End of the Year Update

So I lasted 60 days on my last attempt at weight loss. In that time I had managed to lose about 25lbs, which had put me about one third of the way to my goal. I got burned out though. The eating became too monotonous to me. I was eating the same thing almost daily and after 2 months of it, I had enough. The getting up and working out every morning began to wear on me as well. So I started to slack a day here or there. And that signaled my downfall. Once I started doing that, it became harder and harder to get back into the groove, until I stopped doing it all together. I have not worked out since I stopped and I went back to eating horribly again. I've since put back on all the weight I lost.

But I am mentally ready to get back on track. I was waiting until after the holidays as I know those are the hardest times of year. I am starting to get more anxious to get started though. I am currently on vacation in a hotel and they have full length mirrors and I am disgusted by what I see. I look like an amorphous blob. I am not happy with that. Nor am I not happy with my clothes not fitting right. I got a really nice suit for Christmas and I want to make it look good. I can't do that right now.

My plan is to do the Power 90 program again. I saw good results on that and I felt good. I'm doing something different for meals though. I've signed up with Nutrisystem. I was a bit wary of the price, but figured I was spending about that much on healthy groceries anyway. Also, I get a lot more variety than I would have cooked for myself. The meals come already prepared and just need to be heated. So I don't have to worry about a lack of desire to cook things. I'm excited to get started on this again and start seeing the results I did earlier this year.

Here is hoping I stick with it until I hit goal this time. Third time is the charm right?

Day 49 and Weigh-ins

It's been a few weeks since I last posted. In the past that meant I had stopped my trek to losing weight. That is not the case here. I am still going strong. Three weeks ago I slipped and fractured my arm. That through a minor crimp in my workout plans. My arm is still healing, but I try to exercise with it as much as possible. I can't do push-ups and I have to use 5lb weights for some of the exercises like the curls. But I didn't use it as a reason to give up.

I have also moved up to the next stage of disks. I am now doing Sculpt 3-4 and Sweat 3-4. There are a lot more repeats and exercises. They are tough and it is a good workout. For variety, I did the Fat Burning Express today and it was still a challenge, even this far into the program. It was a good workout. I can feel muscle forming under my fat, especially my pecs and abs. And my left arm is even getting definition in it.

As for the weight-loss, that goes well. My weigh-in two weeks ago was 270.2. Which put me officially below where I was at when I first started this blog. And the one last week was the exact same amount. It was the first week I had with no loss. I did spend the first part of that week out of town and was eating out. So I attribute it to that. This week, I weight in at 267.6. I am at the lowest I have weighed in YEARS. I am pretty proud of myself. That is 22.4lbs lost since I started eating right and doing the program. And I still allow myself a cheat day here and there. I just moderate myself better and balance it out with my calorie intake for the day.

Days 19-25 and weigh-in

This week has been a pretty busy week for me, so I haven't gotten around to blogging about my progress. I am proud to say that is not an indication of me losing steam in my workouts. I did not miss a day this week and I kept to my diet. I bought some new adjustable dumbbells. And by the end of the week on my sculpting exercises, I had upped my dumbbell weight from 5lbs to 10lbs. I was truly feeling it, but still did all the reps.

I am starting to visibly see the improvements. My face is thinner. My clothes are fitting more loosely. My stomach is looking smaller and seems to be becoming more and more skin and less and less fat.

As for my weigh-in, I was at 277.0. That is 3.2lbs below last week and a total of 13 lbs since I started. That is not a bad amount of weight lost for three weeks. I am pretty proud of it. And I am almost at the weight I was when I originally started this blog.

I'm starting to really enjoy the benefits of my workouts. I am walking taller and more confidently. I feel good as I walk around. I know I'm still fat, but as I walk I can feel the benefit of my workouts and it makes me feel good. I really look forward to being at my goal weight.

Day 16, 17, & 18 w/weigh-in

I'm still going. Two weeks are now officially down. That is twelve workouts there. It is tough, more mentally than physically. The workouts get easier and I am able to push out more reps each time. But it is hard to keep eating like this and getting up to exercise. It it totally a mental game at this point for me.

I have been playing around with the diet a bit. I've been hungry a lot between my meals/snacks, so I bought a big jug of trail mix to snack on at work. It has low calories and fat calories. And I felt I needed to step up my calorie intake a bit. I counted and I was hovering around 1500 a day.

Even with such a low intake, my weight loss for the week was not as drastic as I hoped. I lost two pounds. That puts me at 10lbs since I started. I was hoping for more after my big loss last week. And with all the effort I'm putting in, I really wanted to see some solid numbers again. Still, it is a loss. And a healthy one at that. And maybe I have had some muscle development during that time. I just have 80lbs more I'd like to lose and at two pounds a week, it feels like it is going to take forever. I just have to keep reminding myself that weight loss is never easy or fast or no one would be fat.

As they say at Team Beachbody, I just have to keep pushing play.

Day 13, 14, and 15

I'm 3 days into this week and still going. I'm not quite as gung-ho about it as I was in the first week. I think that is to be expected. Yesterday was especially tough waking up. I had gone to bed later than I wanted and had to do cardio. I dread the cardio because it kicks my butt. But I know I really need it.

