Hiatus

Hey all,

I just wanted to check in and say I haven't given up, I just don't have the time or energy to update the blog.  I'm down a pound since the last post.  Not a lot, but it's something.  Hopefully, I'll be back soon.  My goal is to come back swinging after the new year.

Weigh in results

I didn't post yesterday because I didn't get home until late.  I'm not pleased with this week's weigh-in, seeing as I exercised every day and counted my points every day.  I understand it though.  I went way over on my points almost every day even though I exercised a lot, it wasn't enough to balance it out.

I'm using this as a learning experience.  I'm going to keep focused this week.  I can do this.

A Challenge

So yesterday I mentioned I was starting a new 3-week challenge.  Let me explain what I'm doing a little more thoroughly. 

Someone important somewhere once said it takes you three weeks to turn a behavior into a habit.  Using that line of reasoning, I have decided to trick myself into forming positive habits.  I lost my first 50 pounds or so by adhering to several 3-week challenges.  I challenged myself to exercise every day.  I challenged myself to log my food every day.  I challenged myself to drink the right 8 eight-ounce glasses of water every day. 

Here's the new one.  I'm challenging myself to log my intake on the Weight-Watchers website and to exercise every day.  I've done one or the other and treaded water the last year, so I figure if I combine both, I'll have great success.

So for the next three weeks, I'll be busting my ever-shrinking ass at the gym and log everything I eat. 

You can follow along on twitter by following me @100_Pounds or you can search the hash tag #3weekchallenge.  Feel free to contribute!

Anyone want to join me?  What's your 3-week challenge? 

Weigh in results

I got home late from the gym tonight so I'll make this quick.

I weigh 243.7 which is a loss from last week.  I'm not sure how much but it's a loss.

I know I haven't blogged for three weeks but I'll make up for it in the next three.  I'm doing my first double three week challenge.  Counting my intake every day with Weight Watchers and exercising every day for the weeks. 

More to come.

Weigh-In Results

I just got back from a church retreat with the 9th grade Religious Education class I'll be teaching this year.  Holy cow!  9th graders are full of energy.  I'm fighting off a cold that started in my throat and worked into my sinuses and is now entering my lungs.  Fun stuff, I know.

Anyway.  Camp food is not good for you and I couldn't use my cell phone to count points on Weight-Watchers.  The big problem though is camp food is delicious and I had a really hard time accessing my off-switch for eating.  I'm a little disappointed in myself, but I'm moving on.

Let's get to the numbers.

I gained 3.7 pounds this week.  I'm not proud of it, but I've still lost 4.9 pounds over two weeks, which is right on the money in terms of healthy weight-loss.  Yes, I'm disappointed the scale went up this week, but it gives me the chance to move forward at a reasonable rate. 

My 5k is coming up this weekend and I'm getting nervous.  I've got phlegm in my lungs and an ass to get off the couch to get ready.  I'll be running no matter what, but I'm hoping I won't have to walk much (or at all). 

Any tips for my first 5k?

Wishing

I still do things like hold my breath when I go through a tunnel so I can make a wish.  I'll make wishes other places too.  When I see the first star at night, when I blow out candles on my birthday cake, and even every now and then when the clock says 11:11.  Depending on my mood I'll wish for one of a few things: a teaching job, a good weigh-in, to live a long, happy life, etc.

I realized I wish for things that I think are out of my hands.  Some of the things I wish for are more out of my control than others.  I can't control how many music teaching positions are open for me to apply to.  I can control some factors, but I can't really control how long I live (although I can control how happy I am). 

I've been clumping my weight in with things that are mostly out of my control.  Somewhere deep down I must believe that I really have no control over my weight when, in fact, the one thing that is entirely in my hands is how my weigh-in turns out.  Yes, sometimes things get in the way, but I am ultimately the one responsible for my health.  I need to completely accept that and I will be a better person for it.

It's time to stop wishing and start working.  And if I do allow myself the occasional wish for weight loss after blowing out the candles on my birthday cake, I'd better not eat the whole damn thing.

I'll Do It Tomorrow

How many times have you told yourself that you'll start your diet tomorrow?  How long have you been putting off really pouring yourself into changing your lifestyle?  The time to procrastinate is over.  How do I know?  Because Blue-Cross Blue-Shield of Minnesota is telling you to.  And so am I.  Enjoy this commercial airing on TV in Minnesota.  Then get some exercise, eat healthy food in moderation, and start living the life you want to live.







By the way, where was I when they were casting this commercial? I'm fat and I can sing.

Weigh-In Results

Happy Monday everyone.  I was disgustingly sick last week, but I'm feeling significantly better this week. 

This is my first full week on weight watchers.  Keep in mind I was sick as a dog for the first half of the week and didn't eat a whole lot, so although I'd like to attribute a loss to weight-watchers, I think part of it probably came from yarking up any food I was trying to keep down.

Let's get to the numbers.

Sorry for the upside-down picture.  I guess I weigh h'1h2 pounds this week.

