Year 2 Week 4 Day 5

Good Morning!

Wow is it cold in here or are my nipples always this hard?

I am waiting to hear the news about Georgia getting the Powerball game.

Oh and I am doing the Friday Measures:

Date:		Difference		6/21/2009		12/26/2009	1/29/2010
Ankle		-0.250		11.500		10.500	10.250
Calf		-0.750				19.500	18.750
Thigh		-0.750		34.000		30.500	29.750
Hips		0.000		52.500		47.750	47.750
Middle		-2.000		60.000		55.250	53.250
Chest		-1.250		58.000		54.500	53.250
Bicep		-0.750		18.250		17.250	16.500
Wrist		-0.250		8.500		8.000	7.750
Neck		0.000		21.000		19.000	19.000
Weight		-10.200		350.000		319.000	308.800
Blood P.		-18/-23		181/125		154/100	136/87
Pulse		-7.000		78.000		74.000	67.000

 

Not bad, I think I am always going to take my blood pressure reading right after waking up. I think I've cured hypertension, just sleep – all the time.

Really happy overall, keeping up the weight loss and not getting too burned out with the fact that this is my life from here out. The occasional slip aside it's not too bad really.

There is always the danger that like an alcoholic I'll go off the deep end. I have gotten better at noticing the behaviors that lead to over-eating for me. When I do get fast food I have a tendency to order all the food I think I want, then I eat it all even if I feel full half way through. So I am getting better at ordering much less food to start with. Because I still don't seem to be able to stop eating until all the food is gone.

Live and learn. No major stressors this weekend, no sporting events or life events to send me over the top so I'll keep it much healthier than in weekends past. We'll see the results on Monday.

Also, I think this Friday's results will be the comparison numbers to February and we'll go last month to current month for this year. Always moving forward and downward.

Later.

Year 2 Week 4 Day 1

The mantra is "One Week, One Pound"

Last week was 313.6 lbs and this week is 313.0 lbs for a drop of 0.6 lbs. This is after a night of very emotional eating after watching the Minnesota Vikings implode against the inferior New Orleans Saints. I had a huge slice of chocolate cake and a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream to console myself. This weekend was also a weekend of a lot of eating by my standards even.

I followed protocol for a few days with only the breakfast drink, the V8 juice and the yogurt smoothie. But I had pizza on Wednesday and Thursday again. Papa John's with a large sausage, mushroom, onion extra cheese and a small Hawaiian barbeque chicken pizza and an order of boneless buffalo wings. Friday night was more with an Applebee's dinner that had chicken wontons, bacon cheeseburger and chili cheese fries. Saturday night at Longhorn was boneless wings again, an 8oz renegade steak and steamed veggies, plus a cherry pie from the gas station for dessert. Dinner on Sunday at Taco Mac was chips and cheese dip, half pound of boneless wings and chili cheese fries. You already know about the shame dessert from that night.

In all a horrible week of eating crap. I am beginning to doubt the claims about starving yourself slowing down your metabolism. I can see how if you don't eat, you don't metabolize. Kind of like if you don't step on the gas pedal, your car won't go. Still if you are running something through all the time, like water, coffee, breakfast drinks, V8 and yogurt smoothies, then it doesn't seem to be slowing down all that much. I'm still not doing any aerobic exercises, but I am getting pretty comfortable with the morning warm up exercises and I wonder if that is impacting my metabolism in general.

Really, all I am saying is that I have no idea how metabolism works but I don't think what I've heard so far matches with what I have seen.

Still no movement on the Pilates front but I do have space in the living room now to lay out for all the less than attractive poses. Speaking of that, I am also looking for a good yoga DVD to get some flexibility back. Cannot wait for some Downward Dog action though it's probably not as good as Sting makes it all sound.

I didn't spend a ton of money this weekend. That's not true; I bought Assassin's Creed II and several DVDs. I am also eagerly anticipating Mass Effect II this week, but still didn't go crazy and should be able to close out another credit account this month.

Final thought: Screw the Green Bay Packers and Screw Brett Favre!

Have a great week.

Later.

