Well, this morning hasn't worked so well yet. I'm still recovering from the extended weekend, and took a small army to get me out of bed to even go to work this morning. So, first day, and I've already missed my morning exercises. Also, while getting ready, I was craving a Pepsi, but grabbed a Coke Zero on my way out of the door.
Now, when they first introduced Coke Zero, I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Since then, I've really found that it tastes like crap, and even prefer the taste of Diet Coke over it. So, I'll just hold off on that, and stick with the tea and water.
Getting ready to go to lunch in the next few minutes. Thinking about grabbing Subway. Something light..... we'll see what happens.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Monday, January 01, 2007
Motivational Photo
I made this a few months back. Good motivational photo!
... 1/2 hour and counting!
... 1/2 hour and counting!
1 Hour till Gametime!
Well, I'm not going to be awake when the clock ticks to midnight, so I'm just going to post now. I'm ready, and I'm psyched! This time I'm going to stick with it.
My last meal was a little casserole that I baked up. Wasn't bad, but definitely wasn't up to "last meal" standards as well. The good thing is, I'm not really going to be dieting. Portion control. That's the mantra! Just gotta eat sensibly, and work out! That's all I need to do! If I can't stick with it, this should be a walk in the park! Tomorrow morning, I'll post my official weigh in. We'll see what happens from there!
Wish me luck!
My last meal was a little casserole that I baked up. Wasn't bad, but definitely wasn't up to "last meal" standards as well. The good thing is, I'm not really going to be dieting. Portion control. That's the mantra! Just gotta eat sensibly, and work out! That's all I need to do! If I can't stick with it, this should be a walk in the park! Tomorrow morning, I'll post my official weigh in. We'll see what happens from there!
Wish me luck!
Friday, December 29, 2006
National Body Challenge
Wow. Didn't expect to have 3 posts this early in the day, however, I just came across this information. The Discovery Channel has an annual "National Body Challenge" where you're given information about getting fit, meal plans, and free 8 week memberships to Bally's Total Fitness!
I signed up for the first year that they did this, but my life fell into shambles shortly after, so I never actually stuck with it for the entire program. This might be a good idea to try again, and I'm considering taking advantage of the 8 week Bally's Membership at the very minimum.
If you are interested in participating, or want more information, please visit The Discovery National Body Challenge 2007 Website.
I signed up for the first year that they did this, but my life fell into shambles shortly after, so I never actually stuck with it for the entire program. This might be a good idea to try again, and I'm considering taking advantage of the 8 week Bally's Membership at the very minimum.
If you are interested in participating, or want more information, please visit The Discovery National Body Challenge 2007 Website.
My Goal
I was sitting back this morning, pondering exactly what it is that I would like to see happen with all of this. Sure, the most obvious choice is an overall improved quality of life. There's quite a bit right now that just "bothers me" about being the size and weight that I currently am. When I go to a restaurant, will I comfortably be able to fit into one of their booths. Also, when I've got my belly jutting out that far in front of me, it usually turns into a catch all for falling food particles.
When I'm behind the wheel of my car, I feel unstoppable. I feel free, as if I can glide along with the wind, and just get carried to my destination. I want to feel that way with my body as well. I want to feel that there's nothing out there to stop me from doing something that I want. I want to ride roller coasters, sit comfortably in a movie theater, just feel like I fit wherever I'm supposed to.
I've never been self-conscious about my looks or my size, so this isn't really a vanity issue. I've always been one to feel that if you don't like me for what I am, then you just don't know what you are missing. But by that same token, it would be nice for people to finally see me for who I am, rather than the outside impression of "Oh, here comes the fat guy, please don't let him sit next to me" that I ususally get.
Right now, I'm not looking to get "skinny". I don't want to be waifish or near anorexic. I'd like to be right near the top of my "healthy" weight levels, so I should have some mass to me. I just want to get to the point where I feel more accepted in the world, and also have a greater chance to lead a much longer life.
When I'm behind the wheel of my car, I feel unstoppable. I feel free, as if I can glide along with the wind, and just get carried to my destination. I want to feel that way with my body as well. I want to feel that there's nothing out there to stop me from doing something that I want. I want to ride roller coasters, sit comfortably in a movie theater, just feel like I fit wherever I'm supposed to.
I've never been self-conscious about my looks or my size, so this isn't really a vanity issue. I've always been one to feel that if you don't like me for what I am, then you just don't know what you are missing. But by that same token, it would be nice for people to finally see me for who I am, rather than the outside impression of "Oh, here comes the fat guy, please don't let him sit next to me" that I ususally get.
