Update 03/12/2012

I'm seeing a lot of results with Nutrisystem. I started it on January 1st and since then I have lost 31.6lbs. I started at 293.6 and I am currently at 262. I am very pleased with the results. I stuck to their program pretty strictly for the first month or so. After that I ate out once in awhile. But I adjusted my caloric intake for the day and ate smaller portions when I did and still lost weight. I've done almost no exercising so far. This weight loss has been a straight diet change.

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.