Journey to Sanctification

Hot 100 Update 6

2010-11-05T23:35:00.000-07:00

More green than previous weeeks. Not bad at all!

30 minutes 3 times a week with God. I did three! I wish I listened to Him more during this time...but that will come.

Walk/run 175 miles. Missed this. But I did 8 miles.

No eating after posting my Calorie total. Another week of success.

Develop post 1 recipe a week. Not this week. I was so busy with all of my extra stuff. I made some mroe food, like a really tasty beef stew, but I didn't get good pictures or write down all of the ingerdients. I have one recipe I've been working on for a while--Saag Chickpea.

Get 1 item done on the "Honey-Do" list a week. I built a shelf above our fridge and walled off an old closet. Up, I definitely get green on this one!

Week 82 Weigh-In

Weight: 226.4

Weekly weight loss: 2.6
Total loss: 142.0

Not a bad loss considering I dealt with a lot of stress and less sleep and less runnin/working out. I'm happy with a 2.6 pound loss. As I mentioned, I really do think that this is my most accurate weight--plus, I couldn't deflate it by going for a run right before I stepped on the scale or any of the other little tricks I liked to do...

Not bad at all!

Big goal for the week: NO CANDY!

Friday:
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
50 minutes cardio
13 miles walked/ran

Calories:
Saturday: 2,459 Calories
Sunday: 2,184 Calories
Monday: 2,255 Calories
Tuesday: 2,162 Calories
Wednesday: 1,455 Calories
Thursday: 2,033 Calories
Friday: 2,273 Calories

Daily Average: 2,117 Calories

Nothing to Say

2010-11-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

It was a crazy, emotional day at work today. I'm drained and didn't feel like running or walking or anything. Nope, I'm not depressed. I'm not in a funk. I just really need to relax, pray and sleep.

Today's word of the day is balance.

Thursday:
50 minutes of cardio
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
50 minutes cardio
13 miles walked/ran
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Saturday: 2,459 Calories
Sunday: 2,184 Calories
Monday: 2,255 Calories
Tuesday: 2,162 Calories
Wednesday: 1,455 Calories
Thursday: 2,033 Calories

Daily Average: 2,091 Calories

Temptation

2010-11-03T22:14:00.000-07:00

It's funny. Just yesterday, I was talking about how I need to be able to integrate my lifestyle into my...well...life. One of the things I think I will like to continue with is my fasting. No, it's not for diet, but it is a hunger struggle. And today was the day I decided to fast.

And what would happen today, but a free lunch!

Of pizza.

Ugh.

Talk about temptation. It was temptation, though, that I resisted. And felt great about! Thank you, Lord, for helping me to become who you want me to be!

Wednesday:
2 60-second front planks
2 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
100 minutes cardio
13 miles walked/ran
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Saturday: 2,459 Calories
Sunday: 2,184 Calories
Monday: 2,255 Calories
Tuesday: 2,162 Calories
Wednesday: 1,455 Calories

Daily Average: 2,103 Calories

Canyon River or Water Jet?

2010-11-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

That's the key. There are lots of things we can do on this journey to lose some weight. We can exercise for hours at a time. We can eat nothing. But really, all that's doing is trying to find a quick fix for what has been a life-long problem for a lot of us. I keep thinking of the image of a canyon.

I mean, barring a cataclysmic seismic event, canyons are carved by water. Water cutting through rock. Slowly. That's how weight loss should be, in my opinion: slow and steady. Losing a pound or two a week...even 1/2 a pound. That's great to me. That's sustainable.

I know that there are water jets that can cut though metal and a very fast rate--much faster than canyons are formed:

That's more of what the intense, crazy workout mode is. But really, do you know how much maintenance they have to do on those things??

I'm trying to be more consistant. I'm trying to just live a healthy life. I need to find a Caloric intake and exercise expenditure that will work for me for life. Over time, given that I'd be doing the right thing, the weight would come off. Not super fast, but it would come off.

And I think that's why I need to be a Canyon River.

Tuesday:
50 minutes of cardio
200 sit ups
200 push ups
4 60-second front planks
4 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
100 minutes cardio
13 miles walked/ran
2 60-second front planks
2 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Saturday: 2,459 Calories
Sunday: 2,184 Calories
Monday: 2,255 Calories
Tuesday: 2,162 Calories

Daily Average: 2,265 Calories

I Won

2010-11-01T21:32:00.000-07:00

Earlier, Ish asked if I won my contest at work. Yes, I did! And although the picture isn't that great, you can see the three popcorn balls here:

Oh, and we were the Chilean Miners for Halloween, so that's why we were "caved in". And really, the only reason we chose that as a theme is because of the miraculous fact that all of the miners were rescued.

So yeah, I won--it was a 3-peat!!

But really, that's not why I've been stumbling on this journey. It's really because I've been super lazy. But that changes this week. I'll be pressing myself harder than I have recently. Today, for instance, I did 15 minutes each on the Elliptical and Stair Stepper, and 20 minutes on the Exercise Bike. And I ran 6.25 miles. And I did some sit ups and push ups and planks. And held to 2,255 Calories. That equates to a great day, really!

I must make this a great week. And I know I will!

Goals for this week:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
200 minutes cardio
20 miles walked/ran
300 sit ups
300 push ups
8 60-second front planks
8 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Up to Monday:
50 minutes of cardio
7 miles walked
100 sit ups
100 push ups
2 60-second front planks
2 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
150 minutes cardio
13 miles walked/ran
200 sit ups
200 push ups
6 60-second front planks
6 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Saturday: 2,459 Calories
Sunday: 2,184 Calories
Monday: 2,255 Calories

Daily Average: 2,299 Calories

Hot 100 Update 5

2010-10-30T00:40:00.000-07:00

Losing ground. More red!

30 minutes 3 times a week with God. I did two. I "knew" I was going to be perfect. I wasn't.

Walk/run 175 miles. Nope. not even close.

No eating after posting my Calorie total. Another week of success.

Develop post 1 recipe a week. Not this week. I was so busy with all of my extra stuff. Oops!

Get 1 item done on the "Honey-Do" list a week. I will make this one up this week--I'm planning on doing 2 items. I know it's not the average that counts (at least the way I set it up), but it sure will make me feel better!

Week 81 Weigh-In

Weight: 229.0

Weekly Weight gain: 9.4
Total weight lost: 139.4

Not sure what to think of this. I didn't give it my all for the last two weeks--and didn't have a chance to weigh-in last Sunday--but for some reason I'm not worried at all. I'm glad to see that I didnn't extend my weigh-in to ensure a loss; that sure didn't happen here. But I'm really thinking that this might be closer to my real weight (probably something in-between): I tend to work out way more toward the end of the week and probably end up with a deflated weight. Does that make sense? Nonetheless, look for a decent/above average loss by next Friday.

Friday:
100 sit ups
100 push ups
2 60-second front planks
2 60-second side plankspray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
30 minutes cardio
11 miles walked/ran
100 sit ups
100 push ups
4 60-second front planks
4 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Monday: 1,259 Calories (fasting day)
Tuesday: 2,468 Calories
Wednesday: 2,376 Calories
Thursday: 2,489 Calories
Friday: 2,747 Calories
Average: 2,268 Calories

Balls

2010-10-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

I didn't have too much time to workout this evening (just at work) because I was working on my Halloween treats:

I'm making three different kinds of popcorn balls:

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Curry
Smores (dipped in Chocolate and rolled in Graham Crackers)
Bacon Caramel

I still have to make the Bacon Caramel (didn't want them to sit a full day) and dip the two others--that will happen after decorating and hosting small group...

Can you say, "Yum?!"

At my work, there is a prize for the best treats. I've won the last two years, and I'd love to win for a third, but there's a lot of competition!

Wednesday:
30 minutes of cardio
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
30 minutes cardio
11 miles walked/ran
200 sit ups
200 push ups
6 60-second front planks
6 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Monday: 1,259 Calories (fasting day)
Tuesday: 2,468 Calories
Wednesday: 2,376 Calories

Nightline

2010-10-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

This week will be another long and tough one. Yesterday, Anna and I had a date night. Tonight, we had a small group meeting. Tomorrow, I'll be at work late trying to close out monthly invoicing with my team. Thursday, we're hosting another small group meeting. And Friday, we're going out to dinner with one of my brothers. Yup. Every night we're busy.

That's on top of working on Halloween decorations, my costume, and my treats for my company's festivities on Friday.

Yeah, I'm not sure how I'll be able to get everything done. It'll be a trying week, but this is where real growth happens. This is where I learn again who I need to lean on. And that's God. I'll be getting less sleep, have more temptations, and want to take it easy on my journey. But, if I trust in Him, I'll be able to flourish during this craziness. May He bless me and all of you in your journeys.

Tuesday:
30 minutes of cardio
2 miles ran
100 sit ups
100 push ups
2 60 second front planks
2 60 second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
60 minutes cardio
11 miles walked/ran
200 sit ups
200 push ups
6 60-second front planks
6 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Monday: 1,259 Calories (fasting day)
Tuesday: 2,468 Calories

The Lost Weigh-In

2010-10-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

This weekend was another great date with Anna! We spent the weekend up in the mountains at an awesome resort. It was very relaxing! And while we did eat out, I wouldn't say taht we went totally crazy. It was wonderful.

But, as a result of that relaxing time (and that we got home on Sunday evening), I missed my weekly weigh-in. But really, that worked out well, because I've been wanting to move my weigh-ins to Fridays for the rest of the year, so that they can coordinate with the Hot 100. It seems like that will get me into more of a rhythm. Now, my scheduled week will go from Saturday through Friday. Greanted, this did have a double bonus, because I weighed myself this morning (as usual), and it's safe to say that I'm retaining a little bit of water.

I've been away from all of your blogs for the past few days, but I'll be catching up soon!

Goals for this week:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
120 minutes cardio
15 miles walked/ran
300 sit ups
300 push ups
8 60-second front planks
8 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Up to Monday:
30 minutes of cardio
2 miles walked
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
90 minutes cardio
13 miles walked/ran
300 sit ups
300 push ups
8 60-second front planks
8 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Monday: 1,259 Calories

Hot 100 Update 4

2010-10-22T22:16:00.000-07:00

3 Green, 1 Yellow, 1 red. Another week. More progress.

30 minutes 3 times a week with God. I did two. It's better than last week and better than the week before. And I know it'll be perfect next week.

Walk/run 175 miles. Yes! I did 16 miles this week. I want more. And I'll do more next week. But it's upping my average!

No eating after posting my Calorie total. Another week of success.

Develop post 1 recipe a week. Another week. Another recipe. Was anyone interested in my Veggie Chow Mein?

Get 1 item done on the "Honey-Do" list a week. Another failure. And I really wanted to complete this one. Bummer!

Friday:
3 miles walked/ran
100 sit ups
100 push ups
2 front planks
2 side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Total:
150 minutes of cardio
16 miles walked/ran
250 sit ups
250 push ups
6 60 second planks
6 60 second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
50 sit ups
50 push ups
2 60-second front planks
2 60-second side planks
2 sessions of tabata jacks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Monday: 1,530 Calories
Tuesday: 2,144 Calories
Wednesday: 2,128 Calories
Thursday: 2,243 Calories
Friday: 1,902 Calories

I Did It!

2010-10-21T21:18:00.000-07:00

Yeah, nothing too much, but I did 4.75 miles today. My average speed was 5.1 mph, so it was a little slow, but that's fine. It's funny that just over 8 months ago, I really started running. And now, if I don't average under a 10:00 pace, I feel like I've failed. Really, I have my whole life to get with this program. I can take my time--but not be lazy.

Thanks for keeping me honest on this blog the past couple of days. Tomorrow, I'll do at least 3 miles. Hold me to that one, too, okay? Thanks.

