Waist No More

End of the Year Update

2011-12-26T02:59:00.002-07:00

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

2011-08-01T00:16:00.003-06:00

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

2011-07-03T14:38:00.003-06:00

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

2011-06-26T13:32:00.005-06:00

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

2011-06-23T20:38:00.002-06:00

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

2011-06-21T00:02:00.002-06:00

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

2011-06-19T00:19:00.003-06:00

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

2011-06-17T22:47:00.003-06:00

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

2011-06-15T23:30:00.000-06:00

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

2011-06-14T23:16:00.002-06:00

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

2011-06-13T23:35:00.000-06:00

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

2011-06-12T23:00:00.000-06:00

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

2011-06-11T23:00:00.003-06:00

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

2011-06-10T22:59:00.003-06:00

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

2011-06-09T22:46:00.003-06:00

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

2011-06-08T22:02:00.009-06:00

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

2011-05-21T01:38:00.003-06:00

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.

On the Disabled List

2010-07-10T11:01:00.002-06:00

I won't be able to work out for a few days at least. I rolled my ankle and I think it is sprained. I can barely put any weight onto it. This is disappointing to me as I really wanted to stay on top of things this weekend. I suppose I can take solace in that I got in my hour and a half for the week. That is what they say is healthy to do. I really wanted to do more though. Maybe I should work with hand weights or something in the meantime.

Personal Progress 07/07/10

2010-07-07T12:42:00.002-06:00

I just got done working out. I didn't get a chance to yesterday, but that is just as well since my legs were sore. Like I mentioned before, I don't want to overdo it. I got right back into things today though. I did 30 minutes on the stationary bike. I wanted to do the treadmill again, but someone else was already using it. And all the other equipment in my complex's exercise room is currently broken.(damn kids) So stationary bike it was.

It said I only burned a little over 200 calories at the end of the 30 minutes. That is substantially less than I burned on the treadmill. I, however, felt like I did more. I built up more of a sweat. I ended up going 8 miles. And unlike a real bike, I didn't coast at all. So I'm not sure how much good I actually did compared to the treadmill, but I feel good and it was better than doing nothing.

Personal Progress 07/05/10

2010-07-05T19:45:00.002-06:00

Make that two days in a row. Two straight days of working out. I did another 30 minutes on the treadmill. I pushed myself a bit harder today and managed to burn 375 calories. So a bit of an improvement over yesterday.I also went to weigh myself today and my scale is broken. No I did not break it stepping on it. So I have to buy a new scale so I can start keeping record of progress.

It was easier to go work out today than yesterday. Yesterday I really had to muster up the energy to go do it. But today I was still feeling good about doing it yesterday that I got right to it. It was one of the first things I did today even. My legs are sore from doing this the past couple of days, but it will get better. I even picked up a new pair of workout shoes today. So I guess that is a sign of my commitment to this.

Personal Progress 07/04/10

2010-07-04T21:01:00.002-06:00

My first personal progress report in 6 months. It was a long time coming. Like I mentioned in my previous post, my weight has been weighing(*chuckle*)on my mind a lot lately. As such, I worked out today. I spent 30 minutes speed walking on the treadmill. Not anything major, but I burned about 325 calories. I have a long ways to go. But a journey starts with a single step. I did feel good after the workout. I'm hoping that I can build up some momentum and keep it up.

I take that back, I don't hope. Let's face it, weight loss isn't built on hope. It is built upon how much effort we are willing to put into it. Whether or not I do this, it is all on me. Wishful thinking and hoping won't get me there. I have to dig deep and find the willpower within myself. It is easier said than done. But at what point does one get sick of looking at their fat body? When people are turned off by your weight, how much more incentive does one need? I get it. It's like a cycle. The more depressed you get about your weight, the more you withdraw into yourself and eat more. There comes a point when the cycle has to be broken.

Amused By the Irony

2010-06-15T23:04:00.001-06:00

I noticed that two of the ads on my page were of Papa Johns Pizza. I was greatly amused by the irony of pizza advertising on a weight loss blog. I mentioned them once and I get their ads. They are delicious.

