Day 912 and an attack on me.

Thursday, July 01, 2010

Wednesday went pretty good on all fronts of this war on blubber and you could imagine the shock and awe that my body experienced in the beginning when it was all brandy spankin' new and this morning my quads looked up at me with a whimper and said "no mas senior" not unlike back then. I woke up and my quads and shoulders are sore because of a bike ride that I took and the fact that I waxed my entire car yesterday afternoon, the bike ride was of course with daughter in tow but I hammered the entire ride both ways standing on the pedals for almost the entire cruise and I have to say that riding that way uses a slightly different muscle group than when sitting judging on the way I feel today. My intake was slightly over but well within my limits and I drank more than two gallons of fluid throughout the day, oh and I found out that I am NOT allergic to wasp stings when I was attacked during my bike ride and making green tea just got easier.

Deciding to take a ride over to a dam that's close by turned out to be more painful than I was expecting because of some small flying terrors. We roll up to the dam and hop off of the bike and head on over to look at some wild life and bamn! bamn!! BAMN! my right calf felt like it was burned and hit with a bat or something all at the same time I look down to see a small swarm of black wasps all around my leg. Looking up I told my daughter to run as I watched wasps in formation slip one after another out of the hand rail on the bridge so we took off down the dam and stayed about half way across until the cloud of attackers dissipated. I will very likely be heading back over to the dam later this afternoon with a can of wasp spray to exact my vengeance on the little fuggers as I am sitting here with 6 stings on my leg not feeling to awesome, here are a couple shots from our ride.


A shot of our chariot parked next to the dam, this was pre wasp attack.


We had a few visitors come over to see what we were doing out on the small pier near the dam.


A shot of the bridge over the dam taken from the pier.


Finally a look at the lake from the middle of the bridge.

For my birthday Wify got me the bestest gift that ever was! an ice tea maker! so now when I forget to make a gallon over night I can just plug in the old ice tea maker and bamn! 13 minutes later three quarts of fresh and ice cold green tea. The instructions says that it calls for filters but when using tea bags there is no reason to use any as the bags work just fine all alone and last night I brewed my first pitcher of the good stuff and to my amazement it was strong enough. I was expecting it to be weak because it brews the tea hot in a little catch thingy at the top and then drops it into the pitcher of ice thus making iced tea, I love this gift. I brewed a pot this morning so that I could take a couple pictures to post up and I timed it to see how long it would take and 13 minutes seems to be the magic number, here is a photo of the new toy and some tea that I made this morning which is darker than normal because of the black tea that I added.


Some tea plus that dandy tea maker plus a pitcher of ice and..


Bamn! 13 minutes later an ice cold pitcher of green tea! I used 3 green tea bags, 1 green tea/passion fruit bag and a black teabag in this batch but haven't tasted it yet so I will report how it came out tomorrow.

Over all my focus has returned and we seem to be getting it done again in the intake department while the exercise is starting to come along as well. Measuring every bite that goes into my mouth again to kick start some losses is my plan and I'm stickin' to it because like I said yesterday it works. Its time to head out and do a little weeding in the garden followed by a bike ride so for today that's all I got, Thanks for following and thanks for the support and remember that we are the ones controlling what goes into our mouths.

As Ever
Me

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Day 911, a menu and an omelet.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

We're taking it back to old school kind of posting for a bit to get a groove going which means that menus, exercise and hydration will be posted daily along with a Friday weigh in. Tuesday went well in the intake and hydration area but I didn't get anything into my day that I would call exercise past regular daily kind of chores. Two gallons of straight H2O went down the hatch as I forgot to make my green tea the night before and my calories came in at 1725 which is right in there as far as what I want to be eating right now. For dinner I made a really good omelet consisting of 1 whole egg, 4 egg whites, 1.5 oz New York strip, Egyptian onions, yellow onions, tomato, green bell peppers, jalapeno, baby bella mushrooms and 2 oz of Kraft low fat cheddar cheese with a couple Zesty dill spears and some whole wheat toast on the side all for 515 total calories and as you can see from the menu it was an eggy kind of day for me.


Straight from my garden here are some of the smaller Egyptian onions that I didn't use in the omelet.


This is my omelet, there are many like it but this one is mine...you can see some of the Egyptian onions next to the plate, they have a strong smell and a mild flavor.