Thursday:
30 minutes of cardio
4.75 miles walked/ran
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Total:
150 minutes of cardio
13 miles walked/ran
150 sit ups
150 push ups
4 60 second planks
4 60 second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
2 miles walked/ran
150 sit ups
150 push ups
4 60-second front planks
4 60-second side planks
2 sessions of tabata jacks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Monday: 1,530 Calories
Tuesday: 2,144 Calories
Wednesday: 2,128 Calories
Thursday: 2,243 Calories

Being Busy

2010-10-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I didn't run 6 miles. But I'll get to that in a second. First, I'd like to share my latest recipe with you:

Veggie Chow Mein
Makes 2 servings

We had the Broccoli Slaw in the fridge, and I wanted to use it up. Not knowing exactly what I wanted to do, I tossed this together. I loved it. Anna loved it. And said it reminded her of Chow Mein. Hence the name.

Ingredients:
1 12oz bag of Trader Joe's Broccoli Slaw Mix (essentially shredded broccoli stalk and shredded carrots)
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Unsalted Butter
1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
1/4 cup Unsalted Dry Roasted Peanuts

Instructions:
Heat butter and oil in pan over medium heat with red pepper flakes until crackling.
Add broccoli slaw mix and saute for 5 minutes
Add vinegar and cook until evaporated
Stir in hoisin sauce and peanuts, heat and serve

Nutrition:
Calories 185.8
Total Fat 11.4 g
Saturated Fat 2.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.3 g
Cholesterol 5.4 mg
Sodium 179.6 mg
Potassium 110.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 16.8 g
Dietary Fiber 5.2 g
Sugars 1.1 g
Protein 8.3 g

Let me know if you try it. I'm excited to make it again!

Okay, now to the running. I know that I told you that if I didn't run six miles today, that you should give me crap. Well, I didn't run six miles. But you can't give me crap. I ran 6.31! So it's not too much higher than the 6 I wanted to do, but it's still realy respectable.

Now, to keep this up, I'm asking you guys to hold me accountable to running/walking 4 miles tomorrow. This sure helps!

Wednesday:
30 minutes of cardio
6.25 miles walked/ran
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Total:
120 minutes of cardio
8.25 miles walked/ran
150 sit ups
150 push ups
4 60 second planks
4 60 second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
30 minutes cardio
6.75 miles walked/ran
150 sit ups
150 push ups
4 60-second front planks
4 60-second side planks
2 sessions of tabata jacks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Monday: 1,530 Calories
Tuesday: 2,144 Calories
Wednesday: 2,128 Calories

Time to Run

2010-10-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

Hmm. Here we go. It's time for some tough love.

No, I didn't go overboard with eating (although I did want to eat everything int he house!). No, I haven't had a good run in about two weeks. I'm not sure how this happened, but days just got away from me. And now, because of my laziness (in terms of running), I am in danger of missing my favorite goal of 2010 to run/walk 500 miles this year.

So, maybe a little favor from you all? If I don't post tomorrow that I ran/walked at least 6 miles, give me hell. Deal?

Up to Monday:
45 minutes of cardio
50 sit ups
50 push ups
2 60 second planks
2 60 second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Total:
90 minutes of cardio
2 miles walked
150 sit ups
150 push ups
4 60 second planks
4 60 second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
60 minutes cardio
13 miles walked/ran
230 sit ups
230 push ups
4 60-second front planks
4 60-second side planks
2 sessions of tabata jacks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Monday: 1,530 Calories
Tuesday: 2,144 Calories

A Great Date

2010-10-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

Anna and I had an awesome date yesterday. After attending the early service and helping out with the Welcome Ministry, we headed over to the Fremont Market. It was great! They had all kinds of crafts and antiques. We even enjoyed some filled Ebelskevers (filled with our choice of fillings: cream cheese & lox, pumpkin pie & whipped cream, raspberries & lemon curd, and walnuts & honey). Yum!

And we found a vendor who makes bacon jerky. We tried a sample...and bought a pouch. Delicious. And a rare treat.

Then we went to an Indian restaurant for lunch.

And we wrapped up our time out by walking around a huge dog park. No, we don't have a dog, but we love them and enjoy seeing all of the different dogs have so much fun. Is it a little weird that we went to a dog park without a dog? Is that at all like a couple hanging out at a park without any kids?
Up to Monday:
45 minutes of cardio
2 miles walked
100 sit ups
100 push ups
2 60 second planks
2 60 second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
105 minutes cardio
13 miles walked/ran
200 sit ups
200 push ups
6 60-second front planks
6 60-second side planks
2 sessions of tabata jacks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Monday: 1,530 Calories

Week 80

2010-10-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

Weight: 219.6

Weekly Weight loss: 2.0
Total weight lost: 148.8
Average Weekly Loss: 1.86

I lost almost all I gained last week. I still have 0.2 remaining of that blip. I also have 1.2 pounds remaining until I hit 150 lost. I know this is frustrating, but it really is important that I have patience. If I continue to make decisions I'm proud of, I'll be fine; if I make decisions I'm ashamed of, I won't. The same goes for all of us: make decisions we're proud of and we'll be fine!

Goals for next week:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
150 minutes cardio
15 miles walked/ran
300 sit ups
300 push ups
8 60-second front planks
8 60-second side planks
2 sessions of tabata jacks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Hot 100 Update 3

2010-10-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

Not too much to say, but I'm okay with the week. I know I'll do more next week, too!

30 minutes 3 times a week with God. I did one. Does that mean I get an orange?

Walk/run 175 miles. Ha! Last week, I had 1 mile...this week? Zero. Ugh. Now that all the wedding stuff is done, we should be fine. I'll shoot for 15 miles, but may need to do more. Yikes!

No eating after posting my Calorie total. DId this one finally!!

Develop & post 1 recipe a week. Success! Posted that Tomato, Cucumber, and Tofu Salad recipe yesterday. And I have another one in the wings!

Get 1 item done on the "Honey-Do" list a week. No success. Sure, I could use the wedding as an excuse. Sure, I could say that I had two small group sessions and a dinner with my dad. But really, I just didn't make the time to do it. Frustrating. But it's all my fault.

Friday:
45 minutes of cardio
100 push ups
100 sit ups
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Total:
150 minutes of cardio
300 sit ups
300 push ups
5 front planks
5 side planks on each side
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
15 miles walked/ran
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna

Calories:
Monday: dunno
Tuesday: 2,422 Calories
Wednesday: 2,472 Calories
Thursday: 1,083 Calories
Friday: 2,249 Calories

Off to read some new hotties' blogs!

Miscellany

2010-10-14T22:09:00.000-07:00

I've been needing to catch up on a couple of fun things. The first is my recipe for the week. It's a side dish--though it's all I had for dinner...like 4 servings of it!. The second is an award that I was given a couple of weeks ago (I've just been too busy to post about it).

Tomato, Cucumber, and Tofu Salad:
Makes 10 servings

This is a really tasty and simple recipe. I'd recommend it be consumed the same day, as both the tomatoes and cucumbers lose liquid over time--and the dish gets really watery.

Ingredients:
2 containers Lift Extra Firm Tofu, drained and chopped into chunks
3 large red ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 large english cucumber, chopped
2 cups thawed frozen peas
1 package dill
1 small container Fage 2% plain Greek Yogurt
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions:
Drain and press the tofu, then chop and add to bowl
Add chopped tomatoes and cucumbers to bowl
Puree thawed Peas, Greek Yogurt, Dill, Lemon Juice, and salt/pepper
Pour blended mixture onto other ingredients & stir

Nutrition:
Calories 91.2
Total Fat 2.2 g
Saturated Fat 0.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.1 g
Cholesterol 1.0 mg
Sodium 68.8 mg
Potassium 165.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 9.2 g
Dietary Fiber 1.9 g
Sugars 2.9 g
Protein 11.0 g

By accepting this award, I must fulfill a few obligations:

THANK THE PERSON WHO GAVE YOU THE AWARD:
Thanks Bubba!

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING:
Describe your blog in 5 words.
I hope these words apply: Faithful, Honest, Open, Inspiring, Historical

What would you change about your life?
Honestly, this question always get me. Yes, there are things I wish I did differently, btu I firmly believe that every choice I made and every path I took made me who I am. I have a wonderful wife, I'm living a healthy(ish) lifestyle, and am part of a wonderful family. Who knows where or who I'd be without all of my life's experiences? So no, I don't think I'd change anything...

NAME 10 THINGS PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME
1. I originally wanted to be a playwright. I've even written two sripts--but I hate editing, so I haven't done anything with it.
2. I love using a typewriter to write with--I use it whenever possible
3. I have a spice/sauce company (that I also haven't done anything with...)
4. I like to build custom art furniture
5. I love love LOVE musicals
6. I have a really dark sense of humor
7. My dream home will be made out of shipping containers
8. I can drink a full beer in under 5 seconds
9. I can put a full McDouble in my mouth
10. I haven't done the last two facts in over a year...

PASS THE AWARD ONTO 4 NEW BLOGS:
Phil
Amy
Ben
Deb

Thursday:
60 minutes of cardio
2 front planks
2 side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast

Total:
105 minutes of cardio
200 sit ups
200 push ups
5 front planks
5 side planks on each side
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
45 minutes cardio
15 miles walked/ran
100 sit ups
100 push ups
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna

Calories:
Monday: dunno
Tuesday: 2,422 Calories
Wednesday: 2,472 Calories
Thursday: 1,083 Calories

The Power of Support

2010-10-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

This is now my 408th post. I've been on this journey for over a year and a half. And It's been one of the best experiences of my life (still not nearly as amazing as marrying my beautiful wife). But it's been quite a long journey. In fact, while I was inspired by Tyler at 344pounds, I'm not sure if he ever visited my blog. And that's okay. He's busy, I'm busy, you're busy! And though he was my source of original inspiration and I posted some comments on his blog, I never though that I would be as popular or followed as him. I'm not.

Comments are great. They can help you get through tough times; they can help you celebrate successes; they can correct bad behavior; they can give new ideas for making even better habits. I do have some readers (I'm really not sure how many, but it's maybe 10 a day?). But I don't get the comments that other blogs get. I don't get 100 or 50...heck, I'm excited when I get to double digits! I know there are ways to get more comments: I can hold give-aways, I can do workout challenges, I can post comments on other people's blogs (while advertizing my own). There's a lot I can do. There are articles and even books written on how to drive readers to your blog. Lots of tools. Yes, comments are great.

But there's something more important than comments.

Support. Yes. Support is so much more valuable than comments. Now, granted, comments can give hints as to how much support you have. But really, the power of ONE commenter is huge. It doesn't take 25 or 50 or 100 commenters to have the support you need. It only takes true champions who comment to help you succeed.

Why do I bring this all up? Well, I just wanted to thank one commenter who really carried me through the early stages of my journey. No, I wasn't really struggling, but he sure did encourage me. That man, as most of you know, is Steve.

He was my first commenter, and I think that he's my best blogging buddy.

My first blog post was on 04/04/09. And I blogged pretty regularly for weeks, only talking to the air. Eventually, I told my Small Group at my old church and my Interdenominational Couples Small Group. But I don't think I really had many readers. And I certainly didn't have any commenters.

Nope. My first comment came on the 10th week of my journey. I was my wife, Anna. And while that's a little like having your mom tell you that you're the most handsome boy in school, it sure did make me feel great!

It wasn't until my 13th week--a full 3 months into this journey--the first quarter of this new life--that I got my first non-wife comment. That was good old Steve. And he's been commenting ever since.