I Have Failed Thus Far

2010-06-15T22:50:00.006-06:00

Life catches up with us and we often find ourselves with little time to do the things we want. I haven't given this blog the attention I've wanted to and I have not worked out or paid attention to the things I ate at all. I'm fairly certain that I have gained weight, but I am too afraid to weigh myself to find out. I know I have failed on my goals so far.

One of the biggest things that has been weighing(punny) on my mind is how I look to others. I have been on a couple of dates where I could tell they weren't attracted to me at all. I didn't have this problem before I got this fat. I have no desire to be this way.

I've simply been lazy. And I think I've entered a minor depression with breaking up with my girlfriend a few months ago and with looking for new work. Once you get to this point, it is very easy to just allow yourself to lapse even further. It's a total snowball effect once it gets rolling. I can recognize that this is on my shoulders and that I have fallen short. I have a desire to change this and hope to be making a turn around in the near future. My focus is going to be on working out. I hope that I have the inner strength and conviction to do this for me, and for everyone that comes to read this page seeking inspiration.

I'm not gone....Promise.

2010-02-21T23:08:00.002-07:00

I know I disappeared for awhile. I got caught up in the girl I was dating and then we broke up and I haven't felt very motivated to post. I also haven't really been following the diet to closely. But this is always on my mind and wanted to stop in to say that I will be announcing some changes soon and be back to posting on a regular basis.

Personal Progress 01/03/10 & Weigh-In #6

2010-01-03T10:32:00.003-07:00

A new year and renewed vigor. I haven't been posting as much because I've started dating someone. And we all know how the beginning of a relationship takes a lot of time and focus. She seems fine with me weight. I, however, want to continue to lose weight for myself.

Speaking of weight, I went up to 262.6lbs this week. That is a .4lbs increase. Which given that it was still the holidays and I was eating out a lot, I don't feel exceptionally bad about. Starting this week I go back to the diet in a more strict fashion. I'm also going to incorporate exercise more into my regiment.

I discovered that it was a good idea switching from the meal shakes to the meal bars. There have not been shakes available for over a month now. Turns out that Slim-Fast did a massive recall of all their shakes. I only drank them for like 2 weeks prior to the recall. Like I said, I didn't feel they were nearly as filling anyway.

Personal Progress 12/27/09 & Weigh-In #5

2009-12-27T09:00:00.002-07:00

This past week was the week of Christmas. It was more hectic, so not as much time to post. Of course there were all the treats that you eat throughout the holidays. Because of this, I truly expected the worst when I weighed in this morning. Color me surprised when I found myself weighing in at 262.2lbs. That was a loss of 3.4lbs. My biggest loss yet. The thing is, I don't feel like I've lost weight like I have in weeks past.

I've decided that come the first of the year, I'm going to really start incorporating exercise into my regiment as well. The diet is going well, but I really need to start developing some muscle and working off more of this fat.

Also I find this blog is harder to maintain when no one is reading it. It's like I'm writing to myself.lol

Personal Progress 12/20/09 & Weigh-In #4

2009-12-20T11:20:00.003-07:00

This week I haven't stuck to my diet nearly as closely as in weeks prior and it ended up coming back to get me. My weight this morning was 265.6lbs. So I went up .6lbs. I recognize though that diets are hard to maintain around the holidays. I'm not going to let it discourage me. And I am making smarter eating choices still. For example I went to McDonalds with a friend. And rather than getting a McRib and fries, I got a grilled chicken wrap instead.

My clothes are still fitting better. And I can wear my neckwear again. I had this necklace that had become too tight around my neck and now it isn't anymore. So it is little improvements that I am noticing.

Personal Progress 12/15/09 & Weigh-In #3

2009-12-15T23:45:00.002-07:00

I've been meaning to get to this for days and keep forgetting about it. I'm slacking. I'm a bit stressed with work and have the holidays coming up, so my mind is elsewhere. Well I have great news, I lost weight for another week. As of last Sunday, I was down to 265lbs. I have lost 7.6lbs in 3 weeks. I'm proud of it.