I'm still sticking to the diet. It is a bit repetitive at times. And I'm starting to be hungry ALL the time. Like between meals and snacks, I'm starving kinda hungry. I hope that means my metabolism is increasing.

To me, it looks like my stomach is getting smaller. But I'm not feeling lighter lately. And I've felt weird in my stomach. Like I'm full, even when hungry. I'm wondering if I am just feeling my ab muscles under all my fat from doing my crunches. I'm hoping that is what it is.

Day 11 and 12 w/weigh-in

Day 11 was my final workout day of the week. I did the Sweat 1-2 and it was tough. The Abs 100 session especially. Trying to do crunches with my stomach is tough. I was feeling them and even started getting sharp pains during it.

My workouts are paying off though. I weighed myself after my workout and I was at 282.2 lbs. I actually have lost about 8 lbs. since I started. I'm pretty psyched over that. I can't wait until the rest just starts melting off.

Day 12 was my day of rest. I needed it, but it felt weird not working out. I kept feeling like I should be. And then I treated myself to some Taco Bell, and I just wasn't feeling it like I used to. It wasn't as good. And I found myself wishing I ate something better. I really do feel like my mindset is changing as it pertains to eating and food.

A new week of working out starts tomorrow. Let's hope it is as fruitful.

Day 10

I worked on Sculpt 1-2 again today. I was feeling it today. I pushed myself and was able to do a few more push-ups and even a couple of chair dips. I'm actually feeling my pectoral muscles. My biggest proud moment was when I wore a belt that I had to quit wearing a couple of months back. It was on the last hole, but I could actually put it on. I was pretty stoked by that.

Stuck to my diet. I was hungry most of the day though. I think the workouts must be speeding up my metabolism. I was tempted to treat myself to something tasty and outside of the diet tonight, but I resisted the urge. I'm trying to stay focused on my goal and not undo the progress I have made.

Day 8 and 9

I moved on from the Fat Burning Express DVD yesterday and did the Sculpt 1-2. It was resistance training using the resistance bands and also push-ups. I got through the workout with taking breaks and I felt good. I could feel it in my muscles without it hurting. At least yesterday. My right arm is in pain today. And in certain positions, the pain is pretty sharp.

However, today was endurance training. I did the Circuit 1-2 exercises. It was tough and I was back to having to take breaks. It worked several different muscle groups than Fat Burning Express did. My calves, groin, and hips were killing me during the workouts. At the end, there was the Abs 100 workout. As big as I am, it was pretty tough. I was able to do enough though to feel it.

Day 7

Another good day. I got up and worked out. I only had to take two breaks throughout the whole workout. That is my best ever. I also noticed that I don't get winded walking from my work building to my car. My endurance has definitely improved.

My diet went well too. I'm eating the same stuff, but don't feel like I'm getting bored with it. I eat a different variety of rice every day and different flavors of protein bars. I also use different BBQ sauce on my chicken at lunch. The variety is good.

Day 6

I used today as a starting point to get back on track. I woke up and did the Fat Burning Express disk again. I was happy to see my two days off didn't hurt me. I was still able to push myself and go longer between breaks and take fewer of them. I felt good after the workout. And I just felt better walking around.

I stayed on my diet as well today. Same things as I have been eating when I'm eating right. It feels better eating these things than greasy fast food now.

Day 5

Yeah, today was another not great day. I didn't get around to exercising. I think not doing it yesterday had something to do with it. But I'm starting back up tomorrow. And by doing that, the day I don't exercise each week will fall on one of my days off work. So with that, perhaps I will keep my schedule better in the weeks to come.

I also noticed that the fast food I ate just wasn't that satisfying this weekend. I felt guilty over it and it didn't do my insides any good. I think I'm getting my mind where it needs to be to be eating healthy. That is a definite plus.

And while this weekend was a wash, I realized that I did do an hour and a half of strenuous exercise last week. That is certainly an improvement over where I was at.

Day 4

Today was a total blew it day. I was barely home today at all. I did not get in a work out. And I decided to cash in the free food I had coming at 5 Guys Burgers. I did not get a soda though. That counts for something. And I did not eat anything else that day except for some egg whites in the morning. I feel guilty though about blowing the day. It was not a lack of desire, just a lot going on. And it was my day off. It is a lot easier to stay on this schedule during the work week than the weekend.

Time to get back on track tomorrow.

Day 3

Today was a good day. I awoke finding only minor pain in my thighs. I got through the exercises much easier. I found that my stretching had already made me a little more flexible as well as I was doing stuff I could not on Day 1.

The diet went well today as well. I stuck to that with no cheating. I find myself being hungry a lot more often now though.

I'm also feeling better about myself today. Obviously, I'm still fat. But just walking around I feel like I'm looking better and feeling stronger.