Thank you Steve, and all of my other consistent commenters! Your support means oh, so much. And if anyone reading this think that their comments go un-read or un-welcomed on any blog, just think about how excited you get when a post of yours gets a comment. So please, if you are reading blogs, just drop a note to those people--especially those who've just started--to encourage them--don't make them wait four months to hear from their Steve.

Wednesday:
100 sit ups
100 push ups
3 front planks
3 side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Total:
45 minutes of cardio
200 sit ups
200 push ups
3 front planks
3 side planks on each side
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
105 minutes cardio
15 miles walked/ran
100 sit ups
100 push ups
2 60-second front planks
2 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast

Calories:
Monday: dunno
Tuesday: 2,422 Calories
Wednesday: 2,472 Calories

I Hate Candy

2010-10-12T22:34:00.000-07:00

Actually, I guess I should call this post: I need to hate candy.

Today wasn't a great day, to be honest with you. I think it's the let down from the wedding (which I will recap soon, Ish!). I ate too much junk food today. Too much candy. Now that I'm on this new team* that has drawers full of candy, it's been hard to resist. Why, though? I've been so strong for the last year and a half.

Arrogance?

Laziness?

Fatigue?

I'm not sure. But. It. Stops. NOW.

No more candy for the week. And if that goes well, no more candy the week after that. But let's get through this week first.

Wow, this is almost like my first day.

Goals
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
150 minutes cardio
15 miles walked/ran
300 sit ups
300 push ups
5 60-second front planks
5 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Up to Tuesday:
45 minutes of cardio
100 sit ups
100 push ups
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
105 minutes cardio
15 miles walked/ran
200 sit ups
200 push ups
5 60-second front planks
5 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast

Calories:
Monday: dunno
Tuesday: 2,422 Calories

* Yes, Steve, I did get a promotion about a month and a half ago. I'm now a supervisor. Not a huge step up, but definitely in the right direction!

Week 79 (10.10)

2010-10-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

Weight: 221.6

Weekly Weight gain: 2.2
Total weight lost: 146.8
Average Weekly Loss: 1.86

Yup. There was the gain. The gain brought on by the excesses of both of the last weekends. I'm not too worried. Seriously. I'm not upset, I'm not beating myself up. I'm actually pleased. But wait. Let me tell you why. My twin brother got married. And I had fun. It was probably the first day during this journey that I had two beers in a day. They were tasty. Now, granted, I didn't finish either beer. But I still had 2 beers. I didn't indulge, but I also didn't allow myself to get bogged down by "I can't eat this" or "I can't eat that". I'd say that's a win.

But it's still a gain. One I have to work off now.

Hot 100 Update 2

2010-10-08T23:30:00.000-07:00

Getting there, but I was SUPER busy with my brother's wedding coming up, but I think I did an okay job all things considered.

30 minutes 3 times a week with God. Nope. I know I need this. And I know that getting this quality time in will be instrumental to my success in everything. Just gotta get up and do it!

Walk/run 175 miles. In order to be able to meet this goal, I have to log 12.25 miles a week. So far, I've logged 1 mile. Not even close. Tomorrow, though, I plan on doing a good long run.

No eating after posting my Calorie total. Okay, I missed one day. Same as last week. And yes, I'm keeping this red until I hit 100%.

Develop & post 1 recipe a week. Success! Posted that frittata recipe the other day. Yummy, it was!

Get 1 item done on the "Honey-Do" list a week. I'd say a partial success on this one--I got a lot of stuff done on the wedding. I think Anna's happy about this, even though it wasn't on the list...

Friday:
Posted Hot 100 Goal Results
50 sit ups
50 push ups
1 mile run/walk
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Total:
Posted Hot 100 Goal Results
117 minutes of cardio
300 sit ups
300 push ups
1 mile run/walk
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
2 dates with Anna
fast

Remaining:
33 minutes cardio
9 miles walked/ran
5 60-second front planks
5 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Monday: 2,246 Calories
Tuesday: 2,356 Calories
Wednesday: 2,231 Calories
Thursday: 1,660 Calories
Friday: 2,968 Calories (probably an over-estimate, but I think it was close...ugh)

Rehearsal Dinner

2010-10-07T22:02:00.000-07:00

Tonight was my brother's wedding rehearsal and dinner. It went well, and we all had a lot of fun. Oh, and I had a fair amount of food. Pizza to be exact. Like 5 pieces. Ugh.

Good thing I fasted today.

But I didn't fast because I knew that I was going to eat pizza (even though I did know it was coming); I fasted because last night, after reporting my Calories, I had some candy--and thus will miss one of my Hot 100 Goals. I chose today to be my fast day because I--again--let food slip in front of God as my source of comfort; but only for a moment.

Thursday:
45 minutes of cardio
50 sit ups
50 push ups
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast

Total:
117 minutes of cardio
250 sit ups
250 push ups
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
2 dates with Anna
fast

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
33 minutes cardio
50 sit ups
50 push ups
10 miles walked/ran
5 60-second front planks
5 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Monday: 2,246 Calories
Tuesday: 2,356 Calories
Wednesday: 2,231 Calories
Thursday: 1,660 Calories

Caramelized Onion & Cheddar Frittata

2010-10-06T23:46:00.000-07:00

Tonight was another long and great night! Anna and I went to see In the Heights at teh 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle. So fun! One of the best musicals I've seen recently--and I'd heartily recommend it to anyone who likes musicals.

So yeah, no exercise today. But I still promised a recipe. And I hope Ish likes it!

Caramelized Onion & Cheddar Frittata
Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 large Onion
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
3 Large Eggs
2 cups Liquid Egg Whites
1/2 cup 2% Milk
1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar

Instructions:
Heat Olive Oil in oven-safe pan
Add sliced Onion and cook down until translucent
Add Butter, Balsamic Vinegar, and Pepper and cook until caramelized
Pour mixture of beaten Eggs, Egg Whites, Milk, and Cheddar into pan
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through

Nutrition:
Calories 214.3
Total Fat 10.0 g
Saturated Fat 4.7 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.4 g
Trans Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 174.3 mg
Sodium 353.4 mg
Potassium 294.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate 6.6 g
Dietary Fiber 0.7 g
Sugars 1.4 g
Protein 21.1 g

Tuesday:
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna

Total:
72 minutes of cardio
200 sit ups
200 push ups
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
2 dates with Anna

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
78 minutes cardio
100 sit ups
100 push ups
5 60-second front planks
5 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast

Calories:
Monday: 2,246 Calories
Tuesday: 2,356 Calories
Wednesday: 2,231 Calories

Quickie

2010-10-05T23:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry, gang! Another long day. I am just now going to bed at about midnight after finishing up the slideshow for my brother's wedding (and I wake up arounf 5 am). But, I did do some other things (like a good workout at work). I also made my recipe for the week that'll be posting tomorrow. I think it's a keeper, especially since Anna said, "I'd like you to make this again."

Oh, and becuse I guess I never mentioned my twin brother, here's a picture:

Tuesday:
36 minutes of cardio
100 sit ups
100 push ups
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Total:
72 minutes of cardio
200 sit ups
200 push ups
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna

whew

2010-10-04T23:01:00.000-07:00

Tonight was a long night, and I'll probably have a couple more of those this week. It's the week my twin brother gets married!! I had to plan the bachelor party last Saturday; then I have the rehearsal dinner on Thursday (where I need to have the slideshow done--and I've barely started it); and the actual event on Sunday (where I need to have the toast done--and I've barely started it). So yeah, it'll be a challenge to get everything done. And no, it's no time to start letting up on the exerise front either...yikes!

By the way, apparently my last weigh-in was exactly a year and a half since I started my journey. Crazy, it seems like so much longer and so much shorter at the same time. Awesome!

Goals
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
150 minutes cardio
10 miles walked/ran
300 sit ups
300 push ups
5 60-second front planks
5 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Up to Monday:
36 minutes of cardio
100 sit ups
100 push ups
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
114 minutes cardio
200 sit ups
200 push ups
5 60-second front planks
5 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast

Calories:
Monday: 2,246 Calories

Week 78 (9.10)

2010-10-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

Weight: 219.4

Weekly Weight loss: 0.4
Total weight lost: 149.0
Average Weekly Loss: 1.91

Okay, so I didn't gain this week. But it's really not that much to celebrate. I'm so close to 150 pounds lost, I can taste it. I will be doing my best to make sure that I lose at least 1.1 pounds this week. And that means that I'll need to increase my exercise and really watch my intake. I can do it!

Hot 100 Update 1

2010-10-01T22:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, so not super successful, but I know that I'm headed in the right direction. And I'm super happy that I picked some goals that are erally going to push me. This is going to be a time of real growth, I feel.

30 minutes 3 times a week with God. Okay, I haven't done this yet. But that's still my plan. And I'll make sure to get some in the next couple of days.

Walk/run 175 miles. In order to be able to meet this goal, I have to log 12.25 miles a week. So far, I've logged 11 miles. Not bad for a recovery week (1 run and my race).

No eating after posting my Calorie total. Okay, I missed one day. Yeah, that's one day out of seven. But still, it's still once. Gotta nip that one in the bud!

Develop & post 1 recipe a week. Okay, I have to re-develop the recipe. Promise I'll post it. In a couple of days.

Get 1 item done on the "Honey-Do" list a week. Yay! One thing is green this week! I was able to pull apart, clean out, and re-assemble the dryer vent. Now, hopefully, this will speed up the drying time on our clothes.

Friday:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 goals
5 miles walked/ran
50 sit ups
50 push ups
1 60 second front plank
1 60 second side plank
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Total:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 goals
75 minutes of cardio
200 sit ups
200 push ups
3 60 second front planks
3 60 second side planks
5 miles walked/ran
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
2 dates with Anna
fast

Remaining:
45 minutes cardio
5 miles walked/ran
100 sit ups
100 push ups
2 60-second front planks
2 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Monday: 2,258 Calories
Tuesday: 2,276 Calories
Wednesday: 2,103 Calories
Thursday: 1,335 Calories
Friday: 2,185 Calories

Need to Run

2010-09-30T21:41:00.000-07:00

Yup, that's right. I need to run. I'm still not willing to say that I miss it, but I do miss knowing that I'm strong enough to run. That's a great feeling. But I'm still easing back into everything. And today was a great step forward: I got a nice real workout in (10 on bike, 15 on stair stepper, 20 on elliptical) and felt re-energized. I actually feel lethargic when I relax too much.

So, tomorrow will be a 3-5 mile run, and the rest will be on Saturday or Sunday.

Looking forward to the weekend, for sure.

Thursday:
45 minutes of cardio
50 sit ups
50 push ups
2 60 second front planks
2 60 second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast

Total:
75 minutes of cardio
150 sit ups
150 push ups
2 60 second front planks
2 60 second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
2 dates with Anna
fast

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
45 minutes cardio
10 miles walked/ran
150 sit ups
150 push ups
3 60-second front planks
3 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Monday: 2,258 Calories
Tuesday: 2,276 Calories
Wednesday: 2,103 Calories
Thursday: 1,335 Calories

Journey Through The Past

2010-09-29T22:31:00.000-07:00

Tonight, Anna and I had another date. We went to Zoopa and had some delicious, fresh salad....and 2 small slices of pizza! Then we spent the rest of the night reading through my late mother's old journals. It is so interesting to see the world and part of my history through her eyes. I really do miss my mom. 2-1/2 years after her passing, I still think about her and tear up sometimes.

Reading through those books, though, I did find two health-related tidbits that my mom documented:

03.18.02:
"BJ was at Kay's (my doctor) while Jer was inside. He had gone to have her check out his knee since it happened on the job...[BJ] said his weight was down to 275#."

Wow, I was "down" to 275...I know in 1999 I was at 320, so I guess that was lower...