Breakfast
7:15 AM
coffee creamer 50

9:00 AM
1 whole egg 4 whites 130
2.5oz steak 150
2oz kraft low fat cheddar 90
peppers/jalapeno/tomato 35
pickle 10

Lunch
1:30 PM
2 slices whole wheat toast 140
1 T almond butter 95
1 T strawberry preserves 35

2:00 PM
banana 100

Dinner
6:15 PM
1 whole egg 4 whites 130
1.5oz steak 90
2oz kraft low fat cheddar 90
peppers/jalapeno/tomato/mushroom 55
Zesty pickle 10
2 slices whole wheat toast 140
Smart balance 25

6:45 PM
3/4 banana 75


8:15 PM
1 banana 105
2 oranges 170

There was nothing in the way of exercise in my life yesterday, cleaned up the yard a bit, weeded my garden and some normal house cleaning kind of stuff but no bike rides, no gym, no calisthenics or the likes. Today will be different, I will at least get a bike ride into my day at some point and would like to try to get to the gym as its been a good while since I have been able to get there because of the kids not being in school. The idea to wake up at O dark thirty and go to the gym has entered into my head but I have never been a morning person and my back still smarts for about the first hour of my day unless I give its space to warm up naturally so I am unsure thats the best idea but I am going to explore it because I have to get my cardio in each day and its just not happening lately.

The plan for today is to eat within my 1700 calories, get a bike ride in and drink a plenty, I did not get any green tea in yesterday because I forgot to make it the night before. Forgetting to brew my green tea the night before usually means one of two things, I run out and give Arizona tea a couple more of my dollars buying a gallon of tea or I miss out for the day. I did get an iced tea maker from wify for my birthday (most thoughtful gift award) and am planning on reading the instructions today so I shouldn't have a reason to miss out on a day without tea any more and hopefully it saves us a few bucks because of not having to buy a gallon of the pre-made stuff.

I have been going through some of my older posts from the first year and am beginning to get myself back into a frame of mind where I have to push myself to the front of the things to do list again regardless of the other stuff that's going on currently in the life of me. Tomorrow will be more of the same as I continue down this road to a healthier me, I have a few goals that still need to be reached and I have not gotten down to my goal weight just yet so that must be a priority because not doing for myself is partially what got me into this obese situation (man I hate that fuvkin word) in the first place.

Making ones self priority one is as important as the air that we breathe sometimes and I can't lose sight of that again.

As Ever
Me

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Day 910..woah I've been at this for 910 days?!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

The smell of Jalapeno and steak is wafting through the air right now as I type because of the most amazing omelet that I just had for breakfast and its back to the grind that is my weight loss journey. This weekend I did step away from the wagon because of a little shindig that was thrown in honor of my aging 365 days and I did not want to disappoint the hostess, that and there was Haitian "rhum" and Italian rum cake, a themed party perhaps? It was a very small gathering and was a good day but as I said off the wagon I went and that's just how its gonna be because from the beginning I have refused to pull out my salter scale etc for an event, there are times when enjoying the moment is more important than measuring every ounce of whatever will be eaten, I didn't notice a nutrition label on the bottle or rum either so that must mean it s void of calories right?

Other than the weekend being that of drinking and pillaging the weak and unprepared...um I mean the junk I ate at the shindig it wasn't all too bad. I stayed hydrated throughout and did manage to stay clear of any chips or party mix sticking to steak and potato salad for the most part. This morning I am up in weight but I am 100% sure that its the bad eating Sunday and the trickle effect that spilled into yesterday that's causing that and today everything is back where it should be with my counting and the omelet that I just made was weighed, measured and put into my excel spread sheet as normal. Since the humidity today feels less like Ecuador and more like New England I am also planning on a bike ride this afternoon with my daughter in tow to get the blood pumping and a few more miles under my belt.

