Week Five

Previous Weight – 265.9
Current Weight – 264.2
Week Total – DOWN 1.7 pounds
Grand Total – DOWN 16.7 pounds

Well…I didn’t hit my goal (3.2 pounds) for the week and I realized two things.

1. Thanksgiving is harder than I thought it would be…even without dessert!
I did pretty good but even with the ‘just a taste’ plan in full effect the foods are so rich and high in fat and calories that it makes it nearly impossible to be good. Overall I felt pretty good about my ‘game day performance’ and really wouldn’t change a thing.
2. When you don’t exercise it’s nearly impossible to knock the weight off!
A nasty 24 hour bug knocked me out of working out Tuesday and Wednesday and then I did not drive the 30 minutes back up to the gym over the weekend. This week should be different but a busy schedule is going to cause some on the fly adjustments to be made!

The week ahead…well…this is going to be tough but I am kicking into high gear and calling for a FIVE pound loss this week! Got to get this thing back on track big time! I am not in danger of my EPIC goal failing but I need to make some serious headway!

Inspiration

Right now my workouts are consisting of swimming. Being a big guy the low impact (zero impact really) workout of swimming is perfect for me and in the past nothing has helped take off the weight more than swimming. So…everyday at lunch I head to a local fitness center and swim for 30 minutes solid. It is the perfect amount of time and really a good workout…and the best part is that I am back in one hour.

Monday was a tough swim. It started out good but the twinge I had felt in my neck (I think I slept on it wrong) got progressively worse as I was swimming. I felt like quitting as I reached the halfway point. Just as I was about to give up an older gentleman came onto the pool deck. I could see him perfectly as my head would bob up out of the water doing the breast stroke. He appeared to have had a stroke as his left arm was limp as his side.

“Wow, this guy is going to swim like that. Amazing…I bet it’s a tough workout for him,” I thought to myself.

Then as I reached the end of the pool he was jumping into the lane next to me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something shiny and out of place, around his knew area. As I made the turn I peaked into his lane and saw that in addition to his left arm being limp his left leg was a prosthetic from the knee/thigh (not sure exactly where) down.

Slowly he moved about in the pool…alternating between pulling his body along with his good arm and leg and standing in the pool doing some stretching. He was working his body as hard as he could.

Part of me could not help but wonder what his story is. Is his arm injury related to the leg? Was the arm due to a stroke? Was the leg a war injury? Whatever his story he was not letting it rule over his life. He was pushing past it and not letting his injuries limit him or give him an excuse to not get out there and work.

How could I quit now? How could my sore neck get in the way when a man with one good leg and one good arm was in there with me? What a blessing to get this inspiration when it was not only not expected but needed.

Week Four…

Previous Weight – 268.7
Current Weight – 265.9
Week Total – DOWN 2.8 pounds
Grand Total – DOWN 15.0 pounds

Last week was tough on many levels and I was faced with many obstacles. Some I succumbed to while others I didn’t let phase me. It really was a tale of two weeks…once i got past Thursday I was really able to get focused again and get back on track. I had set a goal of three pounds for myself last week and I am a bit bummed to say that I came up a bit short losing 2.8 pounds this week. I will admit though that as of Wednesday I didn’t even think it would be possible to get through the week without losing (pool closed, bad food available at night etc) so to nearly hit the goal still feels pretty good.

My big takeaway this week is that while it is important to micromanage my intake each day and to stay focused when I get off track for a few days it is not time to throw in the towel. I just need to push through! If you are on a similar journey to mine don’t let one or two bad days get you bogged down. Push through it with the long term goal in mind. My goal is EPIC and I plan to get there and I don’t want two or three days to get me down.

What’s my goal for this week? Again, as I sit here on Monday, I realize that this is going to be a tough week with the biggest glutenous holiday ever created on Thursday…knowing that I am going to go with 3.2 pounds. My goal would have been a flat three again but I want to make up the .2 that I didn’t lose this past week.

Confession Time…

I have tried…I really have but man it has been a tough week. The celebration of Julie’s Grandfathers life this week has led to one big party! (read her touching tribute to her grandfather HERE) I can’t even member what Monday and Tuesday were for dinner but Wednesday was Famous Dave’s and all the sides…potato salad, cole slaw, beans…that was lunch AND dinner! Yesterday I was back at work and able to get a mid-day workout in, a sensible lunch (tuna, egg, yogurt…not all together but those were the pieces to the lunch time puzzle) but then for dinner…ham and scalloped potatoes…really? REALLY? Who is against me here?

While these things are bad by themselves but it gets worse and this is where my confession comes in…Costco cake. Have you had it? Have you? This is a weakness…big time! And…I cheated…both days!!! Oh boy. I am really hoping that whatever is for dinner tonight that they have removed all remnants of that satanic Costco cake! It is the devil!

Worked out this morning because we have a team lunch today so I am feeling good now…but please…get thee away from me Costco Cake! A plague on both your houses…uhhh…I guess that’s just one house and I really don’t wish a plague especially considering how people are so freaked out over the H1N1 stuff.

A Tough Week Got Tougher

As I mentioned in my post yesterday this week is going to be tough (lack of schedules and choice in food etc) but things got tougher yesterday when the pool where I swim was closed due to a ‘chemical problem.’ Whoops! Apparently a lady went swimming with a black swimsuit and came out with a white swimsuit. Yikes! I can’t imagine that it was good for her hair or skin! Anyway…I was unable to swim yesterday and not very happy about it…I was told that the pool would be open yesterday afternoon but as of this morning it was still closed.

I understand these things happen but when you are focused and on track these setbacks drive you crazy. I guess I should have brought my gym shoes to do an alternate workout today but I really expected the pool to be back open. Just thought I would share my frustration…thanks for letting me vent!