The bad thing is I think it is making me a bit complacent. I think because I am losing weight, I am justifying eating off my diet more frequently. I need to buckle down and show more restraint. I also need to get around to exercising. I keep saying that, but overcoming the laziness is tough. If I keep losing weight at this rate, I should be where I wanna be in 6 1/2 months or so. Just in time for summer.

Personal Progress 12/12/09

2009-12-12T13:41:00.002-07:00

I've been experimenting with the diet a bit to test my control and everything. When I eat outside the diet, I have found myself eating less and getting full a lot more quickly. And the times I am a little extra hungry when eating dinner, I will fix myself a little bit larger salad than eating something that is high in fat and calories. I am kind of proud that I am showing such restraint now. I have eaten off diet only a couple of times this week. I am anxious to see if I have lost weight when I weigh myself tomorrow.

Personal Progress 12/09/09

2009-12-09T19:53:00.002-07:00

I meant to report yesterday and missed it. I've been doing good on the diet for the past couple of days. Haven't diverted from it. I did start doing a meal bar for breakfast rather than a shake and it is working out better. I'm not nearly as hungry by the time my mid-morning snack comes around. I have gotten lax at times with making sure I take small bites and eat slowly. Sometimes I am so hungry that I start tearing into what little food I have and I have to consciously slow myself down. I am feeling really good with the diet. I need to start getting some exercise in the routine now. I keep procrastinating that due to my laziness still. But it will certainly help accelerate my weight loss.

Personal Progress 12/06/09 & Weigh-In #2

2009-12-06T15:27:00.003-07:00

Yesterday I went out again while hanging out with a friend. It is hard to maintain the diet within social boundaries. However, prior to that I had only consumed 330 calories for the day. So again, it should not have had that big an impact.

And apparently, staying on my diet the majority of the time has paid off again. As of this morning I was at 267.6lbs. That is a decrease of 2.4 pounds from last week. I have lost 5lbs over the past two weeks. If I can keep this up until this time next year, I should be in pretty good shape.

Personal Progress 12/05/09

2009-12-05T14:48:00.002-07:00

Well I missed a couple of days. I've already realized I won't be hitting it every day, but will try. I was way tired on Thursday and crashed super early.

Yesterday, I went out to lunch for Chinese with some co-workers. It was the only thing I ate the rest of the day. So it shouldn't of had too much a negative impact. I was sick to my stomach though in the evening. My body seems to prefer the food on the diet now more than food from eating out.

I'm going grocery shopping later today for food for the next two weeks. I plan on getting the same things as I did the past two weeks. Though as mentioned before, I may switch my breakfast from a Slim Fast shake to a meal bar. Just so I don't get quite as hungry in the morning.

Personal Progress 12/02/09

2009-12-02T22:55:00.003-07:00

UGH. That pizza was still sitting with me like a brick this morning. I was not hungry at all for the first part of the day. I was even feeling kind of nauseous. My appetite returned later in the afternoon, and I was starving between my afternoon break and dinner. I don't think I will be ordering a pizza any time soon.

And I was able to go the whole day with the button of my pants done up. Another sign that I'm making progress.

Personal Progress 12/01/09

2009-12-02T00:30:00.003-07:00

Today I cheated. I gave in and ordered a pizza. It was so good, but I felt bad afterward. I figured I would have one day a week where I went off diet. I just wanted to wait until I was further along. I'm not gonna let this hinder me. I'm gonna get back on track tomorrow. Maybe it is something I got out of my system. I feel sick to my stomach. So either I ate too much or my body is adapting to not eating all that junk food anymore. It's not something I wanna do again any time soon.

Personal Progress 11/29/09

2009-12-01T07:48:00.003-07:00

My pants are definitely fitting better than they used to. It's amazing what a few pounds lost can do.

