Day Three Hundred and Three - Food, Friends, and Lots of Fun!

It is beyond late tonight, and I am exhausted.  Bekah and I just returned home from an awesome evening celebrating our friend Carissa's birthday.  We had some of the most amazing food I've ever eaten.  There was goat cheese, soup, steak, etc.  It was an absolute blast!  As amazing as the food was, it was even better spending time with some of the most loving and fun couples we know.  There is just something special about getting together and spending time with people you care about and getting to know new friends as well.  I am so blessed to have amazing people in my life as I'm losing my butter half.

I didn't do a great job counting calories tonight.  It wasn't a chain restaurant, so I did the very best to count my calories based on the foods I was eating.   I really didn't know how to track the food, so I found the things that are closest to what I ate and used them in my tracker.  My workout this morning was really great.  I didn't have enough time this evening to run, so I'll have to make sure to run tomorrow.

Day Three Hundred and Two - Weigh in #43 - Cannonball!

I'm sitting here tonight watching my kids jumping off a tiny little stool while yelling, "CANNONBALL!"  Well, in B's case it came out more like, "BAA-BAN-BALL!"   It's really hilarious watching them jump onto a pile of pillows and blankets from a terrifying height of eight inches.  There is very little that, as a father, makes me smile more than hearing my children laughing.  B has a contagious laugh that is only rivaled by the sparkle in his eyes when he knows he's being silly or mischievous.  E's energy to play, and her imagination is amazing.  I know I've said this many times before, but my children are one of the biggest reasons that I started my weight loss journey.  What I was doing to my body was unfair to them.  Not only was I risking not being here in the future, I was severely limiting the quality of our time together in the present.  I'm so grateful that this is no longer the case.

Let's get into today's weigh in.  I really wasn't sure how my weigh in would go this morning.  After being sick and not working out for a few days, I really didn't know how that would affect my weight. Not only that, but I know I had some inflammation and I've been drinking tons of water this week, so I thought there may be some weight hanging on.  I was pretty sure I hadn't gained weight, but I was a little worried on whether or not I had lost anything.  I'm happy to say that I did lose weight this week.  As of this morning, I have lost another 2.8 lbs!  This brings my total weight loss to 134.8 lbs., with a current weight of 231.4 lbs.  I'm so excited to have lost over two pounds again!  I have now lost 11.2 lbs. in the month of June! This leaves me with only 11.4 lbs. left for my September 1st goal, and 31.4 lbs. left to hit my goal weight.  If I lose at the same rate I lost for June, then I will be at my goal weight by the end of September!  I feel like I'm beginning my final lap.  It won't be long before I've lost my butter half.

My calorie intake today was great!  We had a birthday party today at work, and for the first time in a while I was tempted to eat a slice of cake.  But I didn't.  Bekah made her buffalo chicken dip, so I put it on my salad.  It's one of the best salads ever!  My workout this morning was great (I'm doing ten push-ups from my toes consistently now), and my run tonight was exactly what I needed.  It was my fastest time yet!

Day Three Hundred and One - A Great Dinner and a Great Run!

The worst part about being sick this past weekend wasn't just that I couldn't work out, but that I couldn't run either.  I had to go a full week without running, and this was after having made great progress last week with my first three runs.  Each day that passed made me feel like I was losing some of the determination I needed to keep running.  I gave myself two days of working out before adding a run back into my mix.  I really didn't know how the run would go this evening, but I was determined to get back out there and try to regain the momentum I had last week.  It honestly felt like I didn't miss a day.  The first lap was slower than my time was last week, but my overall time was still right in step with last weeks runs.  The best part is that I didn't feel bad at all while running.  In fact, I told Bekah I felt really good.  I'm glad I was able to get out and run tonight.

I have another weigh in tomorrow morning.  To be honest I really don't know what to expect.  I'm not sure if I'll be up or down.  I know I'm a broken record when it comes to the night before a weigh in.  I haven't eaten terribly this week, but losing Friday through Sunday workouts really has me unsure.  I guess I'll need to be sure to get a good nights rest, and pray for the best.  As always, whatever the scale reads in the morning, I'm still losing my butter half.