03.22.02:
"BJ came over after work with a bag of day old muffins from Tully's. He seems in a better mood--He downed 3/4 of a pizza and drank his quart of refrigerated water and 'stole' one of my Dunkin Donuts."

And I wonder why I was so heavy?!

I'll share any more I find throughout this. I find it so interesting...

Wednesday:
50 sit ups
50 push ups
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna

Total:
30 minutes of cardio
100 sit ups
100 push ups
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
2 dates with Anna

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
90 minutes cardio
10 miles walked/ran
200 sit ups
200 push ups
5 60-second front planks
5 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast

Calories:
Monday: 2,258 Calories
Tuesday: 2,276 Calories
Wednesday: 2,103 Calories

Recovery

2010-09-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

So, I'm not really sure I like this whole "recovery" thing after a big race. How does one do it?? I'm going crazy; I'm getting cabin fever. But I know my body is asking me to take it easy--it's still sore! And I will...until Thursday, probably.

I didn't want to do too much today, so I did 30 minutes on the elliptical. That's the shortest I've done (when actually doing "exercise") in a long time. It didn't seem worth it, but I know I need to ramp up--I'd hate to do any real lasting damage, you know?

Once I got home, though, it was a different story. I may not have gone running, but I did spend 2 hours between weeding a patch of lawn that we'll be seeding (there's still totally time in the year for that...weird); closing up any racoon access under our back deck, as a famly seems to like it under there at night; and crawling under the house to clean out the dryer vent--I'll finish the rest of that tomorrow and be able to cross one line off the Honey-Do list.

A good day, indeed.

Tuesday:
30 minutes cardio
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna (actually on Monday, but forgot to note it...)

Total:
30 minutes of cardio
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna
Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
90 minutes cardio
10 miles walked/ran
300 sit ups
300 push ups
5 60-second front planks
5 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast

Calories:
Monday: 2,258 Calories
Tuesday: 2,276 Calories

Finisher

2010-09-27T21:57:00.000-07:00

As you can see way below, I don't have a ton of goal this week. Why is that? Well, I need some rest because just yesterday, I completed my ~~only~~ first Olympic Duathlon. I really still can't believe that I did that. I can't believe that I rode for almost 25 miles and ran more than 6 miles right after! Intense. And on top of that, I didn't finish last and I even passed some people who started before me! I'll give you the results at the end, but wanted to show you pictures. Lots of pictures. Sorry for the Vacation Slideshow-Style Presentation!

After a wonderful, beautiful Saturday, I woke up the usually claming sound of rain at 3am. And when we got to the park at 7am, the event started wet.

Really wet.

Really, really wet.

So, after seeing those poor suckers who were doing the Triathlon in 60 degree weather, we lined up to start the Duathlon.

And started the bike portion. 24.8 miles worth. They said that it was "rolling hills." That's crap. More like rolling mountians. But I did all 24.8 miles without stopping! And came in for the transition.

And came back out for my run in just about 2 minutes. And went for the run. I was properly fueled. But oh man, the cramps came. About a mile in I had to pause for about 30 seconds and squat and stretch. And the cramps went away. Then at about mile 4 I got a crazy charlie-horse-type cramp in my right thigh. But I didn't want to stop running. Instead, I walked through it. I knew I had the excess time, but that I'd have to keep up my pace to make my personal goal for the run portion. So, I picked it up and came through the trail and on to the final 1.5 miles around the lake.

And I finished! I finished strong, too, I think. My Vibrams were dirty and soggy. I was beat. But I got my medal and enjoyed a nice roll with peanut butter and pretzels. Yum!

I was very proud. Another cool thing that I documented was my heart rate. You can tell I wasn't nervous! The left picture is before the race--right before the race. The second is seconds after--and that had actually dropped from about 140. Crazy, huh?

Finally, how did I do?

Not bad for my first ever Duathlon! And it was an Olympic Duathlon to boot! Even after riding for an hour and a half, I was still able to post a sub 60:00 10k. I'm pretty jazzed by that. Overall, I came in 18th out of 28 finishers.

I also wanted to thank 6 great sources of support during this event:

How was your weekend?

Have you signed up for the Hot 100 yet?!

Goals
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
120 minutes cardio
10 miles walked/ran
300 sit ups
300 push ups
5 60-second front planks
5 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Up to Monday:
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Remaining:
Complete my weekly share of Hot 100 Goals
120 minutes cardio
10 miles walked/ran
300 sit ups
300 push ups
5 60-second front planks
5 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Calories:
Monday: 2,258 Calories

Week 77 (8.10)

2010-09-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

Weight: 219.8

Weekly Weight loss: 0.6
Total weight lost: 145.8
Average Weekly Loss: 1.89

I may be under 220, but it's only barely. And may be a day late, too, but it's still there. By "a day late", I mean that I took the picture yesterday, but it was a busy day, so I couldn't post until today. BUT. I did do my Olympic Duathlon today (recap tomorrow) and I think another week of great eating and exercise will totally pay off.

And being part of the Hot 100 will certainly push my to do my best.

Ch Ch Ch Changes

2010-09-24T23:19:00.000-07:00

I'm having fun with the successful week that I've had. It's been good on the exercise front and the eating front and on the time with Anna front. And that's a great thing. Those are some changes.

More changes that are great?

Well, it didn't happen overnight; but gradually, two cool developments have happened:

I "found" my Adam's Apple (yay!). And I nick it almost every time I shave (boo.). But it is cool to see. You know?
The round tattoo I have on my forearm has become an oval. I like how all my tattoos are becoming high-resolution. Fun!

Friday:
50 sit ups
50 push ups
2 60 second front planks
2 60 second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Total:
191 minutes cardio
10 miles walked/ran
200 sit ups
200 push ups
3 60-second front plank
3 60 second side plank
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna
fast

Remaining:
9 minutes cardio
1 Olympic Duathlon
100 sit ups
100 push ups
7 60-second front planks
7 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Monday: 2,211 Calories
Tuesday: 2,021 Calories
Wednesday: 2,242 Calories
Thursday: 1,256 Calories
Friday: 2,220 Calories

My Hot 100 Goals

2010-09-23T23:33:00.000-07:00

I'm getting excited about the Hot 100 this year. In creating my goals, I thought about last year's event. And last year I had like 8 of them. And it got a little tough to complete all of my goals each week. So now, I limited my goals.

The first one is to have 30 minutes 3 times a week with God. This is in addition to my reading the Bible and praying--it's just stepping it up a bit. It's making sure I have a more intimate relationship with Him.

The second goal is to walk/run 175 miles. At the beginning of the year, I made a goal to run/walk 500 miles. These miles will help complete that goal.

Next, I want to commit to no eating after posting my Calorie total. Although I do a pretty good job (when I'm intentional) about my eating, I still sometimes eat after I post my Calorie total; then I have to add those Calories to my next day's amounts--but that ends now.

I love food! Yes, it used to be in an unhealthy way, but now, I'mlearning to make creative, healthy, and tasty dishes. But I would like to keep coming up with more good recipes. SO, to do that, I'm going to develop & post 1 recipe a week. The first one will be up shortly: 3 Bean Quick Chili.

And lastly, I want to make sure I am being the husband that Anna would like. This does go with my relationship with God and my healthy activities. But I want it to be more than that. So, I've asked her to make a list of 20 things she'd like to get done around the house. And I will get 1 item done on the "Honey-Do" list a week.

What do you think of my goals? I'm really excited to complete these!

Thursday:
30 minutes cardio
90 sit ups
90 push ups
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna
fast

Total:
191 minutes cardio
10 miles walked/ran
150 sit ups
150 push ups
1 60-second front plank
1 60 second side plank
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna
fast

Remaining:
9 minutes cardio
1 Olympic Duathlon
150 sit ups
150 push ups
9 60-second front planks
9 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Monday: 2,211 Calories
Tuesday: 2,021 Calories
Wednesday: 2,242 Calories
Thursday: 1,256 Calories

My Last Run

2010-09-22T22:20:00.000-07:00

Today was my last run for the week--since I have my Duathlon on Sunday. I don't want to train right up to the end of the week. Now, I do plan on still doing my cardio and strength training. And probably some walks with Anna. But no more running--gotta save those pups.

And I had such a great day--we had 3-Bean Quick Chili. I'll post the recipe and pics some time. And don't let the "quick" mislead you--it still does take an hour. But it tastes like it takes longer than that.

Don't forget to check in tomorrow--I'll be posting my Hot 100 Goals.

Wednesday:
6 miles walked/ran
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Total:
161 minutes cardio
10 miles walked/ran
60 sit ups
60 push ups
1 60-second front plank
1 60 second side plank
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Remaining:
39 minutes cardio
1 Olympic Duathlon
240 sit ups
240 push ups
9 60-second front planks
9 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Calories:
Monday: 2,211 Calories
Tuesday: 2,021 Calories
Wednesday: 2,242 Calories

My Goal this Week

2010-09-21T22:17:00.000-07:00

Today was another great day! I actually was able to stay on track with my eating and my exercise!

The new team I joined at work is great, the people are awesome. But, they always have food around. And not like the typical office snacks (you know, candy dishes), no, the temptations I have in this new group are much bigger: potato chips, hash browns, cookies, donuts, muffins, and the like. My goal for this week? Avoid eating any food that I didn't plan on eating when I came in to work in the morning. At least for this week. It's tough right now, but I'm sure that it will get easier after this week's success...and then even easier when I bypass next week, too. Just as an example of the challenges, today was someone's birthday. Here's just part of the spread:

Notice the brownies and cupcakes and cookies and bean dip? Yeah, I had a cup of grapes.

Tuesday:
40 minutes cardio
4 miles walked/ran
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Total:
161 minutes cardio
4 miles walked/ran
60 sit ups
60 push ups
1 60-second front plank
1 60 second side plank
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Remaining:
39 minutes cardio
1 Olympic Duathlon
6 miles walked/ran
240 sit ups
240 push ups
9 60-second front planks
9 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Calories:
Monday: 2,211 Calories
Tuesday: 2,021 Calories

I've joined the Hot 100! You in?

A Good Start (And Hot 100!)

2010-09-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

Success! This Monday went much better than last week! And, while I know that you can always start success any day of the week, it just feels so nice when you can start the train of success at the beginning. This will be a great week!

Yesterday, actually, kicked off the week in a great way. I went out to workout with my brother. He's even been on his own weight loss journey--and so far, he's lost almost 90 pounds! How cool is that?! And while I'm not so self-absorbed to think that I'm the one who inspired him, I like to think that the succcess of my journey was a little bit of the push he needed. And he's doing it! And some of my other brothers are doing it. The right way: diet & exercise.

Well, my brother and I went to the gym he works out at. It was very different for me to go to an established gym, since I usually use the small (but effective) fitness room at work. And he sure does some intense workouts. We did 22 minutes on the treadmill (I ran 2.25 miles), then 33 minutes on the elliptical (I "burned" 500 calories), and the another 22 minutes on the treadmille (I only did 1.65 miles this time, as a cool down); we finished up with some strength training. It was awesome! And he really inspired me to kick my workouts up a notch. He's working out like I was when I was in my weight-loss zone. And doing that exercise made me realize how easy I'd been taking it.

So it's back on now. Bring it!

Has your journey inspired others (either in real life or online)? It's a great feeling!

Goals:
200 minutes cardio
1 Olympic Duathlon
10 miles walked/ran
300 sit ups
300 push ups
10 60-second front planks
10 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Up to Monday:
121 minutes cardio
60 sit ups
60 push ups
1 60-second front plank
1 60 second side plank
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Remaining:
79 minutes cardio
1 Olympic Duathlon
10 miles walked/ran
240 sit ups
240 push ups
9 60-second front planks
9 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Calories:
Monday: 2,211 Calories

Oh yeah, And I'll be joining the Hot 100! You in?