Year 2 Week 3 Day 5

Date:		Difference		6/21/2009		12/26/2009	1/22/2010
Ankle		-0.250		11.500		10.500	10.250
Calf		-1.000				19.500	18.500
Thigh		-0.500		34.000		30.500	30.000
Hips		0.500		52.500		47.750	48.250
Middle		-2.250		60.000		55.250	53.000
Chest		0.000		58.000		54.500	54.500
Bicep		-0.750		18.250		17.250	16.500
Wrist		-0.250		8.500		8.000	7.750
Neck		0.500		21.000		19.000	19.500
Weight		-8.000		350.000		319.000	311.000
Blood P.		-30/-21		181/125		154/100	139/90
Pulse		-1.000		78.000		74.000	73.000

 

Here's what I am looking at this week. Not as good as last week's big drop but that might be because I have a colon full of Papa John's Pizza.

Why can't I resist you pizza?

Anyways the exercising is good not great and the B/P numbers are still looking okay given the amounts of sodium I expect to find in pizza.

I was looking forward to getting onto a healthier eating plan next week, but depending on Monday's weigh in that may have to wait until February.

Still not an increase from Monday to Friday, so I am not panicking yet.

Vikings are playing again this week so hoping there will be so celebratory eating and not some depression eating, though they are pretty much the same thing calorically speaking.

More bad weather this weekend so more attempts to sit on an exercise bike.

Later.

Year 2 Week 3 Day 1

The mantra is "One Week, One Pound"

Last week was 316.8 lbs and this week is 313.6 lbs for a drop of 3.2 lbs. That is amazing and a tribute to the process. Not really, it's more a tribute to not eating pizza last week over the week before having eaten pizza three nights. Pizza is the enemy, at least that's my story. So the goal for next Monday is a nice sounding 312.6 lbs. My secret goal is to hit near 300.0 lbs by the Friday measurement on the 29^th of January and given the back to back Fridays of 307.0 lbs I'll need to buckle down on the weekend this time around to get there.

I am also getting to the point where not doing the morning wake-up routine kind of throws the rest of the day off kilter. I am also getting up to really high single sets and may have to add a second round of reps to get there. I can do almost 40 reps of each exercise at one time, so maybe I'll try 30 and got through the whole thing once. Then I'll try to go through the whole set of 30 again. Probably it will kill me, so fingers crossed.

Also a couple of nice days may allow for a walk or two this week. Also, now that the legs and arms can almost sustain an extended period of exercise I may add back the old Pilates DVD. That's right 'working the core' this week. I did a few days of Pilates like 7 or 8 years ago so this should be terrifying.

Otherwise I also took my eye off the prize on the financial side and I having been spending way too much on crap I don't need. I am buying video games that I might never actually play and movies that barely deserve a rental. I'm looking at you "Halloween II" you miserable piece of crap.

I definitely want to work out more early this week because I want to be ready to celebrate the Vikings game and or eat my sorrows away on Sunday.

Have a great week.

Later.

Year 2 Week 2 Day 5

Today's measurements are brought to you after a week, a whole week!, of not cheating.

No pizza, no sodas, there was one meal out on Monday where I had a Chick-fil-a breakfast but I subbed in the grilled chicken breast and no cheese on the eggs or grits.

Just so you understand when you see the new numbers you aren't immediately saying "Bullshit".

I am also noticing how much thinner my fingers and toes look.

I always heard that the biggest problem for some people losing weight was that they didn't see results right away in their guts or man-boobs.

To be honest thin fingers and toes kind of freak me out.

Here's the updated numbers:

Date:		Difference		6/21/2009		12/26/2009	1/15/2010
Ankle		-0.250		11.500		10.500	10.250
Calf		-0.500				19.500	19.000
Thigh		-1.500		34.000		30.500	29.000
Hips		-1.000		52.500		47.750	46.750
Middle		-2.750		60.000		55.250	52.500
Chest		-1.000		58.000		54.500	53.500
Bicep		-0.250		18.250		17.250	17.000
Wrist		-0.250		8.500		8.000	7.750
Neck		-0.250		21.000		19.000	18.750
Weight		-12.000		350.000		319.000	307.000
Blood P.		-30/-21		181/125		154/100	124/79
Pulse		-1.000		78.000		74.000	73.000

 

The difference is the change from December to today and the June is my original start.