241.4!  I lost 8.6 pounds!  I'm going to chalk up half of it to counting points and half to being sick as a dog.  I'm back in a big way and I'm not stopping until I hit my goal weight of 196. 

Weigh-In Results

Sorry I didn't post this on Monday.  I've been curled up on the couch all week with a nasty stomach bug.  I didn't have the best start with Weight Watchers tracking because I wasn't really aware of what I was eating.  I'm positive I came way under on points though. 

So I'm feeling better and started tracking again yesterday.  I went three points over, but I'm so grateful to have my appetite back that I'm not worried. 

So here's what I weighed on Monday:

250 pounds.  It's more than I want to weigh, but I'm hoping to see that change this week.  I don't feel good enough for exercise yet, but I'm going to try to remain vigilant with my intake through the week and hopefully I'll see a fair loss on Monday.

Weight Watchers

I just joined Weight Watchers.  I've made the commitment to getting my intake under control.  No more binges.  It's time to lose some weight.

Weigh-In Results

I'm back.  And I'm struggling again.  This weight loss thing is not easy.  I have become a voracious stress eater.  I think it stems from two things.  Me dealing with Claire being sick (she's doing a ton better now, but I started stress eating when she went to the hospital and haven't cut back since) and dealing with not having found a job during the summer when schools hire teachers.  There's a lot to unpack with the second one.  I get into these spirals where I start questioning why I was laid off in the first place.  Which of course leads to me questioning my abilities both as a musician and as an educator.  I then wonder if I'll ever find a full-time teaching position and the best answer I can come up with is "Maybe, if you're lucky".  But then I start thinking, "Who would hire a music teacher who couldn't get hired for a school year?  Especially when jobs are so scarce and the competition is so fierce."  I start wondering what other professions I could go into and I start freaking out because I had to work really hard to get my teaching license.  I imagine what my life would be like if I couldn't make music every day.  Then I realize that at this point in my life, I don't make music every day and it kills me.

So... I eat.

And I gain weight.

And I go three weeks without blogging because I'm ashamed of what the scale says.

But the other day something happened.  Somehow I got out of my negative feedback loop and came to a realization: There are some things that are completely out of my control.  Such as which schools are hiring and the fact that if no one is looking for a music teacher, I'm not going to get a job this school year.  I need to accept these things and focus on things I can change. 

So what can I change?  How can I improve my life to increase my chances of finding the job I want? 

I can:
Start preparing for grad school by studying for the GRE and rehearsing audition music
Get treatment for my ADD (I've been off my meds for about four years now)
Get my website up and running again
Start substitute teaching in the Minneapolis School District on days I don't work at my paraprofessional job so I can get some recognition when I'm applying
And here's the big one: I can lose weight.  I need a win to get my self confidence up.  Reaching my goal of 196 would be a HUGE win for me.

So I'm going to try to get my shit together in short order here.  I want to update my blog more and eat less.  So let me start by giving you my last three weigh-ins.  Going from least to most recent.

So, I've been losing the past few weeks, but that was after a pretty significant gain.  I'm gonna start building again.  Weight loss is something in my power and I'm going to take advantage of that.

Weigh-In Results

It's been a tough week.  I haven't gotten as much exercise as I got last week, but I've still been bicycling to work every day.  I just finished week three of Couch to 5k and I'm really enjoying running.  I'm excited for my 5k in October.

My diet still consists of whatever I can cram in my gullet, but I'm tackling one thing at a time at this point.  I'll get my eating under control soon, but I'm building good exercise habits in the meantime.

Let's get to business.

245.5.  I'm down another pound.  I'm happy with that.  I'll get more moving in this week and hopefully I'll drop more than a pound.  But overall, I'm pleased.  Now I just need to find more time to write my blog.

Weigh-In Results

It's Monday and I stayed home from work today.  My wife, Claire, was up sick again most of the night last night and I was up with her so we didn't get much sleep.  When I don't sleep, I stress eat.  I snacked a lot today but I tried to only eat when I was hungry, which was often.

I did finish week two of Couch to 5k.  It went pretty well.  I'm getting used to running again, but I'm feeling some slight pains that worry me a little.  I hope they don't amount to anything.

Well, let's get to the fat guy show.  How much do I weigh this week?

246.5.  I'm down 3.9 pounds.  I'm pretty sure most of that is an adjustment because I posted a gain of 3.3 pounds last week.  I really am proud of my exercise this week though.  I biked to work every day, went to the gym twice, did the Jillian Michaels Yoga DVD twice, and finished week 2 of Couch to 5k.  I have been eating like crazy though and don't think I'll post a loss like this again without gaining control of my eating. 

A Quick One

Tonight I went for a run.  It felt really good.  I just kind of feel like I'm shooting myself in the foot with the whole eating piece.  I know it's not as bad as it could be, but it could definitely be a hell of a lot better.  I'm going to work on that. 