Right now, I'm not looking to get "skinny". I don't want to be waifish or near anorexic. I'd like to be right near the top of my "healthy" weight levels, so I should have some mass to me. I just want to get to the point where I feel more accepted in the world, and also have a greater chance to lead a much longer life.
The Plan
Yesterday I discussed my history... how I got to where I am today. Now, it's time to think about how I'm going to dig myself out of this hole that I've been digging for the last decade.
There's several things that need to happen for any diet to work for me:
1. It can't be a "diet"
2. It needs to be flexible.
3. I need to be able to eat no matter what situation I find myself in
4. Exercise will be the primary focus of whatever plan I go with.
Lets start with "It can't be a Diet". The second I hear the word "Diet" I start to cringe. Immediately my mind goes into overload with the idea that I'm "giving something up". I'm the kind of person that once something isn't available to me, I want it more than ever! When I was on Weight Watchers, I wanted burgers and fries more than anything else. When I was on Atkins, anything bread or starchy immedately became the most important things in my life... "Who needs to diet, just gimme some toast!". The new diet needs to be able to let me eat pretty much whatever I want. Burgers, Fries, Junk Food... whatever! There's going to be ONE exception to this rule: No Soda. Yes, I have to give up soda. For one, it's pure empty calories. If I stand any chance of getting my body under control, the soda HAS to be the one thing to go. It will be replaced by heavy amounts of water and tea, and a coffee every once in a while for a caffine boost.
Whatever I do, it needs to be flexible. Just like I mentioned above, I need to be able to eat pretty much anything. When I get a craving for McDonalds, I can't deny myself the wonder of McDonalds burgers. The more I do that, the more I'm going to fight myself, and that's just a losing battle altogether. If I want McDonalds, well by golly, I'm going to get me some McDonalds! The issue isn't what I get. The issue is just how much of it do I consume. This ties into my 3rd point: I need to be able to eat in whatever situation I find myself in. When I'm at work, my team has a tendency to want to go out for lunch... pretty much every day. I need to be able to do that, and still stay with the program. If we go to Fuddruckers, I need to be able to get something that I like, but still keep it within the parameters of the plan. Taking the advice of a friend of mine, the solution is relatively simple and elegant. Eat 1/2. Some places, this is pretty easy to do. At McDonalds, I won't get the 2 Big Macs, large Fry and large soda. Instead, maybe a single Big Mac, small fry, and water or ice tea. Immediately, my caloric intake has been reduced well below half of what it was to begin with. Places where I can't reduce the size of the meal that I order, I'll just eat half the portion. Lets say I go into a mexican restaurant and order my usual. I'll just eat 1/2 of all the items on my plate, then take the rest home for later, or perhaps just let them take it away. If I can stick with it, this would seriously reduce my caloric intake, though I'm not sure if it will bring it to weight loss levels given my current level of activity.
That is why I need to incorporate exercise into whatever plan I come up with. Over the years, I've let myself go. My muscle mass is pretty much dilapidated, and my metabolism is shot. In order to have any success with whatever plan I go with, both will have to be amped up quite a bit in order to have any affect. Currently, I'm looking to incorporate an hour a day minimum towards working out and exercise. I'm looking to get in a mixture of cardio, weight training, and calisthenics. The cardio and weight training, I should have no problem with, as long as I can keep myself entertained... music and TV will do that. I'm hoping by incorporating calisthenics into my exercise plan, it will also help to build on my flexibility, as well as working muscles that probably wouldn't be reached by my standard cardio and weight training regiments.
I've never been able to do sit-ups, push-ups, or any type of calisthenics very effectively, so I'm hoping by really working at that, I'll be able to push myself in ways I haven't been able to do so before.
By following this plan, I think I've got a good shot at knocking this out of the park. Now, mind you, the plan is NOT set in stone. This is a growing and changing plan, that can be modified and adapted at any point. If I see something isn't working, I'll work to see what I can change to make things more effective. One thing that will definately change is the work out frequency and length, which I hope to increase as time goes on. This is just the "starter plan" that I've devised in order to kick start the entire regiment.