I've noticed that I tend to be really hungry in the mornings. I think that is because I only have a Slim Fast shake for breakfast. And those just aren't that substantial. I'm thinking that I may change that to be a meal bar. It's the same amount of calories and seems to be a bit more filling.

Personal Progress 11/29/09 & Weigh-In #1

2009-11-29T22:52:00.002-07:00

Well as of today I am 270lbs. That is 2.6lbs less than I was a week ago when I started this blog. Which given that it was also the week of Thanksgiving, I think it's pretty good.

The desire to gorge was not as strong today as it was yesterday. I stuck to the diet without any problems. I found that dinner is actually filling me up. I only eat a Lean Cuisine meal, 1 cup of salad, and a piece of wheat bread. That would not have come close to filling me up before I started. But spacing out meals and snacks helps. And I am still drinking lots of water. I also make a conscious effort to take small bites and to chew slowly. I think that is helping.

Tomorrow marks the start of week 2. My goal this week is to incorporate more exercise. I only got in one day last week. I found myself less motivated to do so with the holiday. I'm going to aim for 3 days next week.

Hate loss - Taking Care of Myself

2009-11-29T19:40:00.005-07:00

Why did I decide it was time to lose weight? I hated the way I looked and felt. It got to the point that I was no longer fitting into my clothes. And I simply don't have the disposable income to go buy new clothes because I got fat. I have so many items, shirts and pants, that I can't wear because of my weight. I prefer to wear my baggier shirts so that my stomach is not as noticeable. I have to wear my shirts un-tucked. And worst of all, I've had to wear my pants with the button undone. It is a horrible feeling realizing that you can't fit into your clothes. That you no longer look good in them. I was/am tired of feeling like that.

I've become much more self-conscious of my appearance because of my weight. I recently spent a lot of time going to job interviews. And I wondered what kind of impression my weight made. I'm certain my ill-fitting suits only accentuated my weight. Ever noticed how our bodies compact when we sit down? I'm well aware that my fat becomes more evident every time I sit down. When I am at work, I can feel my gut pressing against my desk. The worst is when someone is trying to squeeze past a tight area behind you, and you can't get any closer to the table because of your stomach.

I've found I've lost a lot of the confidence I once had. I no longer am comfortable flirting with girls because of my appearance. I have some good personality traits. I'm a funny guy. And that's how I want to be known. As the funny guy, not the funny fat guy. In some ways I've become a walking cliche. Lacking confidence has a negative impact on self-esteem. This has lead to me sheltering myself more. I've left my home a lot less than I used to. And being at home, I've gotten more inactive and eaten more. And that only added to the problem and then it became a vicious cycle. And the time came to break that cycle.

I hate who I am. I hate the way I look. I hate the way I feel. I am consumed by this hate. And now is the time for hate loss.I even toyed around with that as the title for my blog, but someone is using something similar already. Through weight loss, I can achieve hate loss. I can start to feel better about myself. I can look better. I can like who I am again. And I'll be healthier. I wish I could say the health aspects are a larger part of why I am doing this, but they aren't. It's really more about looking better and thus feeling better. The health ramifications are important as I get older. And I do want to be one of those healthy old people. But as a single guy, I want to get my looks back. And then find that special someone. And I don't want to be with someone that would take someone that looks like me. They should want someone that takes care of themselves. And I need to take care of myself. And that is what I am doing now, taking care of myself.

Personal Progress 11/28/09

2009-11-29T01:48:00.003-07:00

Today was a rough day. I was very tempted to just forget the diet and gorge. It crossed my mind to eat until I could eat no more. And then it hit me that I was a bit disturbed by how dependent on food I am. That kind of enforced my determination to beat this. I love food, but I don't want it to have that kind of control over me. So it is with pride that I can say that I stuck to my diet. Let's hope tomorrow is a bit easier.