Not much else to say.  It's late and I have to be up early.  I just thought I'd write something to remind myself I still have a goal.

Playlist

I woke up sore this morning.  Very sore.  At first I thought it was because I had two beers last night.  After my wife reassured me that I'm not that old, I realized that it was a good sore.  It was the type of sore that comes from pushing your body with lots of exercise.  I've been biking every day and I've been lifting weights, running, and trying out the Jillian Michaels yoga thing.  I have been active. 

I've also been eating like a hoover vacuum cleaner.  I don't know if I'll be able to shed any weight this week because I've been snarfing down everything in sight.  Well, it's not that bad, but with added exercise, I feel like I'm hungry all the time and eating too much.  Plus work is really hard right now and I've been stress eating a little.  I will get my eating under control soon.  I will get my eating under control soon.  I will get my eating under control soon.

So I've been doing Couch to 5k and I skipped straight to the second week because I only have 8 weeks to do the 9-week program before the 5k I'm going to run.  That hasn't been so bad.  I've been listening to Pandora on my phone during my runs and it's made me realize how much music can psych me up.  I created a station for Cake and while I liked almost every song on the station, it made me feel old because it was all music from when I was in high school. 

I need to create a playlist I can really get into, and I need your help.  What gets you to move your body?

Weigh-In Results

So after I wrote my blog yesterday I decided I wanted to start Couch to 5k again.  If you're unfamiliar with the program, it's a really great 5k training program that gets you running a 5k from nothing in 9 weeks.  Since there was a little light left and I didn't finish my Jillian Michaels workout with Claire, I decided I'd go for a run and start.  The running came easier than it had in a long time.  I felt like I had to wait a really long time to run and had to stop after too short an interval.  This is great.  I'm in better shape than I've ever been at the beginning of C25k.

When I got home, I felt very motivated so I found a 5k to run.  There aren't a lot of races in October, but I found one on October 8th.  That's two months from today, so not quite the 9 weeks C25k suggests so I'll have to squeeze in an extra 3 workouts somewhere in the mix.  If you live in the Minneapolis area and you'd like to run a 5k with me, here's the link: 8th Annual Historic Riverfront 5K Run.

Let's get to the weigh-in.

Gross.  That's a gain of 3.3 pounds.  It doesn't matter though.  I'm done with this gaining B.S.  This is my low (high?) point.  I can only go up (down?) from here.  I'm declaring my slump officially over.

Postponed Weigh-In Results

I almost quit the blog.  I was telling myself that I needed a reboot.  I thought I needed a break from the whole blogging thing, and I don't know if I would have come back.  I'm still frustrated with the slump I'm in, but I'm starting to understand it.

Last Monday I got home from my bike ride and weighed myself.

If you can't read that, it says 247.1.  ACK!!!  That's a gain of 4.4 pounds.  My weight climbed all month in July.  Understandably so; my mind was in other places.  Between my wife, Claire's, health and a thus far fruitless job search, my heart really wasn't in the weight-loss game.

I have been doing a lot of bicycling.  I thought it was enough to get rid of some weight.  Clearly, that's not the case.  While cycling is a good workout and a great idea, it isn't the end-all be-all of losing weight.

Yesterday, Claire and I celebrated her 24th birthday and she did something that inspired me.  She signed up for Weight-Watchers.  She has shown me that she's committed to losing weight and I want to be right there with her. 

Today we went to target and she bought a couple Jillian Michaels workout DVDs.  She bought the 30-Day Shred and the Yoga Meltdown.  We put in the Yoga Meltdown DVD and started it.  I've never really had a lot of faith in yoga.  I just couldn't see how it was a good workout.  Holy crap, was I ever wrong.  10 minutes in, I was coated in sweat and trembling.  I couldn't even finish the workout.  I feel a little rubbery now, but I realized something.  In order to lose weight, I need to work really hard. 

So here it is.  I am going to work really hard and melt away this squishy outer layer I'm carrying around with me.  247.1 is not acceptable, and neither is phoning it in. 

Full Tummy

I ate too much Chipotle.  Claire didn't finish her burrito, so I went to town on it.  I need to quit doing that crap.  I got myself a burrito bowl so I didn't go overboard on calories and I blew it.  Now I just have a stomach ache. 

I biked to work and back today.  I put in 13 miles, which is half of my goal of 26 a day, but I'd say the 13 today felt tougher than yesterday's 27. 

If I'm going to get thin, I need to nip this overeating thing in the bud. 

Weigh-In Results

So It's been a while since I actually wrote a weigh-in post on a Monday so that's a victory.  Two years ago today, Claire and I got married.  Two years ago we looked like this.

Today, we look like this:

This picture makes me giggle.  Anyway, it feels good to be thinner.  I've still got a long way to go.  I'm sure I'll live longer based on the weight I've lost so far, but I want to be around Claire and that drag queen for as long as possible so I need to turn it up and get to a healthy weight.

Here's how much I weigh this week.