10:23 Update:

The pool will remain closed until this afternoon meaning that I will not be able to work out at lunch. I may be able to go after work but not sure what is happening…not happy!

Week Three

Previous Weight – 273.7
Current Weight – 268.7
Week Total – DOWN 5.0 pounds
Grand Total – DOWN 12.2 pounds

Overall I am very pleased with the results of week three especially considering the following:
- A business lunch on Friday
- A trip to Atlanta Friday afternoon for a conference all day Saturday
- A Sunday night menu that included pork roast, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes and…oh yeah…salad!

The weekend saw me gain about a pound and a half of what I had lost Monday through Friday. I did hit the mini goal I had set for the week last week (posted last Monday – Today starts week three and I have set a goal for this week…five pounds. Ready…set…go!) so I guess I should set one for this week as well. I am going to say three pounds this week…the reasoning below.

The week ahead will be challenging as well as I have no idea what the schedule for me will look like. My wife’s grandfather passed away (read her awesome tribute to him here) and that means lots of family in and meals that will be somewhat out of my control. I will obviously make the best choices I can but it will be a hard week on several levels.

On A Personal Note:

Julie’s grandfather was an amazing man. I only had the chance to know him the past 8 years or so but what I saw was a man who loved God, loved his wife, loved his kids and loved others the way that we are called to. He was generous, smart, talented and I will miss him. Last night while looking for pictures for the service my 20 month old pointed to the screen and said over and over ‘Papa’ pointing and making sure that everyone in the room saw him. She loved him too.

BAGEL FRIDAY!

We have a little tradition here at my office…it’s called ‘Bagel Friday.’ What is Bagel Friday? Well…quite simply it’s when we have bagels on Friday. Like most traditions it had humble beginnings…I stopped, out of the blue, one Friday to get bagels. Leigh (a fellow team member) asked ‘what’s the occasion?’

‘It’s Friday,’ I replied.

‘Bagel Friday everyone,’ she announced. And thus…it was born.

It started as a whoever is feeling the love gets the bagels kind of thing but all it took was one Friday when two people felt that same bagel sharing love before we had an official list of who is bringing the bagels. Some of the spontaneity is gone but the spirit of love and bagels still runs deep.

So…now my dilemma…do I participate in bagel Friday? My thought today was I would have a half a bagel with very little cream cheese. But the more I thought, the more convinced I was that bagels were not for me on this Friday. Today it was a cup of oatmeal (actually closer to a half cup of oats), craisins in the oats and two turkey sausage links. Overall a much better and balanced choice. I think this gets me closer to my time on the EPIC than the bagel does.

So my question to you is…do you have a Bagel Friday in your life? If not…I urge you to start one. It doesn’t have to be bagels and it doesn’t have to be Friday. Heck…it could be Tostada Tuesday!

Disaster Averted!

So…last night was lasagna night. A celebratory night for a friend who recently became a realtor and has closed his first house. Cool stuff! (by the way if you are in the Spring Hill/Thompson’s Station/Franklin area give Steve Blair at Silver Point Properties a call. He will take great care of you…a great guy with a keen eye for marketing your home. You will not be disappointed. [that will be $10 bucks Steve!]) So for the occasion I made my lasagna…a favorite of Steve and his wife Kim.

I had a plan going in…small portion of lasagna and lots of salad. What did I do? Small portion of lasagna and lots of salad. Why? I went Dave Ramsey on that lasagna…I had a freakin plan! This morning was I up or down? Down baby! Now that’s what I am talking about.

I skipped the German chocolate cake for dessert…which was one of my favorites by the way…and honestly didn’t miss it. I will admit that right now these decisions are easier. We are early in the game. I am only in my third week but it is setting these habits now that will make the difference long term. As I went in to clean up last night the pan of cake was there with the perfect two bite chunk calling my name…I came so close to eating it.

My mind began playing the games with me…

“What could it hurt? It’s only two bites. Come on…you know you want to. Everyone else is doing it. They had BIG pieces…some even had ice cream. You wouldn’t do ice cream. Just two bites…or one really big one.”

Then I asked myself a simple question…

“Does this get me any closer to my goal?”

Answer…Nope. Disaster averted!

Encouraging Words / Tough Night Ahead

Yesterday I had three different people say that they could tell I was losing weight. That is huge…especially so early on in this that people are starting to take notice. I tend to lose weight in my face first and I think that is what most people are noticing.

So how about this…if you know someone who is trying to lose some weight give them some encouragement. Let them know that you see that they are losing weight or that you notice the tough choices that they are making. Speaking from experience…it means a lot. Having those words fresh in my ears last night made the brownies that we have at home not look appealing at all!

Tough Night Ahead:
Tonight we are having friends over for dinner (the husband recently became a Realtor and we are celebrating the closing of his first home) and I am making lasagna. I made it last night and I know what goes into it! I could kid myself and say…’it has meat, cheese, vegetables’ but I would be kidding my self! This is a rich, calorie infested dish! So…my plan…fill 80% of my plate with salad and take a small, sliver like, portion of lasagna. I’ll let you know tomorrow how I do!

Not As I Planned

Yesterday went pretty well as I tried to get back on track after a disappointing week two. Sensible breakfast, good snack, workout, sensible lunch, good snack…then dinner…typically about 5:30-6:00…but not last night. I say down to dinner at 8:48. Yes…8:48 PM!!! Anyone who is trying to lose weight will tell you that this is a HUGE mistake and it is. Normally I would have even chosen to skip dinner all together at that point but I was starving so I went ahead.

Dinner was okay…some pan fired (only w a slight bit of olive oil) chicken breast, a pita flat bread, feta cheese, onion and tiny bit of ranch. We love these at our house! I think I was done eating by 8:51…again not the right plan there either!

Let’s hope it doesn’t backfire on me!