My calorie intake today was good until dinner.  Bekah made some of the best roasted potatoes.  They were small red potatoes, and they were absolutely delicious, but I had way too many.  My workout this morning went really great, and as I mentioned above, I was able to get my first run in since last Wednesday.

Day Three Hundred - I Can Hardly Believe I've Made It This Far!

Three hundred days down!  I'm blown away that I have now completed three hundred days of my journey! Having stuck to my processes this entire time really encourages and excites me.  As awesome as that is, the thing that makes me the most excited is that I am only sixty-five days from having completed the entire year.  I know I'm going to continue this for another eight to ten weeks so that I can get all the way down to two hundred pounds.

I want to go over a few things that are different today, than they were three hundred days ago.  I am down from a triple extra large to an extra large.  I've dropped from a forty-six waist, down to a thirty-eight.  I'm wearing clothes that I wore back in college (which is pretty awesome)! I'm able to do more and more physically.  Although I tried a pull-up a few weeks ago, and I still can't do a pull-up.  I think that is a goal for another time.  Each week my push-ups get easier and my form gets better.  I'm able to run now.  I had been worried about running because I thought I may injure myself weighing too much.  I love that I know I can go for a quick mile jog any time I want now.  Mowing the yard has gotten much easier (that doesn't mean I like it any more though).  I'm noticing more and more changes to my chest and my stomach is getting flatter.  I'm excited to see what changes I continue to notice during these final months.  I'm almost there, I've nearly lost my butter half!

My calories today were really good.  I stayed within my goal and enjoyed the last of Bekah's tomato soup.  My workout this morning was really good.  I am glad that I have been able to get right back into my routine each morning without feeling like I lost anything.  I also mowed the yard tonight, so I hit my 10,000 steps!

Day Two Hundred and Ninety-Nine - This is How I Rebuild

I know a lot of you may feel like I talk about Plexus products a lot, but when you go through years of IBS like I did, you have to share the remedy.  I've been using the remedy to heal my gut for the past two-plus years.  So when I was told I was going on a double strength antibiotic and getting a shot of an antibiotic in my hip to kick it off, I wasn't too happy.  Please hear me out.  I am not anti-antibiotic.  I see the benefit of them and know how great it is that we have them to fight infections.  I just hate the effects of them.  It frustrates me to know that it is wiping out the good bacteria I've been building in my gut for the past few years.  Don't worry though, I'm not just going to sit idly by and do nothing.

The same tools I've been using to heal my gut and drop one hundred and thirty-two pounds is exactly what I'll use to heal my gut from the effects of taking an antibiotic.  This is the top of my lineup.  I haven't been waiting for my ten days of meds to end before I started using these.  Not only did I keep using them, but I actually increased my dosage.  I've doubled down to defend and rebuild my gut.  I know that it hasn't been Plexus alone that helped me lose my weight.  I know that it has taken tons of exercise, discipline, scheduling, focus, determination, self-control, and all-around hard work!  Plexus has fixed my really unhealthy gut and been a huge tool in helping lose weight.  I know I wouldn't be seeing the results I see today without it.  So if there is one thing that you do tonight, think about contacting me or Bekah.  You never know how getting a #healthygut may change your life.  It changed mine, and now I'm closer than ever to losing my butter half.

My calorie intake today was perfect.  I am back on my normal eating plan (eggs and sausage for breakfast, salad for lunch, and then healthy meal at dinner).  I also worked out for the first time since Thursday.  It felt great!  My body and mind were so used to the habit of getting up and working out that it felt strange not to for the past few days.  I can definitely say that today seemed normal (if there is such a thing).