There's several things that need to happen for any diet to work for me:
1. It can't be a "diet"
2. It needs to be flexible.
3. I need to be able to eat no matter what situation I find myself in
4. Exercise will be the primary focus of whatever plan I go with.
Lets start with "It can't be a Diet". The second I hear the word "Diet" I start to cringe. Immediately my mind goes into overload with the idea that I'm "giving something up". I'm the kind of person that once something isn't available to me, I want it more than ever! When I was on Weight Watchers, I wanted burgers and fries more than anything else. When I was on Atkins, anything bread or starchy immedately became the most important things in my life... "Who needs to diet, just gimme some toast!". The new diet needs to be able to let me eat pretty much whatever I want. Burgers, Fries, Junk Food... whatever! There's going to be ONE exception to this rule: No Soda. Yes, I have to give up soda. For one, it's pure empty calories. If I stand any chance of getting my body under control, the soda HAS to be the one thing to go. It will be replaced by heavy amounts of water and tea, and a coffee every once in a while for a caffine boost.
Whatever I do, it needs to be flexible. Just like I mentioned above, I need to be able to eat pretty much anything. When I get a craving for McDonalds, I can't deny myself the wonder of McDonalds burgers. The more I do that, the more I'm going to fight myself, and that's just a losing battle altogether. If I want McDonalds, well by golly, I'm going to get me some McDonalds! The issue isn't what I get. The issue is just how much of it do I consume. This ties into my 3rd point: I need to be able to eat in whatever situation I find myself in. When I'm at work, my team has a tendency to want to go out for lunch... pretty much every day. I need to be able to do that, and still stay with the program. If we go to Fuddruckers, I need to be able to get something that I like, but still keep it within the parameters of the plan. Taking the advice of a friend of mine, the solution is relatively simple and elegant. Eat 1/2. Some places, this is pretty easy to do. At McDonalds, I won't get the 2 Big Macs, large Fry and large soda. Instead, maybe a single Big Mac, small fry, and water or ice tea. Immediately, my caloric intake has been reduced well below half of what it was to begin with. Places where I can't reduce the size of the meal that I order, I'll just eat half the portion. Lets say I go into a mexican restaurant and order my usual. I'll just eat 1/2 of all the items on my plate, then take the rest home for later, or perhaps just let them take it away. If I can stick with it, this would seriously reduce my caloric intake, though I'm not sure if it will bring it to weight loss levels given my current level of activity.
That is why I need to incorporate exercise into whatever plan I come up with. Over the years, I've let myself go. My muscle mass is pretty much dilapidated, and my metabolism is shot. In order to have any success with whatever plan I go with, both will have to be amped up quite a bit in order to have any affect. Currently, I'm looking to incorporate an hour a day minimum towards working out and exercise. I'm looking to get in a mixture of cardio, weight training, and calisthenics. The cardio and weight training, I should have no problem with, as long as I can keep myself entertained... music and TV will do that. I'm hoping by incorporating calisthenics into my exercise plan, it will also help to build on my flexibility, as well as working muscles that probably wouldn't be reached by my standard cardio and weight training regiments.
I've never been able to do sit-ups, push-ups, or any type of calisthenics very effectively, so I'm hoping by really working at that, I'll be able to push myself in ways I haven't been able to do so before.
By following this plan, I think I've got a good shot at knocking this out of the park. Now, mind you, the plan is NOT set in stone. This is a growing and changing plan, that can be modified and adapted at any point. If I see something isn't working, I'll work to see what I can change to make things more effective. One thing that will definately change is the work out frequency and length, which I hope to increase as time goes on. This is just the "starter plan" that I've devised in order to kick start the entire regiment.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
The History
I've never seen myself as an extreme overeater. Sure, I might eat a bit much for a single meal, but usually don't eat much for the rest of the day. I sometimes see the things I'm eating, and just want to climb out of my body and smack myself. "Stupid Stupid Stupid!" I know it's wrong, but when I go to MickeyD's... two Big Macs just sound so much better than one!
I'm not sure when it really all started. When I was 8, I was a toothpick. Back then, I used to play outside all the time, and we had a jungle gym in the backyard. After my father passed away, things changed. It was 1985, and the Nintendo Entertainment System was released. Playing more video games, and playing less outside was one of the bigger reasons I probably started gaining the weight. One of the BIGGEST reasons I've always attributed for my weight gain was the extreme diet I was put on after my father passed away. Even though I was skin and bones, my cholesterol level was through the roof. My brother and I were both put on severely restrictive calorie, fat, and cholesterol diets. Once we stabilized, we started eating like normal again. My body yo-yoed. By the time I was in middle school, I was probably about 20 lbs overweight. By no means the "fat kid", but definately starting to get a little bit of a stomach. By my senior year of High School, things were definately starting to show badly. I had gotten into computers a few years prior, and became even MORE reclusive than ever. When I graduated, I was about 35-40lbs overweight. I got myself a job in the grocery store, and things started to stabilize. I was active, riding my bike more than ever.... but still not eating right. Then at 20, I landed my first IT job. This was a double-kill for me. Not only did I become even MORE sedentary, but I could afford to eat a LOT more, which I did. I was introduced to the concept of the "all-you-can-eat pizza buffet", and immediately, I skyrocketed to 240.