Week 76 (7.10)

2010-09-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

Weight: 220.4

Weekly Weight loss: 0.2
Total weight lost: 145.2
Average Weekly Loss: 1.91

Okay, so I didn't drop below 220, but I did lose 0.2 pounds. Ugh. Dodged a bullet there. I'll do better next week--something I'll be proud of.

My Other Love

2010-09-18T00:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, I admit it. I have another love. I've been unfaithful. Not unfaithful to Anna--that would never happen. No, I've been unfaithful to God--trying to find fulfillment in the arms of food. And it's so tough. It's not like I can just leave food forever (since it's so hard for me to resist the temptation). It's not like alcohol that I can just avoid. No, it's like air--I kinda need it to survive. I've been trying to think of a good metaphor for the challenge. Maybe, the closest thing I could come up with is this:

Let's say that I'm an actor in a long-running TV Show. This show is very successful and provides a good income for my family. My wife is not in the entertainment business, and we're madly in love. My TV wife, however, is my ex-girlfriend (from before my actual wife and I met). My old relationship was very passionate, very intense, but I am grateful it is over. There's still some attraction there, but I know how toxic the time we shared was. That being said, I have to kiss my TV Wife on the show--often. That's the trouble: how do I kiss my TV wife on the show, making it look real, but not feeling any of those unhealthy feelings and saving my heart for my true love.

Is that even close?

Unfortunately, last night my evil affair with food popped up again. This week and last week have been pretty tough with regards to food--and last night was a perfect example. I got home from Spotlight Night and wrote my post. Then, for no real reason, I ate a whole wheat english muffin with melted cheddar and some shredded beef. It was probably 350 Calories that I didn't need, wasn't hungry for, and regretted. Really, what was I looking for? Comfort. But that comfort shouldn't come from food. It should come from Jesus. He's the one who will fill my every need--not some food (no matter if it's whole wheat or not...). So what did I do? I fasted again today. Not to punish myself, but to reinforce the need to remember that food is not my souce. God is.

Thursday:
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna
fast

Total:
40 minutes on elliptical
30 minutes on stair stepper
60 minutes on exercise bike
4.5 miles walked/ran
200 sit ups
200 push ups
6 60-second front planks
6 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
2 days fasting
3 dates with Anna

Remaining:
40 minutes on elliptical
30 minutes on stair stepper
1 Olympic Duathlon Test
5.5 miles walked/ran
100 sit ups
100 push ups
9 60-second front planks
9 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Okay, major fail in this department. Maybe next week?

Another Date Night

2010-09-16T23:07:00.000-07:00

Another day and another date night with Anna (and two of our close friends).

We started off at MOD Pizza (stands for Made On Demand) and had a delicious pizza--though the crust was way dry and chewy (the flavor was awesome, so that made up for it).

Then we went to Spotlight Night at the 5th Avenue Theater. How fun was that?! I was expecting to see the musical In the Heights. But instead of a musical, we got to hear some great interviews (like part of the producing team that brought Memphis to Broadway--and took home the Tony for "Best Musical"; and the producer of Rent, Avenue Q, and In the Heights) and her heard some awesome songs from the upcoming shows at 5th Ave...including The Toxic Avenger Musical and A Christmas Story the musical.

So fun!

Thursday:
10 minutes on stair stepper
30 mintues on exercise bike
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna

Total:
40 minutes on elliptical
30 minutes on stair stepper
60 minutes on exercise bike
4.5 miles walked/ran
200 sit ups
200 push ups
6 60-second front planks
6 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
2 dates with Anna

Remaining:
40 minutes on elliptical
30 minutes on stair stepper
1 Olympic Duathlon Test
5.5 miles walked/ran
100 sit ups
100 push ups
9 60-second front planks
9 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Okay, major fail in this department. Maybe next week?

Date Night

2010-09-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

Date night with Anna was a lot of fun today! We went to dinner (yeah, it was a buffet, but I made some pretty okay choices. I'm happy with dinner), we did some shopping (but just a little), and are now relaxing after doing dishes and laundry. I'm about to do my sit ups, push ups, and planks. Yeah, it's a good night.

Wednesday:
20 minutes on elliptical
20 minutes on stair stepper
10 mintues on exercise bike
100 situps
100 push ups
3 60-second front planks
3 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna
fast

Total:
40 minutes on elliptical
20 minutes on stair stepper
20 minutes on exercise bike
4.5 miles walked/ran
200 sit ups
200 push ups
6 60-second front planks
6 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Remaining:
40 minutes on elliptical
40 minutes on stair stepper
30 minutes on exercise bike
1 Olympic Duathlon Test
5.5 miles walked/ran
100 sit ups
100 push ups
9 60-second front planks
9 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Okay, major fail in this department. Maybe next week?

take me out to the ballgame

2010-09-14T21:42:00.001-07:00

So, this will be a light post. I'm at the Mariners game tonight (free tickets), so there will be no special formatting.

But here's my activity for today:
4.5 miles walked/ran
30 minutes on the exercise bike
prayed
read the Bible
read my devotional

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.9

Quick Hit

2010-09-13T21:51:00.000-07:00

Mondays are really tough, I guess--just so much work getting into the swing of things. I didn't have time for the gym at work, though I did get some sit ups and push ups in. My goals are similar to last week's goals, mostly becuasse they seemed good, but I didn't finish them...This week, though, I will. I need to. I want very badly to show a loss next week--it's important to keep this momentum going.

Goals:
60 minutes on elliptical
60 minutes on stair stepper
60 minutes on exercise bike
1 Olympic Duathlon Test
10 miles walked/ran
300 sit ups
300 push ups
15 60-second front planks
15 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Up to Monday:
100 situps
100 push ups
3 60-second front planks
3 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Remaining:
60 minutes on elliptical
60 minutes on stair stepper
60 minutes on exercise bike
1 Olympic Duathlon Test
10 miles walked/ran
200 sit ups
200 push ups
12 60-second front planks
12 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Calories:
Monday: ?,??? Calories (but not bad, I promise!)

Week 75 (6.10)

2010-09-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

Weight: 220.6

Weekly Weight loss: 2.8
Total weight lost: 145.0
Average Weekly Loss: 1.97

So, I'm not sure how much of htis is real, sincce I did just do all that exercise yesterday, but it is what the sccale says...and I'll be doing my best to drop below 220 next week. And though my average loss is still under 2 pounds, it did get a little closer.

This really is hard work, you know?

Working my Butt Off

2010-09-12T00:48:00.000-07:00

Today was an exhausting day. I've been looking to do somehting to redeem myself from my Triathlon Disaster. I know, it wasn't really a disaster, but it's been eating at me for the last month and a half. I hate feeling like I failed--that I didn't do something that I should have been able to do. I should have been training and taking this fitness thing seriously. It can't just waltz into things and expect to succeed.

So, while searching and wanting to find my next challenge, I kept wondering what I was going to do next. And I think I finally found it:

But, Anna, in her infinite wisdom, thought that maybe I should test out whether or not I could complete the course. Wow, I'd never thought of that, but she's so right. So that's what I tried today. I'm planning on doing the Olympic Duathlon. It's a little intense, but I thought I could at least complete a 40k bike ride and a 10k run. And that's what I tried today.

Okay. Doable? Yeah. I completed it. But easy? Not a chance. I know I can do a 10k. I mean, 6 miles isn't too bad. I've done that distance many times before. Heck, I did 5.5 miles earlier this week. So I knew I could knock that out. It turns out, though, that running a 10k after biking 40k is crazy tough. Like I said, I completed it, but I was sore at the end, I was slow on the run, my legs cramped, I was completely wiped out. And exhausted. And it took me like 3 hours...that's a long time. I wish it were faster, btu not bad for my first attempt.

But I'm going to be doing this in two short weeks. I know I can finish it. But I'm sure I won't be able to win, even in my division: Clydesdale (men 198lbs and over). But I'll finish it. I'll have the shirt and the story. I'm excited!

Saturday:
26 mile bike ride
6.5 mile run
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
pray daily

Total:
45 minutes on elliptical
45 minutes on stair stepper
45 minutes on exercise bike
26 miles biked
14 miles ran
200 situps
200 push ups
10 60-second front planks
10 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Remaining:
15 minutes on elliptical
15 minutes on stair stepper
15 minutes on exercise bike
100 sit ups
100 push ups
5 60-second front planks
5 60-second side planks

Calories:
Monday: 1,904 Calories
Tuesday: 1,209 Calories
Wednesday: 2,478 calories
Thursday: 2,413 Calories
Friday: 2,295 Calories
Saturday: Unknown

More Progress and Something Unsettling

2010-09-10T23:01:00.000-07:00

Yep! I was able to experience another evidence of progress. I had to get my new work badge. I like the difference:

Also, while browsing my sites, I found this little ditty. And honestly, I'm a little disappointed. I knew it was a little too good to be true, but it's stil exciting. So, maybe I'm not actually a size 34, but I have made that progress in reality--my old pants were size 48 Old Navy jeans, and some of my new ones are size 34 Old Navy jeans...but still a great article.

Friday:
100 sit ups
100 push ups
5 60-second front planks
5 60-second side planks
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna

Total:
45 minutes on elliptical
45 minutes on stair stepper
45 minutes on exercise bike
7.5 miles ran
200 situps
200 push ups
10 60-second front planks
10 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Remaining:
15 minutes on elliptical
15 minutes on stair stepper
15 minutes on exercise bike
2.5 miles walked/ran
100 sit ups
100 push ups
5 60-second front planks
5 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Calories:
Monday: 1,904 Calories
Tuesday: 1,209 Calories
Wednesday: 2,478 calories
Thursday: 2,413 Calories
Friday: 2,295 Calories

Long day, short post

2010-09-09T23:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight was a long (and great) night! So, sorry, but my post will be short. Just the stats for today. And a quick note. You'll see that my exercise was lighter than usual...that's becausse I gave blood today (my resting heart rate was 40bpm!!), so other than my morning session, I couldn't do any running or strength training. No heavy activity...

Thursday:
15 minutes on elliptical
15 minutes on stair stepper
15 minutes on exercise bike
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Total:
45 minutes on elliptical
45 minutes on stair stepper
45 minutes on exercise bike
7.5 miles ran
100 situps
100 push ups
5 60-second front planks
5 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast

Remaining:
15 minutes on elliptical
15 minutes on stair stepper
15 minutes on exercise bike
2.5 miles walked/ran
200 sit ups
200 push ups
10 60-second front planks
10 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna

Calories:
Monday: 1,904 Calories
Tuesday: 1,209 Calories
Wednesday: 2,478 calories
Thursday: 2,413 Calories

She Loves Me!

2010-09-08T19:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, I know that my wife loves me. In fact, she dated, kissed, and married me when I looked like this:

And now that I've lost almost 150 pounds, she is super supportive and loving and...normal? The best part is that she loves me just as much and is just as hard on me now as when I tipped the scales at 368.4 pounds. She has been a real trooper through this, enduring my emotions when I have a gain and tempering my elation when I have a loss. And she just bought me a gift:

And I love it! (Though not as much as I love her).