Personal Progress 11/27/09

2009-11-28T03:03:00.002-07:00

Yesterday was Thanksgiving and I, of course, went off my diet. I was still pretty good with it. I ate very little up to the point of dinner. And I didn't overdue it then either. Today I've eaten less than I normally would have. I probably came in at around 1000 calories for the day. I wasn't very hungry for the first part of the day.

I did find myself today missing being able to eat what I want whenever I want. But that freedom and carelessness is what lead me to where I am now. So I pushed the thought out of my head.

Days off work are the hardest for the diet. Not keeping as busy, I find my mind wandering to food and eating more. Almost makes me look forward to going back to work. Almost.lol

Tip- Make the most out of your salad

2009-11-28T02:58:00.002-07:00

I've never been able to eat salad by itself. I've always smothered it in a lot of dressing so I could have a taste in every bite. However, when losing weight, you can't do that. And one tablespoon of dressing does not go very far when poured over one cup of salad. Then I accidentally stumbled upon the solution.

Take a small container with a lid, like tupperware, and make your salad in that. Pour the dressing on and then shake thoroughly with the lid on. This mixes the salad in the dressing quite well and gives you that flavorful taste in every bite.

Personal Progress 11/25/09

2009-11-25T22:14:00.002-07:00

Well I'm feeling thinner. My pants seem to be fitting a bit better. Maybe it's all psychological, but I'll take it. :) I do feel less like my stomach is trying to burst out all the time. That may also be why I'm hungry a lot as well. There were different points of the day where I could not wait until my next scheduled meal/snack. I find myself looking forward to them. I'm not so sure that is a good thing. We will see how it plays out.

Tomorrow is going to be a cheat day. It's Thanksgiving, what can one expect. I am headed to a friend's house and plan on partaking of the feast. And then Friday, it's back to the diet.

Personal Progress 11/24/09

2009-11-24T20:40:00.002-07:00

Today went a bit easier than yesterday. I wasn't as hungry early in the day. That may have been due to me being busier at work as well. I was very tempted to go off diet, however. A bunch of co-workers went out for Greek food. The idea of a gyro was quite tempting. I resisted though and ate my half a turkey sandwich and meal bar instead. Thinking about it now, I'm not sure I made the right decision.lol

I also worked out tonight. After getting home I went and rode the stationary bike for a half hour. Ended up going over 8 miles and burning over 200 calories.

I've been trying to incorporate things I've read before to help feel fuller throughout the day. I am drinking a lot of water. And I'm taking smaller bites and making sure to chew thoroughly. I generally scarfed down my meals before. So it takes a real conscious effort not to now. It seems to be working though.

Personal Progress 11/23/09

2009-11-23T23:08:00.002-07:00

Another day down. I had school this evening so I didn't get a chance to exercise. I did, however, stick to the diet. It was pretty much the same as yesterday with a banana added in for an additional snack. I've gotta admit that I am hungry. It was really bad between my mid-morning snack and lunch. And now in the evening, I am pretty hungry. I'm just gonna bear through it. I figure I will have a few days like this until my body adjusts to my new eating schedule.

I used to just wait until I was really hungry and then shovel down a lot of empty calories. I'd usually only eat two meals a day with some random snacking mixed in there. So my body has to get used to less food and spreading it out more evenly. It is taking a lot of will power to not go eat something right now. I just keep thinking about my goal.

Personal Progress 11/22/09

2009-11-22T20:57:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of my endeavor to lose weight. All I did was start my new diet. That consisted of:

Breakfast- Slim Fast shake
Snack- Slim Fast snack bar
Lunch- half a turkey sandwich on wheat and a Slim Fast meal bar
Dinner- Lean Cuisine entree, 1 cup of salad with a 1tblspn or lite salad dressing, and a piece of wheat bread
Snack- and I will be eating a low fat yogurt here in a few

It went pretty well. I wasn't hungry most of the day until later in the evening.(such as right now :) ) Maybe if I had eaten a snack between lunch and dinner and pushed dinner back further. I'll get the chance for that tomorrow when I head into work. As an added note, I also drank water with everything except breakfast.