Day 2

I was surprised when I awoke this morning and I didn't hurt. I could tell I had worked out my legs, but I was not in pain. I ended up doing the Fat Burning Express DVD again. It went a lot more smoothly than yesterday. I took fewer breaks and felt like I was able to endure a lot more of it. I am definitely feeling it today though. My legs have been stiff all day. And every time I got up out of my chair at work, it felt like a chore to walk. And I'm even feeling it in my arms. I'm a bit more psyched about the working out than I was yesterday. I do think I am going to be feeling it tomorrow morning though.

As for my diet, it went pretty well. Cereal and strawberries for breakfast, protein bar, chicken breast and rice for lunch, and a salad and protein drink for dinner. I feel like I made the salad too big tonight. I was hungry and ate a lot later than I normally do. I have to watch that. Though it is better than pigging out on bad food.

Day 1

I took the plunge. I actually got up early this morning and worked out. I did the Fat Burning Express workout from the program. It was tough. What was supposed to be a 35 minute workout ended up being closer to an hour with all the rest breaks I took. And towards the end, I really had to talk myself into finishing it out. I did it though. I couldn't do all the exercises. The jumping exercises towards the end were just too grueling with how tired I was and my weight. So I just stepped instead trying to keep form still. They did say to keep it easy, especially if just starting out.

I wasn't really sore today from the workout, but I was exhausted. My legs felt wobbly anytime I was on them, and I simply didn't want to move. I just really wanted to crawl into bed and sleep. But a day of work kept that from happening.lol I'm curious to see how I am feeling when I awake tomorrow. If I'm feeling it too much, I may skip the cardio and go to the sculpting instead for the day. My goal is to spend the first week doing the Fat Burning Express DVD though if I can manage that.

As for my diet, it was pretty much the same as yesterday. We did have a pizza party at work. I really debated participating. However, I realized things like this will come up and I can't shut myself off from eating unhealthy food 100% of the time. So I had a couple of slices. The big thing here was that I limited myself to just two slices. In the past, it would have been 4-5 slices easy. I made a compromise and still showed some restraint. I also cut out my morning protein bar to compensate for the additional caloric intake. I also started taking some metabolic enhancers today. I got a 30 days supply as part of ordering this program. Hopefully, it will aid with my weight loss.

Day 0 Stats and Pictures

As mentioned in my last post, I am getting ready to start a new exercise program. I feel motivated for different reasons. I hate the way I look now, and also with things going so well for me in other areas of my life, I want to improve this area. It really is amazing that when you are happy, you feel more motivated to get into shape.

The program I am getting ready to begin is Power 90. It is by Beachbody.com, the same people that do P90x. I looked briefly at that, but it looked too intense for me at my weight. Power 90 was the program that led to P90x and is supposed to be more beginner friendly.

While I have not started working out yet, I did start eating right today. My breakfast consisted of a bow of Special K with yogurt crunches and fresh strawberries. Lunch was a grilled chicken breast with a touch of orange mango BBQ sauce and 4-cheese rice. For snacks I had 2 protein bars and celery with hummus. And dinner was a salad with grilled chicken, carrot chips, cherry tomatoes, and a fat-free balsamic vinaigrette. And I only drank flavored carbonated water.(which the program says is okay to drink) I am focusing on protein in this first week per their recommendation.

In preparation for the program, which goes 90-days, I took my measurements and took new pictures. My stats are as follows:

Weight: 290lbs.(Yes, I've gained weight since I started this blog)
Waist: 51"
Hips: 51"
Chest: 49"
Right Arm: 15"
Left Arm: 14.5"
Right Thigh: 26"
Left Thigh: 26"

And the pictures of me:







As these pictures show, I have quite a bit of weight to lose. Unfortunately, most of my weight accumulates in my stomach. That is definitely my "problem area" and what I hope to change the most. I am at the heaviest I have ever been and I am done with it. I want to be in good shape and in good health. So let this be the last day that I look like this.

Update 5/21/11

It's been nearly a year since I last posted. Shortly after my last post I had a death in the family that had a major impact. I then was job hunting and graduating college and found many reasons not to be working out. I'm at a point where things are going quite well for me in life and I want to focus on another area, my weight.

Today I had an awards dinner I had to dress up for. I was looking at myself in the bathroom mirror at work and I just looked sloppy. Not because I was unkempt or anything, but because of my size. I looked fat. And I've lately purchased larger cloths, in the 3XL range. Large clothes don't seem to lay nicely. I'm a big fat guy in big fat cloths and I just hated the way I look.

Along with that, at the awards dinner, I ran into a fellow classmate that I haven't seen in like 6 months. The last time I saw her, she was out of shape and had a bit of a pooch. She looked great tonight. She had worked out like crazy using programs like Insanity, P90x, and Turbofire. Seeing how she looked, and remembering how I felt earlier in the day, I renewed my commitment to myself to lose this weight.

The step I took to doing this was purchasing the Power 90 exercise program. I had considered the P90x, but was intimidated by it. I am very overweight and that seemed to be very intense for a beginner. Power 90, from what I could tell, seemed to be more entry level while still offering great results. More for weight loss, and less for body sculpting. So I decided to start there and see where that takes me. I plan on chronicling my daily routine. I know my previous plans always went offtrack, but with more time now and more stability, I'm hoping to be able to follow through this time.