Wednesday:
15 minutes on elliptical
15 minutes on stair stepper
15 minutes on exercise bike
5 miles walked/ran
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Total:
30 minutes on elliptical
30 minutes on stair stepper
30 minutes on exercise bike
7.5 miles ran
100 situps
100 push ups
5 60-second front planks
5 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast

Remaining:
30 minutes on elliptical
30 minutes on stair stepper
30 minutes on exercise bike
2.5 miles walked/ran
200 sit ups
200 push ups
10 60-second front planks
10 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna

Calories:
Monday: 1,904 Calories
Tuesday: 1,209 Calories
Wednesday: 2,478 calories

Goals

2010-09-07T22:10:00.000-07:00

My goals are similar to last week's goals, but I'll be adding in more planks. I'm thinking that 1 or 2 planks a day just isn't going to show results. So, since I'm spacing out my body-weight sessions (i.e. push ups and sit ups), I'll be doing my plank sets with those--in a bigger way.
Goals:
60 minutes on elliptical
60 minutes on stair stepper
60 minutes on exercise bike
10 miles walked/ran
300 sit ups
300 push ups
15 60-second front planks
15 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Up to Tuesday:
15 minutes on elliptical
15 minutes on stair stepper
15 minutes on exercise bike
2.5 miles ran
100 situps
100 push ups
5 60-second front planks
5 60-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast

Remaining:
45 minutes on elliptical
45 minutes on stair stepper
45 minutes on exercise bike
7.5 miles walked/ran
200 sit ups
200 push ups
10 60-second front planks
10 60-second side plankspray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna

Calories:
Monday: 1,904 Calories
Tuesday: 1,209 Calories

Week 74 (5.10)

2010-09-01T20:43:00.000-07:00

Weight: 223.4

Weekly Weight loss: 1.0
Total weight lost: 145.0
Average Weekly Loss: 1.96

Okay, I lost one pound this week. That's twice the amount of last week. AAnd that's actually in 3 days. No, I wouldn't have exopected to lose 2+ pounds this week, but I think I'm doing the right thing by counting my Calories again. No running or exercise in toda--we'll just call it my rest day--since it's actually rather hard to leave work 2 days early...But I see lots and lotws of walking in my future this weekend.

I'll pretty much be MIA until Monday, but should sporadically be on Facebook and Twitter.

Hope you all do your best the rest of the week and this weekend!

Calories

2010-08-31T20:59:00.000-07:00

I've been counting my Calories again, and I'm really liking it! I know that I ate a lot more than one would expect today, seeing as how I fasted for breakfast and lunch. But, again, my reasons for fasting aren't diet-based. They're faith-based. And I'm still doing pretty well on my eating, I'd say...now if only I could get to that running...

Tuesday:
20 minutes on elliptical
20 minutes on stair stepper
10 minutes on exercise bike
100 sit ups
100 push ups
2 60-second front planks
2 40-second side planks
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion
fast
Calories: 1,127

Total:
40 minutes on elliptical
40 minutes on stair stepper
20 minutes on exercise bike
100 situps
100 push ups
2 60-second planks
2 40-second planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
Monday Calories: 2,231
Tuesday Calories: 1,127

Remaining:
20 minutes on elliptical
20 minutes on stair stepper
10 minutes on exercise bike
10 miles walked/ran
200 sit ups
200 push ups
3 60-second front planks
3 40-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Truncated Week

2010-08-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

Today is Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, all in one day. That's just because I have Thursday and Friday off. And since I only have free access to the gym at work, I'll be trying to pack in as much as I can on the equipement. But I can't do too much--I still have to work, you know? So I decided to focus my time on what gives me the most grief: the elliptical and the stairstepper. And then I use the exercise bike to kinda cool down.

Now, I know that the week still goes to Sunday, so I can still get my walking/running in. And my push-ups and situps and planks can also be done all week. Other than that, I'm still toying with what else I can do for exercise this week while I'm in SF in a hotel (with no gym). Last time, we were on teh 11th floor, so I know I can run the stairs.

What else should I do? Any hints/tips?

Oh, also, my brother sent me this wordle of my blog:

How fun is that??

Goals:
60 minutes on elliptical
60 minutes on stair stepper
30 minutes on exercise bike
10 miles walked/ran
300 sit ups
300 push ups
5 60-second front planks
5 40-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Up to Monday:
20 minutes on elliptical
20 minutes on stair stepper
10 minutes on exercise bike
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna

Remaining:
40 minutes on elliptical
40 minutes on stair stepper
20 minutes on exercise bike
10 miles walked/ran
300 sit ups
300 push ups
5 60-second front planks
5 40-second side plankspray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast

Week 73 (4.10)

2010-08-29T17:42:00.000-07:00

Weight: 224.4

Weekly Weight loss: 0.4
Total weight lost: 144.0
Average Weekly Loss: 1.97

0.4. Okay, it's apparent that I can maintain. I've been pretty much between 230 and 220 for the last 25 weeks. 6 months of maintenance. If I were at 215 or 210 or 200, that would be cool. That actually makes me excited. I think I may be able to eat intuitively.

But I'm not there yet. I still have 10-25 more pounds to lose. So, my intuitive eating plan is on hold for the next little while. I have to focus and beat the last little bit. No more coasting. That means more running and more exercising and better eating.

I don't mind having a 10 pound range that I live within, but it's got to be 205-215 or somehting like that.

I'll be TwEATing again starting tomorrow, but that may not hold for the weekend--Anna and I will be taking a trip to San Francisco for Labor Day. I guess my weigh-in will have to be on Wednesday is week, and then we'll see how I can maintain. Deal?

A Double Date, Splitting, and Twos

2010-08-28T00:21:00.000-07:00

I had this post title thought up earlier today, and I didn't want to change it--although what we had planned didn't go as planned. Tonight was a ~~double date~~ triple date. Anna and I went to an Indian restaurant with two other couples. It was a bunch of fun--and a ton of good food! Well, not a ton ton. It was great. The six of us (and one toddler) shared 2 dishes of rice, 4 naan breads, and 3 dishes. That comes out to 1/3 of a dish of rice, 2/3 of a naan bread, and 1/2 of a dish. I'd say that's not bad for going to an Indian restaurant. And one of the generous people at our table paid for all of us! What a treat.

So, that's the "Double Date" portion of this post.

Splitting. Although we shared the mean family-style, Anna and I planned on splitting one dish (which I guess we ended up doing). This is a big change for me. Anna and I go out to dinner a fair amount--maybe once or twice a week. Most of the time, we're trying to save money. And Calories. And Anna almost always asks if we could share a dish. I, however, am usually a stubborn, spoiled brat and say, "No!" That I want my own dish. And I almost always win. But that's not a good thing. And we end up spending more money and consuming more Calories than we are happy with. So splitting entrees will be a good habit to get into.

And now for the final portion: Twos. This is one thing I struggle with. I'm a little fussy about some things, especially numbers--for instance, I like to have my volume setting in levels of 5. To be honest, it really annoys me when people say, "I'm a little OCD," or, "I have a little OCD." It's like saying, "I have a little Lupis." Well, I don't have a little bit of OCD, but I am randomly particular about some things. One of them is my desire to have 2 of things. Not that I always feel a need to have 2 of things, but I do like to do that a lot. When we have pizza, I always bring out two slices on my plate. When I used to go to McDonalds, I'd always have to get at least 2 McDoubles or 2 McChickens. It's not a huge problem with some things. And some things it's a big problem. But really, it's something I have to break. I have to be able to be able to only have one of something. Just one.

Friday:
7 miles ran & walked
50 situps
50 push ups
1 60-second front plank
1 40-second plank
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion
date with Anna

Total:
60 minutes on elliptical
60 minutes on stair stepper
60 minutes on exercise bike
10 miles ran
200 situps
200 push ups
4 60-second front planks
4 40-second planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
2 dates with Anna
fasted

Remaining:
5 miles walked/ran
15 miles biked
100 sit ups
100 push ups
1 60-second front planks
1 40-second side plankspray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Thursday

2010-08-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

Not much to share. Busy night, and not much non-gym execise. But my replacement phone came in, so I'm connected again!

Let's wrap this week up with choices we're happy with, okay?

Thursday:
15 minutes on elliptical
15 minutes on stair stepper
15 minutes on exercise bike
50 situps
50 push ups
1 60-second front plank
1 40-second plank
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion

Total:
60 minutes on elliptical
60 minutes on stair stepper
60 minutes on exercise bike
3 miles ran
150 situps
150 push ups
3 60-second front planks
3 40-second planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna
fasted

Remaining:
12 miles walked/ran
15 miles biked
150 sit ups
150 push ups
2 60-second front planks
2 40-second side plankspray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Feeling Normal

2010-08-25T22:14:00.000-07:00

A funny thing happened the other day. Anna and I were walking through Target. And I felt normal. I didn't feel fat. I know that I've been in a pretty good place, weight-wise for a while now, but it always takes longer for the mind to catch up to the body--both ways. And while this will in NO WAY delay my progress on this journey, it certainly was a nice development. I guess it helps that I can fit into "normal"-sized jeans and shirts!

Wednesday:
15 minutes on elliptical
15 minutes on stair stepper
15 minutes on exercise bike
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion
date with Anna
fasted

Total:
45 minutes on elliptical
45 minutes on stair stepper
45 minutes on exercise bike
3 miles ran
100 situps
100 push ups
2 60-second front planks
2 40-second planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna
fasted

Remaining:
15 minutes on elliptical
15 minutes on stair stepper
15 minutes on exercise bike
12 miles walked/ran
15 miles biked
200 sit ups
200 push ups
3 60-second front planks
3 40-second side plankspray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Nada

2010-08-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

Not much to say tonight. I didn't get a run or a ride in. We had another window presentation, and it was for a "recovery" pitch, since the first guy was an hour late and wasn't any good. This time it was the owner...and she wasn't that great...and she was here for 3+ hours...and she was over 1/2 an hour late! Way to redeem your own company. Sheesh.

Have you ever purchased new windows? How was your experience?

Tuesday:
15 minutes on elliptical
15 minutes on stair stepper
15 minutes on exercise bike
50 situps
50 push ups
1 60-second front plank
1 40-second plank
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion

Total:
30 minutes on elliptical
30 minutes on stair stepper
30 minutes on exercise bike
3 miles ran
100 situps
100 push ups
2 60-second front planks
2 40-second planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Remaining:
30 minutes on elliptical
30 minutes on stair stepper
30 minutes on exercise bike
12 miles walked/ran
15 miles biked
200 sit ups
200 push ups
3 60-second front planks
3 40-second side plankspray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Monday Update

2010-08-23T22:23:00.000-07:00

Today was a great night. We had some homemade brazed oxtails. We got the rest of our organizing done. And Anna made some red bean soup for dessert (Yum!). Tomorrow is going to be a good, but crazy day--we have a 4th window sales pitch (all for 8 windows...), and then I'll be off for a run or a ride. Yup, I finally got a bike pump for my tires!

On the frustrating side, though, my Nexus One crapped out. So I'm without my superphone for the next few days while a new one is shipped out to me. Wow, this is not fun. But it makes me think that I may be a little too dependent on "connectivity". Hmm...guess I can think of something to give up next Lent, huh?

Goals:
60 minutes on elliptical
60 minutes on stair stepper
60 minutes on exercise bike
15 miles walked/ran
15 miles biked
300 sit ups
300 push ups
5 60-second front planks
5 40-second side planks
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Up to Monday:
15 minutes on elliptical
15 minutes on stair stepper
15 minutes on exercise bike
3 miles ran
50 situps
50 push ups
1 60-second front plank
1 40-second plank
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Remaining:
45 minutes on elliptical
45 minutes on stair stepper
45 minutes on exercise bike
12 miles walked/ran
15 miles biked
250 sit ups
250 push ups
4 60-second front planks
4 40-second side plankspray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Living Life

2010-08-21T22:03:00.000-07:00

I know. If you look below, I have a serious miss in my goals: running and biking. I'm not big on excuses, so here's my explanation: I still need to buy a bike pump so I won't be riding on an improperly inflated tire; and I'm still waiting for that dang huge blister on my foot to heal. Soon, though, I'll be back to full speed. In fact, tomorrow, I'll be going on a run with a buddy of mine--and I'm really looking forward to it!

