn, but Advil helped ease the pain some.

Day Two Hundred and Seven - Burned to a Crisp, but I Got Exercise!

Today I walked more than 10,000 steps for the first time.  On a normal day I walk close to 4,000 steps, so what was different about today?  Well, today I mowed and trimmed the lawn.  I also spread some grass seed in a few bare spots, and weed and feed over my entire yard.  I was outside for about four hours total.  As a result of my time outside, I am burnt to a crisp.  The weather was beautiful, but I failed to realize how hard the sun was on me.  I honestly don't think I've been burned this bad in a very long time.  You add that burn to UK losing a heartbreaker to North Carolina in the Elite Eight, and it all adds up to a short blog post.  I'm burned to a crisp, but I'm still losing my butter half.

My calorie intake today was off.  I didn't eat enough calories, but I was outside over lunch and forgot to eat.  Instead I had a small snack during the UK game and then ate a normal dinner (fajitas!).  Along with my normal bike ride and crunches, I walked over 10,000 steps while doing yard work.

Day Two Hundred and Six - This is What 100 Lbs Down Looks Like

I thought for today's post I'd share a huge success story from my day.  My mom is in town right now, and like any other parent we jumped at the chance to go out on a date (have you paid a babysitter lately?  Not saying they don't earn it, going on a date and hiring a sitter is just crazy expensive).  We decided to see a morning movie (matinee prices rock) at one of Little Rock's recently updated theaters.  The theater just put in really comfortable recliners, and didn't raise the ticket price.  The best part of the movie was that I only ate a small portion of a small popcorn.  At this point last year I would buy a large butter drenched popcorn and polish it off myself (and then get a free refill to take home).  The second victory today was lunch.  We went to Olive Garden and I had Zuppa Toscana and breadsticks.  In the past I would have eaten at least four or five breadsticks, two bowls of the Zuppa, and an entree.  I ate less than two breadsticks, and had less than two bowls of soup.  I didn't order an entree, so my calorie intake was well-managed.

The picture above was taken last year.  I wanted to give a visual representation to show what 100 lbs. lost looks like.  The crazy thing is that I don't remember looking like that.  I guess that even though I saw myself each day and saw how big I was, it never seemed (in my mind) to be as big as the picture reveals.  I'm so glad to see the weight coming off.  When I look in the mirror each day I can see the difference in my face, but I have trouble seeing it in my belly.  I still see how much I have to lose.  Pictures like this one really help me to see where I've come from (and hold me accountable to never going back).  I'm 100 lbs. down, and I'm not stopping.  I'm losing my butter half.

Calorie intake today could have been better.  I really felt I did a good job at Olive Garden, but overall I ate too much.  I did get a full ride in, and my two sets of crunches.

Day Two Hundred and Five - We Are Kentucky Krazy!

I promise I have a perfectly legitimate excuse for posting my blog after midnight.  It's called excessive celebration.  We were celebrating a huge victory for UK tonight over UCLA (see I told you it was a perfectly legitimate excuse).  They are marching on to the Elite Eight this Sunday.  There is something sweet about beating a team that beat you earlier during the season.  We have my sister's family and my mom here, so we had a great crowd to cheer on the Cats.  It's a lot more fun watching the game with someone else, so having my brother-in-law over was great!  Bekah did a great job of decking the family out in UK gear (even my socks say UK on them).  I think it may be my favorite look for our family (I'm glad we all look good in Kentucky Blue).  So tonight, I'm celebrating a great victory for my Cats.  I'm a UK fan, and I'm losing my butter half.

My calorie intake today was really good, and I got a full ride in on the bike.  I did another two sets of crunches, and though the second set was easier than yesterday, it was still really difficult to complete.

***Coming Soon!*** Be on the lookout for progress pictures over the weekend.

Day Two Hundred and Four - Weigh in #29 - The Changes Paid Off!

It's weigh in day again folks.  This is a very important weigh in for me because I have only lost .02 and .04 pounds in my past two weigh ins.  I know there are a lot of reasons for the slow down, the biggest being the trip to KY.  I'm sure the salty snacks in the car and my mom's brownies (I'm pretty sure I did a terrible job of tracking how much of those I ate) didn't help either.  I've made a few adjustments this week, and made sure to avoid sweets for the most part.  I also added in crunches (which I added a second set of tonight) and have been consistently drinking my pink drink (you really should contact my wife) daily.  These changes really paid off!

When I woke up this morning, I was hoping that by some miracle I would have lost 5.4 lbs.  I had felt really good about this week, so I thought I would have lost at least 3 lbs.  I'm very happy to report that I did in fact lose 3 lbs...times 2!  That's right, I lost 6 lbs. this week.  As of this morning my current weight is 265.8 lbs.  This brings my total weight loss to 100.4 lbs.  I am so excited to have hit the 100 pounds down mark.  I never imagined that I would have lost 100 lbs. in six and a half months.  The best part is that with this week's loss, I am still on track with my 2 lbs. per week average.  I'm blown away and so grateful to be at this point today.  I know it is a blessing and I know that I haven't gotten here without help.  I have had a wonderful wife to fix me healthy meals and give up time for me to exercise, grace from God for willpower and self-control, and all of you to encourage and hold me accountable.  This is a great day for me along my journey.  I am 100 lbs. down, and I'm losing my butter half.

My calorie intake today was good.  I had some more of Bekah's pork for dinner with potatoes she cooked in her instant pot.  I got another full ride in on the bike, and I did my crunches.  Tonight I added in a second set of fifteen crunches.  After about five crunches into the second set, I really felt the burn.  It took everything I had to finish that set.