I gained a pound.  Gross.  All I can say is if all goes according to plan, I'll be taking it and a lot more off this week.

Yesterday I said I was going to bike a marathon every day this week.  I did not disappoint today.  I biked a total of 27.5 miles.  That's the farthest I've biked in recent history.  Here's the map:

I doubled around the lakes and decided to cross the mighty Mississippi into St. Paul today.  According to the Daily Plate, I burned 2,811 calories on my ride.  That makes me feel better about my mini-binge when I got home where I took in 600 calories of cottage cheese, fiber one bars, almonds, and a mini-ice cream Snickers bar.  I gotta get that under control.



So Claire, happy anniversary.  Over the last two years, you've given me the strength to make myself a better man.  You've challenged me when I've needed it most.  And you've made me incredibly happy since the day I met you.  I've got 47.6 pounds to go before I reach my goal.  With you by my side, I know I'll be able to do it.

Weigh-In Results

Hey, look, it's Sunday and I'm posting last week's weigh-in results again.  I promise there will be a new weigh-in tomorrow.

Here's an update: Claire is out of the hospital and is on the road to recovery.  They still don't know what she had, but she's getting better and there will be some lab work coming back soon.  Overall, it's good to be back home.

Here's how I fared Thursday on the scale.

241.7.  A gain of .9 pounds.  I'm not happy about it, but I was stress-eating hospital food.  It's amazing I didn't go back to 300 pounds.  I'm okay with this, but I need to get back in the right direction.

Here's how I'm going to accomplish this:  I'm going to bike a marathon every single day this week.  That's right.  I'm going to put at least 26.2 miles on my bicycle every day for a week and see what it does to my waistline.  I biked 25 miles a couple days ago and the daily plate told me I burned 2500 calories.  Over 7 days, that's 17,500 calories, or 5 pounds of fat.  Let's see how it goes.

No Weigh-In Today

I'm typing this from a hospital room.  Claire was admitted for some tests this afternoon.  Hopefully, we'll be out of here with some answers tomorrow.  But for now, we're just hanging out waiting.  She's feeling pretty well despite being poked and prodded every which way.  She's been subjected to a ton of tests (some of them repeatedly) but she's being a real trooper.  We now know this heart stuff isn't life-threatening, but it's still scary.

The real stressful part of today is that we thought we'd be going for a half-hour follow-up visit.  That was almost 16 hours ago.  Since then, I've eaten the following: a big burger and fries and a gyro with more fries.  I feel so gross but I've been getting food when and where it's convenient (I didn't get dinner until 10:00) and I've been stress eating as well.  Seriously, this is the kind of eating that got me to 313 pounds in the first place.  My stomach is stuffed and I feel super gross.

But all of this is making me realize how much I take my own health for granted.  I'm lucky I didn't develop diabetes or worse when I was at my heaviest.  I may gain a few pounds in the short term, but I'm determined to lose the rest of the weight.  Even though Claire doesn't like hospitals, she's here so she can be healthy and happy with me for a long, long time to come.  And even though I don't always like to eat healthy and exercise, I'm going to do it so I can be happy and healthy and with Claire for a long, long time.

Where have I been?

I don't know if I've ever gone this long without posting.  Here's what happened since I last posted:

Claire started feeling sick.  She had a racing heart and a lot of nausea.  We went to the doctor on Friday and after that, headed to her parents' house in Wisconsin.  During that time, she started feeling worse.  We came back to Minneapolis, went to the doctor, went to the emergency room, and went to the heart clinic. Claire's mom came to visit because she was really feeling lousy at this point.  And to top it all off, we were supposed to be on vacation.

During this time, I've fallen off the wagon hard.  I don't know how much of it was stress-eating and how much I just wanted an excuse to shove anything and everything into my fat face.

Since I lost my job, I've felt like my life is out of my control.  I just want stability.  I just want control.  I just want things to work out my way.  But I suppose complaining about it is the least effective thing I can do.

I can start by sharing my weight from Monday.  Yes, I actually weighed myself but didn't get around to posting it.  So here's Monday's weight.  You'll get another number tomorrow (probably much higher).

240.8.  I don't know where the picture went.  I gained .4 pounds.  I'm not going to sweat it (or my inevitable gain tomorrow).  I'm getting back on track with the eating today.

Crash and Burn

I had my first bicycle crash of the season.

I didn't watch where I was going and ran right into a retaining wall.  I feel like a doofus, but it was worth it for the 879 calories I burned over the course of my ride.  The retaining wall was about three feet high and I went right over the handlebars.  I ended up with a scratched up hand and a very sore heel.  I'm not exactly sure how I hurt my heel, but overall, things could have been much worse.  I scratched plenty of paint off my bike and I have to re-true the front wheel.  I also tore up my saddle, but I'm more or less fine.  This is why it's important to wear your helmet. 

If you're on the fence about trying out bicycling, do it.  It's fairly low impact (except for the very rare extremely high impact moments which only happen if you're an idiot who doesn't watch where he's going) and it's tons of fun.