I really didn't think the numbers would be this good, but I have been doing the morning work-outs.

I was surprised the wrist was lower, I thought they looked thin enough already.

And I really hope to see that blood pressure reading range more in the future. There might be a clear difference doing it first thing in the morning.

No doubt the driving and the stress of the doctor's office doesn't help my numbers, but the above are all taken at home.

Now I just need to make better eating choices this weekend to sustain these numbers and I will be thrilled come Monday morning.

Later.

Year 2 Week 1 Day 1

The mantra is “one week, one pound.”
Alright from last Monday’s 318.4 to today’s 317.0 and holy smoke that is a 1.4 pound drop on a week that had 3 work days and 4 days of undisciplined and reckless eating habits and a complete lack of exercise for the most part.
So I am starting 2010, that’s twenty ten and not oh ten because if you say “oh ten” you are a moron, and I am setting the clock as above. It should be easier to keep track if the weeks match up better with the year. The ultimate goal is to be under 200 pounds, exercise 30 minutes of cardio at least 4 times a week and get up to legitimate weight lifting numbers. That said I am focused on the changes that make one pound a week a breeze and really trying to stay off the radical diet and get back to eating more regular meals.
Still, the current plan is cheap and easy to follow. Breakfast drink mix with skim milk, V8 juice, a delicious yogurt smoothie (breakfast, lunch and dinner respectively) along with coffee, water, a vitamin and a couple of water flavor add-ons that may add to immunity and energy. That is the meal plan for Monday thru Friday. Saturday and Sunday I am getting better, or at least thinking its better. Eating at Applebees around midnight Saturday morning and those choices are generally the worst of the week, at Longhorn I get a salad, steamed veggies and a small steak so it’s a push, then Sunday night it’s the Taco Mac and if I’m trying hard I get the soup and salad combo.
We’ll see if I can keep more or less on track. As opposed to general New Year Resolutions this plan is flexible and if I miss one week I try again the week, (resetting the one pound a week clock for 2010 too). So the goal for next week is 316.0.
Also looking to still add the exercise bike routine for the evenings. Going by the same authority that has be doing the stretching and dumbbell workouts in the mornings, Dr. Oz, I will hit the bike at 6pm week nights and work my way up to the 30 minutes (what is that half a news broadcast, or an episode of Friends?). If I can go longer I will, but the 30 minutes is the first goal and I might do the thing where I sit on the bike for the full 30 even if I can’t petal that long to get into the habit of being there for that period of time. Just an idea.
Otherwise, my skin is going to heck. It’s dry and cracking in the working areas on my hands and elbows. It’s probably a combination of weather and diet. Also the blotchy discoloration on the back of my calves hasn’t gone away as I hoped it might. Still think it is weight/blood pressure related but I haven’t done enough to clear it up yet. Thinking about seeing a dermatologist about the skin tags on my neck and waistline so maybe I can make sure about the blotches too.
So this year will start like last year ended. No resolutions made on January 1st. I am just working on the goals I set and adjusting them as they are accomplished or need to be broken down more. Really happy with the way my debt is getting paid down finally and hope to clear a few more balances in the first three months before paying cash for a new computer or a new LED TV this summer.
We’ll see how the cars hold up before any big money expenses are made, plus I might need cash for some new clothes this summer too. I’d make one of those emoticon smiley faces there, but that just isn’t me.
Later.
P.S. I am also planning on doing a Friday weigh in and measurement post each week so keep an eye out.
Later, Later.

What is going on here?

I have a bit of a mystery. I am guessing that my blog posting out of Word 2007 is not correctly updating here given the fact that the Year 2 Week 1 Day 1 blog was written and posted on 01/04/2010.

It shows up here as a 12/17/2009 blog post and deleted the previous post?

Damnit! Thought I had an easy way to do these updates.

I guess it's back to cut and paste.