Recently it dawned on me that I am closer to a normal sized person than a super obese person now and its a hard stigma to shake. I look in a mirror and can see HUGE differences from where I was but I do still see that bigger me more often than not and catch myself getting caught up in that thought for longer than I should at times. Am I sitting around feeling bad for myself? not even for a second, I am in a place where physically I can do whatever I want and feel unlimited, I mean I am not out in the yard doing cart wheels but I did say anything that I "wanted" to do so I am cool with the no cart wheel rule as I prefer my arms don't look like an accordion. Sunday we were going through some pictures from my wedding and I am a lot bigger in those photos, a friend of mine who was in our wedding party looked at a picture then looked up at me and said (obviously busting my balls) "you look goofy thinner" and I looked at the picture from the wedding and honestly thought "I don't look much different than in that picture whats he talking about" and left it at that. Later I was thinking about it and I was in a 70 long jacket at my wedding and a shirt that I had to special order tailored and the works, I am now in a 2XL shirt all day long and thought about how my mental image may need some adjusting.

With that all said things are where they should be, I am enjoying being a smaller version of my prior self and taking it all in, eating to live instead of living to eat and the realization that it just takes a little bit of hard work to have everything that a guy could want physically is sinking in a little bit at a time. Ultimately I do believe that I will end up at a healthy weight as well as being in a physical place with myself that will allow me to do whatever I want to do in an unlimited fashion, even cart wheels if I so choose. Drink much, weigh the fuel and exercise the machine is the plan that will get me where I want to go so its what I'm going to stick with and why not? so far I am more than 200 pounds lighter doing just that.

I am going to start posting my menus again as I feel that it helps me keep a closer eye on whats going in and honestly I need the accountability with my choices because currently I know that I am lacking in the fruits and veggies department. There is always someone willing to in a comment say "Hey man! where is all of the foliage???" and most times when I review the menus after a comment like that the pattern of less veggies is in fact present. Perhaps I will start logging my exercises again as well and go a little old school with my posts again because if you re-read some of the older posts I was big about posting my menus and exercises, back in the first year when most of my posts were titled "Day 1" etc so maybe its what I need right now because I was more than focused at that point.

A less critical health situation for myself paired with some bigger fish to fry in the giving attention to things department has made me less concentrated on my program than in the past and I feel that it needs adjustment because I am not through with what I have started and honestly deserve to give myself that attention. I shall return tomorrow and will post my menu and exercise for today no matter what it is, good, bad, ugly it will be here for your discerning eyes to ponder and tear apart if you wish and with that the end has come to this episode of Fat man and Blobin so until next time.

As ever
Moi

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Weigh in time and more random for your noggin.

Friday, June 25, 2010

This morning when I woke up I decided two things, the first was that I would weigh in since its Friday and the second was that a post would have to wait until after I got a bike ride into my morning. I weighed in 318.2 this morning which is .6 lower than yesterdays weigh in and I am still not sure that I am completely over the bloat that I was in because of not eating correctly but that's what the number was so it will be the measuring stick for next Friday. Having to re-lose these pounds again pissed me off last night and I think that my focus is back because of that fact, I mean honestly it is what it is but I don't have to like it right? Yesterday was 1750 calories but that was before I stole a bite from my daughters cookie sandwich ice cream and ate a couple tiny little chocolate covered ice cream nuggets from the boss lady so just over, which is ok since my range is 1700 to 1900. I am trying to stay as close to 1700 calories as possible but on occasion I will have a "treat" like the bite of ice cream last night or a beer with my neighbor because I am not going to not have some of those things once in a while.



I mentioned a bike ride today, as soon as I woke up and saw how perfect a day we were having I decided that a bike ride was going to happen not later, not tonight, not tomorrow, it was happening right after breakfast. I hooked up the trailer and popped the little one in, got my son on his bike, my neighbor joined us as well and we took off for a playground that's about two and a half miles away but I decided to take "the scenic route" also know as "the hilly(er) route" which just adds a couple more hills to the already all hills ride making it about a three mile ride one way. We get to the top of the first biggish hill and my son has this smirk on his face as if to say "Ha! I beat you old man!" and down the other side we went, the next crest he had a little harder time with but still had the smirk because technically he hit the top first (I was going slow as our neighbor was a bit behind) and again the smirk. We didn't want the lad getting too cocky so the next hill I went up at the speed that I normally go when I ride solo and hit the top, turned around to meet him about 3/4 of the way up and then rode back to the top with him interestingly enough no smirk this time. A couple more like that where I spun around and came back down partially to meet him and he stayed in line rather than trying to pass me at every chance, I told him that he should keep trying because eventually he should be able to smoke me on the hills once he gets a little stronger given my current weight disadvantage.