I'll leave you with the map and stats for today's ride.

A Short One

Yesterday I went to a Twins game.  We had a good time and the Twins won, but going ate up my whole evening and I didn't get a chance to take a bike-ride.  Boo-urns. 

I've also been having a harder time making sure I only take in 2000 calories a day.  I'm going to plan out my day tomorrow before I go to bed tonight so I have a plan I can follow.  That seems to work pretty well.

I've been working on my mountain bike and I'm at a frustrating impasse.  I can't get the bottom bracket unscrewed from the bike.  It would be a shame to have to junk that bike just because of one stuck part. 

Well, that's all I've got now.  Better get back on that bike.

Weigh-In Results

I'm back in a big way.  The commitment I made to eating right and bicycling.  I missed bicycling on the 1st due to bad weather and slipped a little on my intake yesterday, but overall, I'm back on track.

Today's bike ride took me 19 miles at 12.5 mph over the course of an hour-and-a-half.  About two-thirds of the way through the ride I was toast but I kept going because I needed to get home.  Here's the route:

According to an online calorie calculator, I burned 1400 calories on my bike-ride!  Yes Yes Yes!  If I could bike this much every day, I don't know what, but I feel like I'd weigh 150 pounds by the end of the month.

So let's see how I did on the scale.

240.4 for a loss of 4.4 pounds!  I am back!  I'm going to keep this up through July.  Let's see how much I can lose.

It Begins

July is here and I'm going to lose a substantial amount of weight this month.  My summer break started and I've got time and energy to do things right.

I'll be doing two things this month; biking every day and keeping my intake around 2000 calories a day.  Unfortunately, I biffed on the very first day on the biking front, but I did very well on my intake.  I didn't bike today because I ran some errands this morning, and by the time I got back, it was 97 degrees.  Then it stormed, and then it was too late to bike.  I know, it's bad to start with excuses, but I still came in at 1,762 calories today and I'm proud of myself.

I'll leave you with the tastiest breakfast I've had in a long time.


2 eggs sunny side up - 140 calories
2 pieces of toast (light bread) - 80 calories
hot sauce - 0 calories
1 medium orange - 70 calories

Total - 290 calories. Nom nom nom!

The Slump Ends Tomorrow

I just finished my last day as the music teacher at my school.  They asked me back as a paraprofessional, but hopefully I'll find a job as a music teacher at another school.  I had a lot of sweets today, but I'm not viewing that as a downfall because tomorrow starts a new chapter in my weight loss journey.

So July is my summer break/job hunt.  I'll get lots of sleep and get to relax, but I'll also have time to work on my body.  Starting tomorrow, I'll be limiting my calories to 2000 a day and going for a bike ride every day.  I'll also be going to the gym 4-5 times a week.  I've planned out my meals for tomorrow (minus lunch, I've still got to figure that one out) and I'm going to the gym with Claire in the morning.

I know it seems like a lot, but this is my chance to reboot.  This is my chance to move substantially toward health and I'm not going to squander it.

Weigh-In Results

It's been another week.  My birthday came and went.  A job interview came and went, and so did the phone call telling me I didn't get the job.  I've been having a really hard time with the whole losing my job thing.  I haven't been binging, I've just upped the snacking and lowered the exercise.  My back is still in pretty rough shape and I just want it to feel better.  I have had some victories, however.  I went to the Minneapolis Pride Festival and refrained from buying any gross fair food.  I convinced my lovely wife, Claire, to bike to the gym with me instead of driving.  And I bicycle commuted into work today.

Let's get to that damn scale.

8'hh2.  Oh man, not 8'hh2.  Wait... turn your head 244.8.  Alright, that's not bad.  I came down .7 pounds.  At least I didn't gain weight like I thought I did.

This coming week is my last week teaching music at my current job.  My priority will be finding a job.  Hopefully, wallowing in self pity will be much, much farther down the list.

Weigh-In Results

Let's get right to the number.

245.5.  I gained .7 pounds, which, don't get me wrong, sucks.  However, it's not bad considering the week I had.  Last Wednesday I found out my music teaching position at my school was being replaced by a music therapy position so I'm out of a job for next year.  I've been stress-eating and if that weren't bad enough I hurt my back this weekend so I haven't been able to get much exercise.

The good news is I have an interview this Thursday, which happens to be my birthday.  I'm hoping that's a good omen and I'll get the job. 

Well, life is happening and I've got some extra things to juggle for a while.  But I think know I can make this work.

Weigh-In Results

I had a bad week.  I ate too much.  I didn't exercise enough.  I ate out about a thousand times and I grazed a lot at my sister-in-law's grad party.

I know I did bad.  Let's see what the scale says.

244.8.  A gain of 3.1 pounds.  This is unacceptable.  I know what I did wrong and know why I failed this week.  Things will be better now.  This week I'm going to be strong, exercise, and be just a little hungrier.  Starting now.  It's gym time.