I moved to St. Louis, with the entire idea that I was on my own, and had complete control over what I eat, and when I eat. Rather than take this and use the opportunity to lose, I wasted it away, going out to dinner more than ever. Yeah, I ate dinner at home , but usually had a big pile of rice-a-roni, pasta-roni, or some other side item to go with my chicken and vegetebles. Once I got married, I settled down, and started relaxing the diet... before I knew it.... I was at 280. Then the divorce came, and I spiraled into eating for comfort.... 290... 300... 310... 320. It just seemed like it happened so quick.
So here I am. Over the years, I've tried Atkins, Weight Watchers.. all of the fad diets you can name. They work for a while, then I plateu, get discouraged, and move back into my standard eating patterns. Lately, stress has become a big factor for my choice of eating habits.
I realize that any diet I do, it can't be restrictive. The second someone tells me I can't have a burger, I want it more than anything else in this world. A friend of mine has been preaching to me the diet that I need for a long time... eat whatever you want.... just don't eat as much!
I'm not sure when it really all started. When I was 8, I was a toothpick. Back then, I used to play outside all the time, and we had a jungle gym in the backyard. After my father passed away, things changed. It was 1985, and the Nintendo Entertainment System was released. Playing more video games, and playing less outside was one of the bigger reasons I probably started gaining the weight. One of the BIGGEST reasons I've always attributed for my weight gain was the extreme diet I was put on after my father passed away. Even though I was skin and bones, my cholesterol level was through the roof. My brother and I were both put on severely restrictive calorie, fat, and cholesterol diets. Once we stabilized, we started eating like normal again. My body yo-yoed. By the time I was in middle school, I was probably about 20 lbs overweight. By no means the "fat kid", but definately starting to get a little bit of a stomach. By my senior year of High School, things were definately starting to show badly. I had gotten into computers a few years prior, and became even MORE reclusive than ever. When I graduated, I was about 35-40lbs overweight. I got myself a job in the grocery store, and things started to stabilize. I was active, riding my bike more than ever.... but still not eating right. Then at 20, I landed my first IT job. This was a double-kill for me. Not only did I become even MORE sedentary, but I could afford to eat a LOT more, which I did. I was introduced to the concept of the "all-you-can-eat pizza buffet", and immediately, I skyrocketed to 240.
I moved to St. Louis, with the entire idea that I was on my own, and had complete control over what I eat, and when I eat. Rather than take this and use the opportunity to lose, I wasted it away, going out to dinner more than ever. Yeah, I ate dinner at home , but usually had a big pile of rice-a-roni, pasta-roni, or some other side item to go with my chicken and vegetebles. Once I got married, I settled down, and started relaxing the diet... before I knew it.... I was at 280. Then the divorce came, and I spiraled into eating for comfort.... 290... 300... 310... 320. It just seemed like it happened so quick.
So here I am. Over the years, I've tried Atkins, Weight Watchers.. all of the fad diets you can name. They work for a while, then I plateu, get discouraged, and move back into my standard eating patterns. Lately, stress has become a big factor for my choice of eating habits.
I realize that any diet I do, it can't be restrictive. The second someone tells me I can't have a burger, I want it more than anything else in this world. A friend of mine has been preaching to me the diet that I need for a long time... eat whatever you want.... just don't eat as much!
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Phat 2 Phit
Wow. I originally started this blog over 2 years ago, with the idea that it will help motivate me to actually get off my rumpus and start getting some dieting and excercise done. Now, I'm larger than ever, and nothing to show for over 2 years!! That's about to change.
January 1, 2007, the dawning of a new age. I need to lose weight, now more than ever. My father passed away when he was just 3 years older than where I am now, and he was in 10 times better shape than I am in now. I'm going to make an appointment for all the checkups, get doctors recommendations for what I should do, do some research, and post whatever I come up with here. And you can track my progress right from this very website!!
Wish me luck, as a re-embark on my journey to go from Phat 2 Phit!
January 1, 2007, the dawning of a new age. I need to lose weight, now more than ever. My father passed away when he was just 3 years older than where I am now, and he was in 10 times better shape than I am in now. I'm going to make an appointment for all the checkups, get doctors recommendations for what I should do, do some research, and post whatever I come up with here. And you can track my progress right from this very website!!
Wish me luck, as a re-embark on my journey to go from Phat 2 Phit!
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