The day started off good enough and I am about a gallon and a half worth of fluids so far and its only just after lunch time, I have a 6 mile ride under my belt and may just take another before the day is up. I did pick up an old habit over the last couple weeks and its kicked as of this morning once again as I skipped my am cup of coffee that I have been having so things are getting back to the way they should be. I once again feel random with my post today but hey it is what it is and what it is is a way for me to hold myself accountable for my decisions concerning my weight loss goals so there it is.

I don't want to set any "goals" just yet but the first thing on the list now that I am doing things right again is to get below 300 pounds. Second on the list is to catch up on some of my regular blogs that I follow because I have not read many at all in the past month because all of what I have been dealing with, I just haven't had the time so hopefully going through some of them will help keep me in the frame of mind that I need to stay in so that I can realize my goals. With that all said, I thank you for the support and comments that you leave me of your own free will, know that I read and appreciate every last one of them and they do me more good than you probably know so again Thanks!

Thats all this round boy got for today.

As Ever
Me

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As the fat guy turns..

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Last week I was pushing closer and closer to the 330 pound mark and I didn't like the taste that it was leaving in my mouth, tie that in with the reboot that I did the other night and this morning I am 318 pounds. That very fact is the reason that I wasn't over worrying about the up because I knew that I wasn't doing my part in the hydration department and had a feeling that it was more bloated than honest to goodness weight that was showing up, either way it was not something that I was happy about. Something that I noticed during my little hiatus was that I didn't feel as good as I do when I am doing things right, and I don't mean that I was moping around because I knew that i was fuvking up I mean physically. My feet hurt when I am not eating the right nourishment, I am sluggish, I am tired and unmotivated and I have been back on the straight and narrow for a whopping three days now and I feel like the old me, or is it the new old me? the old old me was 534 pounds, the new old me goes to the gym daily and eats properly and the...anyways, you get what I mean...I think.

Focusing on me in the middle of a $hit storm hasn't been fun but it is a necessary item to drop into the shopping bag because as always, without my health and well being what have I got? With that said I have been 100% on the ball and intend to stay there from here on out, Yesterday my calories came in at 1790 which is right in there as I am trying to stay as close to 1700 as possible. My fluid intake was just over two gallons again with one gallon being green tea and the rest was straight H20. I get a good amount of emails and or comments about my drinking and lots of people think its too much and I keep getting advice to drink less and I just want to mention that its not gonna happen. I have been drinking 1.5 to 2 gallons of fluid from day one of my better health gig and am down as of this morning 216 pounds using that plan, I am currently 318 pounds and workout (and sweat my ass off) daily, my doc is aware of what I drink and agrees that all is well and since for one its working, and two my doc is aware of how much I drink I see no need to change anything. I just wanted to mention all of that because I got a rather in depth and semi rude email from someone trying to make a case that I am hurting myself by drinking what I do so I thought I would sort of respond in today's post.

My exercise plan for today is going to start off with a walk with my daughter while she rides her bike followed by a seven or so mile ride with her in the trailer, I want to try and get out before the 90's and thunderstorms roll through. I can see that all of the bike riding that I do is paying off in the muscle department as my quads lately are rock solid in a way that I have never witnessed before and I think I like it. Even through my little slipping point the bike riding remained, I rode my daughter to and from school a lot even when the eating was not up to par and I guess just under 10 miles per day towing a kid and school supplies has its advantages. I am far from a distance rider when it comes to my bike, the furthest ride that I have done on a solid go has been in the 11-13 mile range and that was at a slow clip (hills and all that) but I am going to start pushing myself to go a bit further as I have discovered an old trail not far from where I live.

Going back to my regularly scheduled eating plan while exercising daily once again should get me moving in the right direction again with my weight and sooner than later I will cross that 300 pound mark....hopefully. I am feeling random with my post today but it is what it is and I am today at this very moment in time 18 pounds away from being under 300 pounds and crossing yet another century mark on this trip and somehow feel re-energized and ready to get the pounds falling off again and so it begins....again.

This is a process and will remain a process, nothing comes easy and a lot of work is still in front of me, failing is not an option and neither is anything less than hitting the goals that I have set into my direct path.

As Ever
Me

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