Tatooine Hot

It was 103 degrees in Minneapolis yesterday.  It actually wasn't as bad as I would have imagined, but it was warm enough for everyone to turn on their air conditioners so the power went out on my block.  It didn't come on until right before I went to bed so I decided not to write a post for yesterday.

As soon as the power went out I decided I'd get going to the gym.  Then I realized my car was trapped in my garage and the only way to get to it was through an electric garage door opener.  So I walked.


After the gym I went to the grocery store.  I made some not-so-good choices there.  Nothing terrible, just some fruit-bar popsicle things.  They're very tasty but too high in sugar to be of anywhere near healthy.

It was still in the 90s and since my building had no electricity I was roasting.  I found a battery-powered lamp and plopped in a cold bath with my popsicle and a copy of Lord of the Flies.  Half an hour later, the power was back on and I went to bed.

I keep thinking about how well I did last week.  It's hard to remember that control feels a lot like being hungry most of the time and that voice in the back of my head demanding chocolate needs to shut up.  I'm trying to do as well this week but I'm not putting it together quite as well as I did last week.  Case in point with the popsicle.

I'm really tired and ready for bed.  I got back late from Cirque du Soleil.  More on that later (because it was awesome).  Goodnight.

Weigh-In Results

Happy Monday.  I've made some good choices and some bad choices this week, but overall, I think I did a pretty good job.  I resisted a lot of temptation this week, but pigged out a little this weekend.  We spent the weekend with the in-laws so there was a lot of driving and eating out.  Let's see if the scale agrees with my assessment.

241.7.  I lost 2.5 pounds this week.  I'm really happy about this.  I'd like to lose another 2.5 this week.

Claire's gone for the week so I'm all by myself.  Hopefully that will mean lots of exercise and eating right, but it might mean sitting on the couch in my underwear eating popsicles.  Actually, what it meant tonight is my evening was dedicated to working on my bike.

I'm so close to being done with this project.  Overall I'm pleased with how it's turning out, but there are so many pitfalls along the way.  Hey, kind of like losing weight.

My Bike

If you read my blog you know that my favorite way to exercise is biking. 

In my off-time, I've been working on rebuilding a road-bike frame my brother gave me.  I know it's not terribly weight-loss related, but I'd like to share my handiwork. 

This is what I started with.  No wheels, no seat, just a really ugly bike frame.

Next, I pulled the crank out.

Got most of the extras off here.

I stripped most of the paint off here.  Chemical paint stripper is some nasty stuff.  Probably not too good for the environment.

I stripped all the rest of the paint and rust off with a wire brush that attached to my drill.  You can't really see it here, but the frame was gorgeous shining in the sun.  It's almost a shame I painted it.

Next I primed.  Had a little overspray on the bricks.  Oh well, I think I'll just turn them over.

All set to paint.

This is how it looks now.  It's drying in my garage, just waiting for those beautiful wheels.  It's a shade more John Deere than I'd hoped, but I'm happy with the color.

I can't wait for the paint to cure so I can reassemble and get out on the road.

A Little Control

Thanks everyone for your comments on my last post.  I've been feeling frustrated about this whole weight loss thing for a while and your cheerleading/advice really helps.


I feel like I had a pretty good day today.  The only snacking I did all day was a protein bar I picked up at Trader Joe's because I don't get to eat dinner on Tuesday nights until 8:30 or so.  230 calories and 20 grams of protein.  No sugar.  That makes me feel really good.

I'm going to take stock of all the advice you all gave me and formulate a plan over the next few days.

Thanks again for all your support and suggestions.  I'm going to bed. 

Weigh-In Results

It's Monday, and Memorial Day. 

I've got another weigh-in to report.  After three weeks of stagnation, I have some movement in the scale to report.

It's movement, but not in the direction I had hoped.  Last week I weighed 241.5.  This week I'm up 2.7 pounds.  I'm mad, but not just about this one number.

I have this feeling like I don't have control over my life.  I have been stuck around the same weight for an entire year now, and while I have experienced plenty of non-scale victories since then, I still feel stuck.  If there's candy, cake, or bad food, I can't help but reach for it.  No matter how well I think I'm doing, I can somehow justify shoving my fat face full of sweets. 

I keep having a dream where my beard is shaved off.  I'm not sure how it happened, but at least part of it is always gone.  I always freak out about it too.  I don't know what it means, but it always makes me feel uneasy. 

I feel lost.

I want to be in control.  I want to lose weight.  I want to feel good about myself.  I just don't know where to start.

Any suggestions?

Weigh-In Results

So here I am.  Happy Monday?  No, Wednesday.  Whatever.  Here's my weigh-in results for this week. 

This week I weighed S'1h2 pounds.  Oh, wait.  241.5 pounds.  I've been stuck here for three weeks now, but I'm not complaining.  My concert is finished and life is good.  My stress level is reduced and I have considerably more free time during the week now due to choir and jazz activities winding down.  I'm making good choices and I'm feeling healthy.  I do plan on kicking into high gear pretty quickly, but for now I'm not going to beat myself up.