You're Fat and It's NOT OK!!!

2009-11-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

Did the title catch your attention? Did it make you nod your head in agreement or make you a little angry? Whichever it did, it accomplished its goal, which was to get you to stop and think about your own weight and your own perception of weight. I know this phrase is something I have said many times, both to myself and about others. And this phrase is one of the motivating factors that has helped push me to start this journey to lose weight.

We seem to live in a time when fat is becoming more widely accepted in our country. People are justifying their weight issues by bandying around the phrase "it's what is inside that counts". And that phrase is 100% right. But notice that no where does it say that it the ONLY thing that counts. Looks do matter. More importantly, health matters. And both are good motivators to do something about your fat.

They are the reasons I have started down this path and started this blog. I want to lose weight. I want to look better. I want to feel better. And I want to feel healthier. And this blog will allow you, the reader, to follow along the journey with me. This blog will chronicle my day-to-day effort to lose my waist, hence the title "Waist No More". Along with my daily journal entries on my personal progress, I will also post articles I write regarding the issue of being fat and losing weight. My goal is to do at least one article a week along with my daily personal progress reports.

Now I have mentioned myself a few times in this blog already. But who am I? Well, for the time being my actual identity shall remain anonymous. This is for my own benefit as I start this and work on being more comfortable with who I am. Who I am right now is a 33yo male. And these are my starting health stats:

Height: 6'
Weight: ~272.6lbs
Waist: ~52.5"
Systolic Blood Pressure(should be under 120): 124
Diastolic Blood Pressure(should be under 80): 99
Total Cholesterol(should be under 200): 138
HDL Cholesterol(should be over 40): 23

And for the looks portion, here are some beginning pics:

My goals are to get my weight, waist, blood pressure down and to get my HDL cholesterol up. What are my target goals? I want to get below 200lbs and get my waist down to 36" and get my health stats within their healthy ranges.

Now all of this is much easier said than done. I am well aware of the obstacles that stand in my way. Those include:

-I'm lazy. I admit it. I sit around all the time. I am a computer person and spend all my time on a computer. At work I am sitting at a computer. At school I am sitting at a computer. When I go home, I spend my time at my desktop playing games, or sitting on my couch with my laptop. The plus side to being so sedentary is that it won't take much to make a drastic improvement.

-I have no car. How does that affect my health? It has an impact on my diet. Getting to actual stores to get real groceries is more difficult. So I have been going across the street to Dollar Tree and Big Lots and getting my groceries there. And while convenient, I can only get canned or microwaveable goods there. Can't get fresh meat or fruits and vegetables. So a lot of the stuff I eat is high in preservatives. Speaking of food...

-I love to eat. I truly love the taste of food. So when I find something I enjoy, I tend to gorge on it.

-Papa John's BBQ pizza is delicious. This stuff is like crack to me. :)

-I'm busy. I work full time and go to school. So that makes it more difficult to eat healthy and find time to work out.

Being aware of the obstacles has helped me to make a game plan of how and what I am going to do:

-I got a ride to the store yesterday and bought food for the next two weeks. I planned out every snack and meal for the next two weeks and bought it.

- Drink more water. And I've cut out soda completely.

- I will walk on the treadmill every day I don't have school for 30 minutes.

- I'll use this blog to help motivate me past the laziness. My readers shall help keep my accountable.

I think this gets me off to a good start. I am also aware and accept that I might have days where I go off diet. Especially with this being the holiday season. If I do, I just pick up the next day and continue forward. No fretting about it and using it as an excuse to quit. And today was my first day on eating properly. I shall document that in a different post since I have gone on long enough in this one.

I welcome any comments and emails that you want to submit. I hope everyone gets something positive out of this blog. I know I fully expect to. I will warn up front that I plan to take a very blunt and forward approach with this. I don't think coddling offers the right encouragement in today's society when it comes to being fat. So I do expect some hate mail with my approach to the subject. But at the same time, I hope it is that extra push that others need.