Day Two Hundred and Ninety-Eight - Finding Ways to Pass the Time

After having sat in bed all day for three days straight, I really don't have much to write about.  I did get up and about the house a lot more today than I did Friday or Saturday.  I had absolutely no fever, which made for a much more enjoyable day.  I think the antibiotic is really starting to help, so I shouldn't have any trouble going in to work in the morning.  So, if you've been wondering what I've been doing for the past few days, it's simple.  I've been sleeping, reading a little, playing games on my phone, and watching all eight Harry Potter films.  Yes, I did watch all eight of them.  I hadn't watched them all straight before, so I spent yesterday and half of today watching them.  It was a good way to make a couple days stuck in bed a little more enjoyable.

I want to end this post with this thought.  There are going to be adversities along your road to losing weight (or any other goal in life).  Sometimes you can fight off and overcome them or change direction and avoid them.  There will also be times when you just have to wait out the storm.  While doing so you can complain the entire time, or find a way to make it more enjoyable.  I can't do anything about not being able to workout these past three days.  I was able to make the time more enjoyable with movies, TV, Social Media, etc.  One thing is for sure, I didn't lose my focus.  I have been waiting for tomorrow morning when I can work out.  This won't stop me from losing my butter half.

My calorie intake today was a little low, but my food choices were much better.  I had a salad for lunch and tomato soup leftovers for dinner.  I'm looking forward to getting back on my exercise bike in the morning.  We'll see if I've lost much from my time off.

Day Two Hundred and Ninety-Seven - Getting There

I'm finishing up a second full day of being sick.  For the majority of the day I've felt okay.  I did run a fever again (low grade this time) during the afternoon.  However, it went away without any medicine.  I've gotten up a bit more than I did yesterday, and even got a shower.  Apparently one gets kind of smelly after 24 hours of chills and a fever.  I really do think I'm improving, but I still have a ways to go before I'm well.  I think the antibiotic is working, so hopefully by Monday I'll be doing a lot better.  I know these days off will probably cause me to lose some of my momentum, but it won't keep me from losing my butter half.

My calories today were not the best.  I had too many snacks.  Bekah did make me a delicious bowl of Pioneer Woman's tomato soup.  I still didn't work out, and won't until Monday morning.  I'm ready to be better.

Day Two Hundred and Ninety-Six - It's Going to Be a Long Weekend

Well, I'm still fighting off this infection.  The antibiotic hasn't quite kicked in yet, so I'm still feeling kind of miserable.  I ate throughout the day (mainly some snack food) with my meds.  So, while my calorie intake stayed within my limit, the foods I ate weren't the best.  I'm not allowed to exercise until Monday still and, truth be told, you couldn't have paid me to work out the way I feel.  That's it for today.  I'm going to post my food tracker and then get some sleep.  These are boring days, but I'm still going to lose my butter half.

Day Two Hundred and Ninety-Five - Weigh in #42 - Good Weigh In. Bad Day

I've had a really bad day.  Because of it I didn't get to eat lunch, and I'm now at home with a fever, soreness, and more.  I'm not a fan of antibiotics, but I really don't have a choice but to take them for the next ten days.  That means all the more ProBio 5 for the next ten days.  I'm so excited I have the best probiotic and supplements available to me right now.  That's enough with the frustrating stuff.

On a positive note, the picture collage shows a comparison of my wedding day in 2010, last year before I began this journey, and now. I'm always amazed when I see side-by-side photos. It's hard to believe that was me a year or so ago.

Now for my weigh in results. I'm happy to report that I did in fact lose weight again this week.  When I stepped on the scale this morning I saw the number drop by 2.4 lbs.  That means I have lost a total of 132 lbs., with a current weight of 232.2 lbs.  I love that I am still losing.  I'm so blessed to be down another two plus pounds. This next week is going to be hard, because I'm sick and the doctor advised I don't work out until Monday.  That's three days that I'll lose.  I'll have to be very careful with what I eat over the weekend.

My food intake today was really messed up.  I had some candy, not paying attention earlier.  I missed lunch and had a sandwich (and small serving of BBQ Chips) for dinner.  So my calories and nutrition are off.  I am grateful I got a full workout in this morning, before I wasn't able to complete it.