I had a little non-scale-victory last night.  I was at Target trying on shorts and the size 34 fit comfortably.  Up until this point, I've been in 36 inch pants at the tightest.  I chose not to get them because they were a little tight on my butt and it looked weird because the shorts were so baggy in other places. 

I'm going to set my sights on a 2.5 pound loss this week.  I'd like to weigh 239 pounds next week.  It seems manageable.  I'm going to make solid choices and get a good exercise fix. 

Weigh-In Results

Hey, I haven't switched to Tuesdays for weigh-ins, life is just super-chaotic until Thursday. 

I weighed in at 241.5 yesterday.  I lost 0 pounds but I ate like a total fatty on vacation.

See you on Thursday.

Weigh-In Results

I stepped on the scale yesterday at 241.5.  I gained a pound.  Yech.  I'm going on vacation for my brother's college graduation this week.  We'll be eating out pretty much every meal so my expectations aren't very high.  Still, I'd like to make some progress and make some healthy choices.  I want to lose the one pound I gained this week.  Let's see how it goes.

Forget 100 Pounds in a Year. This is Better!

Yesterday was a pretty good day.  Claire and I walked around Lake Harriette.  Our total was almost 3 miles.  I biked to work this morning too.  My biggest obstacle seems to be the enormous bag of candy one of my colleagues brought into work.  We're on day 3 and there seems to be no end in sight.  I'm indulging way too much, but I'm trying resist as much as possible.  The problem is I'm always much hungrier on days I bike.

Speaking of bikes, I'm in the process of converting a road bike into a fixed gear bicycle.  I've been having a lot of fun working on it, discovering how it works, cleaning it up, and reassembling it.  After toying with a number of different color schemes, I've decided I'm going to paint the bike forest green, get a brown saddle, and wrap the handlebars with white tape.  It's going to be a sweet ride when it's done.  And now that the weather is finally cooperating, I'm actually going to be able to get some exercise by biking. 


I'm optimistic.  Forget 100 pounds in a year.  I'm focused on 2 pounds in a week.  And I'm going to get it!

Weigh-In Results

It's Monday and that means you all get to see how fat I am this week.  I went into the week with the goal of losing 2.4 pounds.  After a comment on a post two weeks ago, I decided to aim for more short-term goals and see how things pan out that way.  Let's see how I did.

This is a little hard to read, but I made my goal!  I aimed for 2.4 pounds lost, and, at 240.5 pounds, I lost 2.9 pounds.  I made a lot of good choices this week, but I didn't seem to change a lot.  I worked out 4 times last week as opposed to the 2 times the week before.  I'd like to see that number higher, but 4 worked this week.

Next week's goal is going to be 2 pounds.  I feel like this week's weigh in might snap back a little, so I'm reducing my goal by .4 pounds.  That's still a solid loss, but more attainable.

Next Monday, I want to weigh 238.5.  How much weight are you going to lose this week?

Another King Size

I've been trying really hard to keep my eyes on the prize this week.  If you missed Monday's post, my goal for this week is a 2.4 pound loss.  Yesterday I grabbed dinner at target and I didn't buy chips and opted for a salad instead of potato wedges.  Small steps in the right direction.

Something came in the mail for me the other day.

That's right, another King Size catalog. 

Since I lost a bunch of weight, I've moved from the big and tall section into the normal-size people section.  I still get this catalog and I don't know what I should do with it.  What would you like to see?  Do you want me to throw it out the window?  How about light it on fire with my mind?  You can probably think of better things to do with it than me.

Here's your chance.  Tell me what fate should befall this catalog.  I'll be sure to take lots of pictures.

Weigh-In Results

It's been a week since I last weighed myself.  Let's see what happened when I stepped on the scale tonight.

Well, I'm not happy about this.  I gained a pound this week.  There were a couple things I did right this week.  I commuted on my bicycle today and I went to the gym on Saturday night and ran 2 miles.  Nothing spectacular on either front, but both felt really good.

I've been hung up on my failure to meet long-term goals.  Big Clyde suggested in my last post that I come up with a specific goal for a week from now, so here it is:  I want to weigh 241 by next Monday.  There's my goal.  My something to work for.  One week to lose 2.4 pounds.  It can happen.  It will happen.

Change

Something's got to change. 

I don't know if it's all in my head, but a couple of my dress shirts feel snugger than they have in the past.  Time to get over this diet and exercise funk and push past this.

That is all.

Weigh-In Results

So I did it again.  I went a whole week without blogging.  Not good.  I guess I was frustrated with last week's weigh-in.  It was probably the 7.1 pound gain that put me in a funk this week.

Let's see this week's result.

It appears, however, that the 7.1 pound gain was a fluke.  Seeing as I lost 3 pounds this week.  I'm still up 4.1 pounds from where I was and I need to get back there soon.