So no, no exercise today, but I had a fun full day with Anna.

Saturday:
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion

Total:
60 minutes on elliptical
60 minutes on stair stepper
60 minutes on exercise bike
1 weight session
4 miles walked/ran
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna
fasted

Remaining:
11 miles walked/ran
15 miles biked

Muscles

2010-08-21T00:47:00.000-07:00

Today was my company's picnic. We had a hot dog cart, a hamburger cart, and an ice cream cart. I did have a small buger, 2 Veggie Apple Sage Sausages, and 2 ice creams. BUT. I did budget the picnic into my eating: I had a smaller "lunch" and counted the food at the picnic as my dinner. So there should be no worries about me letting myself go.

And I got a chance to hang out with some friends tonight--a couple of guys from my small group--and we worked out on a weight machine. Yeah, yeah, I know that free weights are preferrable. But, I'd say that a weight machine is still better than nothing, right?! Plus it was fun!

And while it is highly doubtfult that I'll be hitting all my goals, I am very happy with my week so far.

Friday:
1 weight session
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion

Total:
60 minutes on elliptical
60 minutes on stair stepper
60 minutes on exercise bike
1 weight session
4 miles walked/ran
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna
fasted

Remaining:
11 miles walked/ran
15 miles biked
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Week 72 (3.10)

2010-08-19T18:49:00.000-07:00

Weight: 224.8

Weekly Weight loss: 4.6
Total weight lost: 143.6
Average Weekly Loss: 1.99

Yup! I've knocked a good portion off of my "gain" from last week. Of course, if it all didn't go away by now, that tells me some portion of it was, indeed, a real gain. Now, this weigh-in was this morning--before my fasting day and my monster workout. So, realistically, if this were Friday (or Sunday), I may be posting a much bigger loss. But that's fine. This is about where I am next mnonth...next year...next decade...it's not about where I am this week. Does that make sense? It's all about the long haul. Plus, I don't use my fasting days for weight-loss, so I'm also glad that the die rolled a 4 this morning.

I'm also looking forward to where I'll be next week. And I've got to get that average back up into the 2's.

Wednesday:
30 minutes on elliptical
15 minutes on stair stepper
10 minutes on exercise bike
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion
fasted

Total:
60 minutes on elliptical
60 minutes on stair stepper
60 minutes on exercise bike
4 miles walked/ran
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna
fasted

Remaining:
11 miles walked/ran
15 miles biked
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Let's Be Honest

2010-08-18T22:01:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned yesterday, one of the guys that went on the bachelor party in Vegas trip had previously lost 70 pounds. He has since gained most of it back. And, honestly, I can see why. The weekend for him was fillied with alcohol, soda, food, and cigarettes. Now yes, it was Vegas. And yes, it was a bachelor party. But no, I didn't indulge in those choices. So, I know it can be done.

But now here's the honesty part: I'm afraid.

I'm afraid that I might evenntually gain it back. I've never been "thin" or even "normal". I've never lost more than 30 pounds. I've never done this before.

So there's a large part of me that is afraid that this success (and whatever more progress I make) will be erased by unhealthy living in the future. I may be afraid, but I think it's a healthy fear. I think this feeling of trepidation about my health and my weight and my future makes me more attentive to that possibility and pitfalls. I feel like I'm on this journey with my eyes wide open. I know that I can't predict the future. I know that I may change. But more than that, I know that I don't want to change back into that 368 pound man I was. And I know that God doesn't want me to fall back into that unhealthy way of living. And I know that Anna will do her best to support me and encourage me to keep this up.

It's a journey that ~~I'm~~ we're on. I may not have a map, but I do have a good guide and great traveling partners. Thanks for the company!

Wednesday:
15 minutes on elliptical
15 minutes on stair stepper
10 minutes on exercise bike
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion
date with Anna

Total:
30 minutes on elliptical
45 minutes on stair stepper
50 minutes on exercise bike
4 miles walked/ran
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna

Remaining:
30 minutes on elliptical
15 minutes on stair stepper
10 minutes on exercise bike
11 miles walked/ran
15 miles biked
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast

What is Impressive?

2010-08-17T22:40:00.000-07:00

No, this won't be a long post, but I really wanted to talk for a moment about losing weight. Yeah, that's surprising, huh? Talking about losing weight on a blog that has weight loss as a main element...

Well, there's another moment that happened over the weekend that I wanted to talk about. One of my brother's friends was talking to me about my weight loss. He said, "That's amazing. 140 pounds lost? That's way better than the 70 pounds I lost...before I gained most of it back."

I don't want to talk about the fact that he gained most of it back--that's a conversation for another day...maybe tomorrow.

No, I want to talk about the fact that he was so impressed with my loss (so far) and not with the fact that he had lost 70 pounds. It seems like there is some evil (yes, it truly is evil) heirarchy in the weight-loss arena. And it's in the blogs and it's in the world. It's almost as if people feel like they haven't accomplished much unless they've hit x pounds lost. Or that if others have lost more weight our weight loss isn't as impressive. And I have succomed to that thinking, too. I think most of us have.

But that's a damned lie.

Any amount of weight loss is impressive.

Heck, just starting a weight loss journey is impressive. I don't care if you've lost 5 pounds or 500. It's an amazing thing. You know? And even if you're working on weight loss and haven't been able to get too far--but you're still working out and still working on it--that's incredible. It really gets to me when people diminish others' accomplishments. But it frustrates me even more when people diminish their own accomplishments. If you trust in yourself and value your own accomplishements, then no matter what anyone else says, you know you've done something great--others can't take that away from you. Ever.

So if there's anything I can wish for you, it's that you'd be proud of how far you've come--and excited about where you're going.

Tuesday:
18 minutes on stair stepper
25 minutes on exercise bike
4 miles ran
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion

Total:
15 minutes on elliptical
30 minutes on stair stepper
40 minutes on exercise bike
4 miles walked/ran
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Remaining:
45 minutes on elliptical
30 minutes on stair stepper
30 minutes on exercise bike
11 miles walked/ran
15 miles biked
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

My Vegas Trip- What I can Share

2010-08-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a really good time. But let's be honest, I'm not going to tell all about it. I mean, it was a bachelor party, you know?

I did, though, complete a run. And that was a ton of fun. Well, maybe not a ton of fun, but a very fulfilling accomplishment! I ran. In 105 degree weather. Whew. I started the run, and there were no sidewalks. No worries, I just ran on the shoulder. Along Las Vegas Boulevard (way south of The Strip), which is a 50 mph zone. But it was fine.

I started my run and thought that the M Resort was maybe a mile and a half or 2 miles away. So if I ran there and back, I was expecting 3-4 miles. And in the heat, I thought that would definitely sap out a lot of my energy. As I was running, I did have my energy sapped out--as expected. What wasn't expected was that each way was over 3 miles! Yikes. I wasn't even 2/3 of the way to my goal and I looked at my mileage: 2miles. Holy Moses, this wasn't going to be a short little jaunt. Ugh. So I got to the M, and turned around. And Ran (and walked) back. I got back and I had gone 6.29 miles in 1:11:14. I ran a 10k in 105 degree heat. Yikes. Whoo hoo!

Here's a picture I took from the M, looking back at the condo we were staying at:

How about you?

How was your weeekend?

Try anything new?

Up to Monday:
15 minutes on elliptical
12 minutes on stair stepper
15 minutes on exercise bike
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Remaining:
45 minutes on elliptical
48 minutes on stair stepper
45 minutes on exercise bike
15 miles walked/ran
15 miles biked
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Week 71 (2.10)

2010-08-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

Weight: 229.4

Weekly Weight gain: 8.2
Total weight lost: 139
Average Weekly Loss: 1.96

Yup. I gained. I gained a lot. In about 12 days. Now, really, I think that some portion is from my Vegas trip. And actually, while I ate pretty dang well, it was all restaraunt food, which tends to be over-salted.

Add to that the fact that in the 46 hours we were in Vegas, we only slept 5. And we all know that a proper amout of sleep is essential to good weight loss.

And add to that the fact that I had to weigh myself right after I got home from a plane flight.

Yes, those were factors. But I know I could have done a better job pushing myself. And while the cartilege strain put a cramp in my goals, again, I know I could have done more.

And this week, I will.

Goals:
60 minutes on elliptical
60 minutes on stair stepper
60 minutes on exercise bike
15 miles walked/ran
15 miles biked
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

The Night Before

2010-08-12T20:59:00.000-07:00

So, tonight is the night before I leave to Las Vegas for the weekend for my brother's bachelor party. We don't have a ton planned, but 8 or so 30-somethings should be able to have a bunch of fun. I'll be taking part in almost everything--other than the strip club (yee-uck).

I have three goals for this trip:
1. Have a good time and make sure my brother does, too
2. Get some dedicated exercise in (at least the rest of my walking/running in)
3. Don't go crazy with the eating--but do have fun.

Thoughts? How do you not gain while visiting Sin City??

Thursday:
15 minutes on stair stepper
30 minutes on exercise bike
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion

Total:
60 minutes on elliptical
45 minutes on stair stepper
60 minutes on exercise bike
50 situps
50 pushups
2 60 second front planks
2 40 second side planks (each side)
6 miles ran
4 miles biked
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion
fast
date with Anna

Remaining:
300 situps
300 push ups
8 60 second front planks
8 40 second side planks (each side)
9 miles walked/ran
11 miles biked
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

When it rains...

2010-08-11T21:11:00.000-07:00

Yup. It pours. I got my workout in today at work--and it was great!

Then, I went out to dinner with Anna. We went to a new little buger joint in Renton. Burger Town was great. Not high class. Not super creative. But really tasty. It totally hit the spot. A good burger.

When I got home, I mowed the lawn and then jumped on my bike to get a good ride in (I was planning on somehting like 9 miles). About 2 miles in, I noticed that my tires were a little low. So I decided to turn back--I didn't want to blow a tire or anything. So, once I got back to my house, I put the bike back and started to run. But after about a tenth of a mile, I stopped. Yesterday, on my run, I got a HUGE blister on my foot. I was hoping that with a bandage on it, I'd be able to run. I was wrong.

So, yeah, I didn't get a great run in, but that's fine. I still have lots of time to do that. Again, no use sacrificing the future for today, right?

Wednesday:
15 minutes on elliptical
15 minutes on stair stepper
15 minutes on exercise bike
4 miles biked
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion
date with Anna

Total:
60 minutes on elliptical
30 minutes on stair stepper
30 minutes on exercise bike
50 situps
50 pushups
2 60 second front planks
2 40 second side planks (each side)
6 miles ran
4 miles biked
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion
fast
date with Anna

Remaining:
15 minutes on stair stepper
30 minutes on exercise bike
300 situps
300 push ups
8 60 second front planks
8 40 second side planks (each side)
9 miles walked/ran
11 miles biked
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily

Broken

2010-08-10T22:28:00.000-07:00

Maybe not broken.

More like "dented". Last Wednesday, at our work event, they had a mechanical bull. Yeah, of course I rode it. I was hoping to have pictures, but none have been distributed yet. And while it was a bunch of fun, during my bull riding time, in an effort not to fall off, it looks like I tweaked something. I wanted to just ride it out (the pain), but it got pretty bad today. So, after a quick consult with my doctor, I guess I have a deep strain in the cartilage of my ribs. This is causing me quite a bit of pain, and corresponding muscle spasms.

Ugh.

So, on doctors orders, there will be no more push ups, sir ups, or planks. And I'm starting to think that those are what did me in yesterday. And now I'm on Ibprofen for the next week and have muscle relaxants at the ready--though I'd rather not use them.