Maybe I should start by updating my blog more than once a week.

Weigh-In Results

Holy Geez!  I haven't been here for a week.  After I posted almost every day last week.  Back into the swing of things at work I guess.

Let's get to the weigh-in.

Crap sandwich.

I gained 7.1 pounds this week.  Not good.  I keep telling myself I'm at a plateau, but in reality, I'm not trying hard enough.  I'm eating too much, I'm slacking on the exercise, and my motivation is in the crapper.  I used to live or die by the number on the scale.  This week I looked at the number and said to myself, "Yeah, I deserve that."

The other night as we were falling asleep, I asked my wife, Claire, if I was half-assing this whole weight loss thing.  She said yes before I could finish answering the question.  I think I might actually be no-assing this whole weight loss thing.

Yes, I've come a long way, but if I'm ever going to reach my goal, I have to get my ass in gear.

Weigh-In Results

Hey it's Monday!  Mondays are weigh-ins around here.  That means I step up on the scale and deliver some news.  Whether it's good news or bad news, that's for the scale to decide.  Now I can certainly try to influence the scale's decision with healthy eating, plenty of exercise, and lots of sleep, but it's really a crap shoot sometimes.

Now I realize I might sound a bit negative.  I don't mean to be.  Maybe we should just get to the number.

Yup, there it is.  My lowest weight in nine years.  238.3.  I lost 2.1 pounds this week.  I'm excited, but like I said earlier, I suspect the scale might be teasing me.  Then again, the 21-day challenge of stopping before I'm full combined with 30 Days of Biking might actually be doing something for me.

Anyway, I'm motivated again.  The weather is improving and I'd like to bust out the bikini this beach season.  

30 Days of Biking!

I took my bike in for a repair estimate yesterday and was told it would cost between $200-$250 to get my bike back into riding condition.  Yikes!  That much money just to get my 12-year-old mountain bike where it was a year ago?  No thank you.  I am in the market for a bicycle and I need one soon.

30 Days of Biking starts tomorrow!  What's 30 Days of biking you ask?  Well, you're in luck.  Here to tell you all about it is a friend of mine and one of the founders, himself.

What is this 30 Days of Biking Thing Anyways?

30 Days of Biking is a challenge to ride your bike every day for thirty days during the month of April. It is what you make of it. Your goals drive what the event means for you. The one common theme is that we all ride every day!

We then share adventures online and with the world: Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Flickr, Daily Mile, snail mail, bottles in the ocean. Take photos, issue tweets, write blog entries. By participating in 30 Days of Biking, you join a worldwide community of cyclists who will encourage you along the way—you won’t be alone, you will be encouraged!

At 30 Days of Biking, we strongly believe that biking enriches life, builds community, and preserves the earth. It's what we here have personally seen and witnessed time and time again from year one participants. People who participate literally change their lives in a profound way—from physical enhancements (slimmer bodies, tighter butts, titanium legs) to internal changes (state of being, feeling zen) to social boosts (meeting new fun people, spending quality biking time with family).

We encourage you to try 30 Days of Biking, challenge yourself, and see what kinds of stories you have!

--
Zachamon

Zachariah Schaap is one of the founders of 30 Days of Biking.  You can follow him on twitter @Zachamon or just use the hashtag #30daysofbiking.  You can also "like" 30 Days of Biking on facebook here.  Sign up here! It's free!

What I Hate About Myself

I hate my chin.

Now that you've seen it, I'm sure you hate it too.  It's pretty gross.  It's the reason I have a beard which my wife, Claire, has never seen me without.  I shaved it once five or six years ago and I looked like this.

That's me on the left.  People get us mixed up sometimes.  It's the hair.

I'd like to be able to at least have the option to ditch the beard without looking like a huge chubo.  Even with the beard, I'm not happy with how I look.  I'd like to think that when I reach my goal weight of 196 pounds, I'll have a nice chin with a strong jaw line, but I don't know if that will happen.  I'd like to say, "Be happy with what you have," but that attitude doesn't help me lose weight.

What do you want to change about yourself?

Topless Mayhem

This is an eventful week.  I've got a guest post coming up and 30 Days of Biking Starting on Friday.  I'll be doing a giveaway this week at some point too, so stay tuned.

Today's post is titled Topless Mayhem.

No, not that kind of topless mayhem.  This kind of topless mayhem.

On the left is me at my heaviest.  313 pounds.  Gross.  In the middle is what I looked like last July and on the right is what I look like now (well, yesterday).  I can't really tell if there's much of a difference between July and now.  Maybe a little.  I feel kind of stuck.

Here's a view from the side.

I think I've shrunk a little, but it's really hard to tell.  What do you think?  The biggest motivator here is seeing how far I've come since I started.  All I have to do to succeed is just do what I've already done one more time.  I can do that.

Oh, for those of you who really wanted some topless mayhem, I won't disappoint.

Maybe I'll look like this some day.