She did, however, say that I could still run and bike and do most everythign else so long as it doesn't aggrivate my injury. She told me that it would help for me to get to some strong breathing--the perfect byproduct of working out--and that the breathing would help ensure that I don't get a collapsed lung. Wha?! I don't think she meant that that was a likelihood...maybe more of a possibility. But yeesh! And, seriously guys, I feel like I'll be fine.

So, although I was in a great deal of pain this evening, I was able to get a good 6 mile run (in under 60 minutes). I didn't want to, but there was no way I was going to slide back, you know?

Now I'm back on the saddle, but luckily the saddle isn't on the horse!

Tuesday:
30 minutes on elliptical
5 minutes on stair stepper
6 miles walked/ran
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion

Total:
45 minutes on elliptical
15 minutes on stair stepper
15 minutes on exercise bike
50 situps
50 pushups
2 60 second front planks
2 40 second side planks (each side)
6 miles ran
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion
fast

Remaining:
15 minutes on elliptical
30 minutes on stair stepper
45 minutes on exercise bike
300 situps
300 push ups
8 60 second front planks
8 40 second side planks (each side)
9 miles walked/ran
15 miles biked
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna

Back to LIfe, Back to Goals

2010-08-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

I've found that I've been missing all of my stats. I've been trying to make this blog more fun to read. But honestly? This blog is a place for me. And I know I'll be most successful when I'm doing what works for me. You won't find me going on the Atkins Diet...or the Paleo Diet...or another diet. Because I don't think those would work for me--though they work for so many other people. So, if you wouldn't see those things, why should you be spared the statistical leanings of me?

And I'm sure that you all agree that this space is more fun when I'm doing what helps me and what feels right. So, the stats are back. Lots of text. Lots of lists. But it's worked for me in the past, so I'll keep it!

So, what works for you? How do you stay on track?

Goals:
60 minutes on elliptical
45 minutes on stair stepper
60 minutes on exercise bike
350 situps
350 push ups
10 60 second front planks
10 40 second side planks (each side)
15 miles walked/ran
15 miles biked
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
fast
date with Anna

Up through Monday:
15 minutes on elliptical
10 minutes on stair stepper
15 minutes on exercise bike
50 situps
50 pushups
2 60 second front planks
2 40 second side planks (each side)
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion
fast

Remaining:
45 minutes on elliptical
35 minutes on stair stepper
45 minutes on exercise bike
300 situps
300 push ups
8 60 second front planks
8 40 second side planks (each side)
15 miles walked/ran
15 miles biked
pray daily
read the bible daily
read my devotion daily
date with Anna

Fly By

2010-08-06T23:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's that time of year again, here in the Northwest. Time for Seafair and the Blue Angles!

But no, that's not what we'll be doing. In fact, we'll be having our annual family and friends weekend. And it almost always ends up being the same weekend as the Blue Angels. It'll be about 16 hours a day of hanging out with relaitives and friends, playing games, and eating food. But I'll do my best not to indulge. It's hard. Because I usually do so much inattentive eating. So I'll have to come in with a plan. Maybe I take pictures of everything I eat? Or just a list. Not sure if I'll even post pictures or a list.

But I will deffinitely be more mindful this weekend. Hope you do the same.

The End

2010-08-05T23:16:00.000-07:00

Today, I witnessed a tragedy. I saw a man take his own life. No, I'm not talking about seeing a man in a restaurant, obese, and eating more than a day's worth of Calories. No, I'm not talking about seeing a man in a car smoking cigarettes and risking lung cancer (among many possible diseases).

No, today, I saw a man commit suicide. I saw a man plunge from a 4th story patio like a rag doll and never breathe a breath again. I don't know the details of why this troubled man took his life. I don't know his story. His pain. His helplessness.

What I do know, though, is the pain that remains. The ripple effects of his decision. I know of the 150 people I work with who will not soon forget the emotional swing our semi-annual sales meeting took when this poor soul decided to make such a heartbreaking irreversible decision. Did this man leave behind children, a wife, family? Again, I'm not sure, but I know that we all come from somewhere--we all have mothers and fathers. And there is always pain when a loss like this occurs.

Now, coming from my own experience, I feel the need to say that I haven't had a close friend commit suicide. I haven't had an immediate family member end a life. And while a child of one of our neighbors did when I was younger, suicide has never really affected me.

Not someone's suicide, at least.

But, being that I struggled with depression for a good portion of my adolescence (or at least a long long bout of angst), suicide was on my mind as an option more than once. There were times when I longed for the pain of obesity or the pain of not fitting in to go away--and the only option felt like suicide. Those were some dark days. The poetry I wrote during that time was not good (both in terms of quality and subject):

Look at Me
I look around and see
Everyone stares at me

I may look weird
But on the inside, I am
The same

Mirrors deceive me
Pictures lie
The way I am
Is truly inside

Tears come out of these eyes too
They run down my cheek
I can feel them
Can you?

Yeah, dark stuff, huh? But you know? I never gave in to that temptation. I never "took the easy way out". And I'm glad I didn't because very little in life is permanent. I wasn't alone forever (thanks to a gracious God and a wonderful wife). I wasn't obese forever (thanks to a gracious God). And my depression has been in remission for quite some time. And if I would have been the one to throw myself off the building (or however I thought about ending my life—I was a little too creative during that time…), I would have missed out on all of that. I would have tried to write my story for God. And that’s not ever a good idea.

And then, while writing this, I had my Zune playing, and this song by Avalon came on. How fitting is the chorus?

Beyond the Clouds (by Avalon)
Beyond the clouds
The sun is shining
Beyond the storm
The sky is blue
Beyond the rain
Hope is waiting
I'll be there for you
I'll be there for you

God will be there for us. He will be our strength and our power and our courage. But we have to let him.

My prayer:
Lord, please be with this man’s family who will never see his smile or feel his love again. Please be with the emergency personnel who did not have the full chance to save him. Please be with the hotel staff who have to continue to work in a place of such tragedy. Please be with all of my coworkers who may or may not have seen the graphic event but were terribly affected by it. Lord, I know that You love us and that You want what is best for us. I know that all things work out to Your goodness. But please let me and others be the tool that you use to do Your will. Be our hands and feet. Our mouths and ears. Our shoulders and arms. Thy will be done.

Week 70 (1.10)

2010-08-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

Weight: 221.2

Weekly Weight loss: 1.0
Total weight lost: 147.2
Average Weekly Loss: 2.10

Yup, that's right! I rolled a 2 today. Really? I didn't roll yesterday, so this was the first chance to see this new plan in action, and I guess I get to put this into action today. So here's my first weigh-ini of this new 10-week program. We'll see how it goes.

Pretty well so far, though.

Tuesday:

4.5 miles ran (in 35:23)

50 situps
50 push ups
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion

Total:

9 miles ran

100 situps
100 push ups
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion
date wwith Anna

Die

2010-08-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

–noun
small cube of plastic, ivory, bone, or wood, marked on each side with one to six spots, usually used in pairs in games of chance or in gambling.

That's right. I'm talking about dice. Or, rather, a die. This will dictate a lot in the next (at least) 10 weeks of my journey. Please just bear with me as I explain my thinking and why I have such a random "tool".

In the bible, a lot is made of not knowing when things will happen.

"For you do not know when the time will come. 34It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36lest he come suddenly and find you asleep." Mark 13:33-36 (ESV)

"43But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." Matthew 24:43-44

And I think I have found a way that this concept of being prepared relates to my weight-loss.

Here's how my week normally goes:
Sunday: weigh-in; eat more than ususal, not much exercise
Monday: workout, but not as hard as I am proud of, and watch what I eat but not as much as I am proud of.
Tuesday: a lot like Monday. Maybe a little better.
Wednesday: think to myself that I should kick it into gear, but don't really.
Thursday: pick up the intensity.
Friday: start to freak out that my weigh-in is coming up and try to have a "last chance workout"
Saturday: limit my water intake in some stupid attempt to make sure that my weigh-in is good.
Sunday: repeat

And let's be honest. I don't think that's a way to live a healthy lifestyle. I mean, I do a pretty good job limiting my portions, getting some activity in, and drinking water--most of the time. But my schedule is all based on the knowledge that my weigh-in is on Sundays. I think, if I take those verses to heart and implement them, that I need to live in a way that I'm always "prepared" to weigh-in.

So, my new plan? For the next 10 weeks, I'll live by the die. So, on Monday morning, I'll roll the die. If it shows a 1, I weigh-in on Monday. If it shows any other number, I wait until the next day. On Tuesday morning, I'll roll the die. If it shows a 2, I weigh-in on Tuesday. And so on through Saturday. Then, if I don't weigh-in based off the roll of the die, I'll weigh-in on Sunday. What do you think of my plan? Is it overly-complicated? Is it relying too much on chance? I'm not sure. But I think I really like the idea.

Up to Monday:

4.5 miles ran (in 35:03!!)

50 situps
50 push ups
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion

Week 69

2010-08-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

Weight: 222.2

Weekly Weight gain: 2.6
Total weight lost: 146.2
Average Weekly Loss: 2.12

Yup. A gain. Funny, though, I'm not upset at all. Why is that?

Really, it's because I'm learning how to eat intuitively. I'm learning to identify my hunger and my habits. I was talking to Anna about this tonight. It's interesting because my relationship with food has gone through 4 stages:

1980 - April 2009:
Attitude toward food: Eating whatever I want whenever I want--and however much I want.
Result: 368.4 pound weight

April 2009 - November (?) 2009:
Attitude toward food: Focusing on healthy foods, and trying to limit portions
Result: 100 pounds lost

November (?) 2009 - July 20, 2010:
Attitude toward food: Counting Calories--making healthy choices
Result: 45 pounds lost

July 20, 2010 - ??:
Attitude toward food: Eating healthy; chosing foods consciously
Result: 2.6 pounds gained

Of course, you've got to give it more time to see if this will work. But really, it will have to work, you know? I'm excited to see how I will respond with this. In the past, I ate mildly healthy, but my portions were too big. Now, I'm eating healthy, and my portions are smaller--though still too big. I am learning to live without counting Calories--and find that it's easy to fall back into old habits of eating too much. It's almost like when the parents leave and the kids go nuts and have a huge party. I guess I just had my party. And now it's time to clean up. But I'll have to move out of my parents house of Calorie counting and learn to live on my own eventually--might as well start now.

2004-2010 (or the last 7 years)

2010-07-30T23:27:00.000-07:00

So, I've got to admit. I've been pretty bummed recently. This is really probably the point in my journey where I'm getting really tired. No, I'm not in a quitting mood, I'm just exhausted. And I want to relax. But I know this is my life. And it's a good life.

In order to jump start myself, I thought it would be a great idea to reflect on how far I've come in the last 15 months; on how much I've actually changed. So, here are pictures from each of the last 7 years to show (mostly me, but also all of you) just how much I have ~~grown~~ shrunk:

2004

09.04.2004

2005

05.15.2005

2006

05.23.2006

2007

07.02.2007

2008

05.28.2008

2009

02.21.2009

2010

06.11.2010

Notice how I'm wearing the same shirt in like half of my photos? Yeah, when you're fat, you try to make your shirts last as long as possible! In the first 5 pictures, I'm in a XXL. In the 2009 picture, I'm in a XXXL. Now, in 2010, I'm in a Large (and sometimes a Medium). That's progress. Who cares if I gain and lose 5 pounds over the next couple of months--I'm getting used to this new normal!

Friday:

4.5 miles ran

50 sit ups

50 push ups

prayed

read the bible

read my devotion
date with Anna

Total:

60 minutes on the exercise bike

75 minutes on the elliptical

12 miles walked/ran
7 miles biked

250 situps
250 push ups
prayed
read the bible
read my devotion
fast
3 dates with Anna